Ottawa’s PWHL team does not even have a name or logo yet. And yet during the intermissions of Ottawa’s game vs New York this past Sunday the lineup for the merchandise shop was lined up all the way outside the barriers.
It was clear that the excitement level in the arena was higher than it would be for a 67s or Blackjacks game. The arena was already filling up 45 minutes before puck drop and ended up being another sell-out with an attendance of 8062 at TD Place Arena. It was no surprise to see Ottawa sell-out the home opener on Jan. 2, but this was their fifth home game since the league started. To see them sell-out a game even after the excitement of the first couple weeks has worn off is a good sign for the long-term success of the team and the league as a whole.
Ottawa Head Coach Carla Mcleoed has been impressed by the league’s strong attendance numbers not just in Ottawa but across the league.
“These Canadian markets are incredibly hot and Ottawa’s just been so good to us. We couldn’t have asked for a better start from a league perspective and the engagement from the community is key and you’re starting to see all the different fans wearing the apparel and stuff now too. So it’s pretty thrilling to see that this has been the starting point and certainly it’s only going to grow from here,” said Mcleoed.
It was very noticeable when scanning through the crowd that people were actually wearing the apparel of the PWHL Ottawa team rather than Sens or 67s jerseys. It was also noticeable how engaged the crowd was in the game. The crowd not only enthusiastically celebrated when the team scored but also broke out into boos when they had a goal disallowed in the second-period.
Emi, a season ticket holder says she has always said there needed to be more women’s sports so when she heard about the PWHL she wanted to be a part of it.
“I wanted to be there for every game and to be putting my money where my mouth is,” siad Emi.
The arena location could also be a factor in the high attendances with Ottawa’s PWHL team now being the closest professional hockey team to most of Ottawa’s population To go to a Senators game most fans either need to either drive or take a very long public transit ride to the Canadian Tire Centre. The TD Place is a much more convenient location for bus riders and even walkable for many people.
On the ice it’s been a strange start for Ottawa with four of their first seven games being overtime losses as they now have a 2-1-4 record. Their game vs New York on Sunday seemed like an almost certain win as they were dominating the game and had a 3-0 lead with under 6 minutes to go in the third. New York stormed back by scoring 3 goals in under 2 minutes to tie it up and went on to win in overtime.
Even after a tough loss Ottawa defenceman Savannah Harmon believes the first month of the regular-season has been a success.
“The first month’s been incredible. I think there’s been a lot of growing, a lot of learning within our group and we’re just excited to keep going. The season’s still young. We’re excited and we have a lot to look forward to,” said Harmon
Ottawa’s next home game will be the Saturday of Family Day weekend against Minnesota.