21 000+ attendance for PWHL game in Montreal

[Habsfunk]

I went to the game with my girlfriend, niece, and dad. It was pretty amazing to be there. The reception the players for was incredible. My girlfriend started playing hockey this year and got emotional watching it. What was the best was the cheering from the young girls around us. They were incredibly enthusiastic and were just as obnoxious as any male fan yelling "lancez!" all the time on the power play

 

[Bostonzamboni]

I think the Boston team draws about 3,000 to 4,000 last I saw league averages a couple months ago. They play in Lowell, Massachusetts, an old mill city but improving, 37 miles north of Boston near the New Hampshire border at the Div. 1 UMass-Lowell Riverhaeks' downtown arena. I think it seats over 6,000.

NESN or more likely NESN Plus televises some games.

And the Boston Globe actually has game stories with an actual staff reporter for the home games, even if it's probably buried on page 8 or so of the sports section.

It seems the NY team is struggling. If I recall, averaging 3,000 I think in the Islanders' old arena?

 

[ohheyhemsky]

All it took was some decent coverage for once, allowing women to hit like they've always been able to and you start seeing patronage? Who knew?

This is awesome news.

Nice work on Montreal fans showing their true love for the sport as well.

 

[Hug Ben Laf]

I think they broke the last record with 21,000+ more

 

[patnyrnyg]

I think the Boston team draws about 3,000 to 4,000 last I saw league averages a couple months ago. They play in Lowell, Massachusetts, an old mill city but improving, 37 miles north of Boston near the New Hampshire border at the Div. 1 UMass-Lowell Riverhaeks' downtown arena. I think it seats over 6,000.

NESN or more likely NESN Plus televises some games.

And the Boston Globe actually has game stories with an actual staff reporter for the home games, even if it's probably buried on page 8 or so of the sports section.

It seems the NY team is struggling. If I recall, averaging 3,000 I think in the Islanders' old arena?

New York has played in Bridgeport, UBS (current Isles) this weekend played at Prudential (NJD) and have another game there this week. For NY, I think this is a good idea. While it would be nice to have a "home", they probably cant get into MSG as it has 2 teams and is a very busy arena. People from LI, NYC, NJ are not going to CT for this team. But, spread them out and expose them to the entire metropolitan area. People from NJ are not driving to UBS, at least not enough will. Same for LI people going to NJ.

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Wonder what the ticket price was?

From the website it looks like they only have a couple of price tiers. Good seats are $70 and the others are $25.

Still, if they can average that each game and they get the season up to 30 home games they could be average $24,000,000 in gate revenue and probably double that in concessions and fan gear.

I personally don't find women's hockey all that interesting and I think it caps out around the same place as major junior hockey but it's nice to see women's sports in certain situations doing decent numbers, college basketball being the other notable I am aware of.

 

[12ozPapa]

So f***ing awesome! Love it.

 

[Puckstop40]

Awesome. I really hope the PWHL continues to grow. I love hockey and having an outlet for women is great for the sport. The girls Jr. Knights team here in Vegas just won a national championship. That is actually unreal considering a few years ago, those words would never be mouthed. I have a two month old daughter, and hopefully if she decides to try hockey later in life, there will be more opportunities for her. Again, I hope the PWHL continues to grow.

 

[BayStBullies]

Incredible moment in Montreal today as 21 000+ seats have been sold for a women’s hockey game which sets a world record.

Montreal is the ultimate hockey town!!

A lot of pent up expectation to see a winning team.

 

[Section 104]

New York has played in Bridgeport, UBS (current Isles) this weekend played at Prudential (NJD) and have another game there this week. For NY, I think this is a good idea. While it would be nice to have a "home", they probably cant get into MSG as it has 2 teams and is a very busy arena. People from LI, NYC, NJ are not going to CT for this team. But, spread them out and expose them to the entire metropolitan area. People from NJ are not driving to UBS, at least not enough will. Same for LI people going to NJ.

I wonder if MSG is also known for heavy expenses. One book on the WHA “The Rebel League” says the New York Raiders were forced by the unions to use/pay all the ushers and other people despite the fact their attendance was a lot lower than the Rangers or Knicks. I remember one time in the 1980s Ozzy Osbourne saying bands basically play MSG for prestige…the costs were too high to make a larger sum of money.
But who knows, maybe things have changed. Doubt it though.

 

[peconcan]

If they want to keep great attendance like this they better not get greedy like NHL teams and raise the prices to a stupid amount. Way better for the league to sell out with 25-75$ tickets then to have half the seats empty at 200+

 

[patnyrnyg]

I wonder if MSG is also known for heavy expenses. One book on the WHA “The Rebel League” says the New York Raiders were forced by the unions to use/pay all the ushers and other people despite the fact their attendance was a lot lower than the Rangers or Knicks. I remember one time in the 1980s Ozzy Osbourne saying bands basically play MSG for prestige…the costs were too high to make a larger sum of money.
But who knows, maybe things have changed. Doubt it though.

Would not be surprised. For years, the Rangers never played home games on Saturday night. Even Fox, the first few years would not have the Rangers play home games on weekend afternoons. I have heard from a few different people that national broadcasters like CBC and then Fox did not want to deal with the unions.

 

[ottawa]

Montreal would draw better for Junior hockey if it was really a hockey town. It’s a Habs town.

Hopefully they can build and sustain interest based on the initial momentum.

I’ve been to a few games this year and it’s fun.

Imagine a sens fans talking about attendance...sens had to take out seats just to increase their attendance %

 

[Fantomas]

Quebec deserves another team. I was once in Laval a couple of days and thought I'd go see an AHL game (The Rocket). Figured I'd stroll in and buy a ticket 30 minutes before puck drop. No big deal, right, it's the AHL.

Sold out. Huge crowds of people in this little town walking down the street on the way to the stadium to watch a mediocre team play a forgettable game. And good for them. I wasn't even mad.

 

[Goose]

Love to see it. Is that the norm for some of the teams? I assume tickets are reasonable?

 

[nucksflailtogether]

I really wonder how a team might fare here in Van. Pretty saturated market hockey wise in general but if its an affordable alternative it could be a huge outlet for families and their girls to go see people they can aspire to be play and maybe inspire even greater involvement in girl's/women's hockey. I'd probably go see a game myself, see what the atmosphere is like and how it can be different. It's really all about alternatives to these expensive NHL tickets that no-one can afford.

Side note I referee a women's league here and there's a team with Nordiques style jerseys called the No-deeks (no dicks)

 

[Albatros]

Montreal has always been the "Mecca of the Hockey playing cities in North America and...in Europe it would have to be CSKA Moscow

Huh? CSKA has a smaller average attendance than the Belfast Giants in Northern Ireland.

 

[JianYang]

Quebec deserves another team. I was once in Laval a couple of days and thought I'd go see an AHL game (The Rocket). Figured I'd stroll in and buy a ticket 30 minutes before puck drop. No big deal, right, it's the AHL.

Sold out. Huge crowds of people in this little town walking down the street on the way to the stadium to watch a mediocre team play a forgettable game. And good for them. I wasn't even mad.

The Habs are the Habs, and Laval also has very high attendance by ahl standards. The women in montreal also seem to be doing well if this game is any evidence.

Where montreal seems to struggle is as a junior hockey market, but everything above that seems to turn into gold.

 

[Ulysses31]

I thought that the huge increase in popularity with womens individual sports (Katie Ledecky, Shacarri Richardson, Serena Williamson, Simone Biles, etc - track and field honestly is relatively equal in popularity between men and women in the modern post-Bolt era) might have stayed isolated to individual sports, but it seems that as more huge stars start to emerge in team sports, they're starting to grow a lot as well.

Honestly, women are competitive as f*** and I've been seeing a lot more hatred and venom in watching womens sports over the past couple years, it's been great.

why ppl b hatin, tired dese sexualists

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

21,000+ selflies taken and posted to social media almost unanimously. "I was there!" lmao

 

[Rigafan]

Huh? CSKA has a smaller average attendance than the Belfast Giants in Northern Ireland.

I found that odd as well. If you want to compare than St Petersburgh would be the 'Montreal' of Europe/Russia.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

I thought that the huge increase in popularity with womens individual sports (Katie Ledecky, Shacarri Richardson, Serena Williamson, Simone Biles, etc - track and field honestly is relatively equal in popularity between men and women in the modern post-Bolt era) might have stayed isolated to individual sports, but it seems that as more huge stars start to emerge in team sports, they're starting to grow a lot as well.

Honestly, women are competitive as f*** and I've been seeing a lot more hatred and venom in watching womens sports over the past couple years, it's been great.

They're nastier.

The PWHL's playoffs will probably be more entertaining the playoffs have been so far.

I know what I said.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

I was there and the cool thing is that the ovation would have gone on way longer if the PA announcer did not interrupt it by presenting Desbiens.

The game itself was quite entertaining. Very close back and forth game between the two best teams in the league.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Wonder what the ticket price was?

We paid 80$ a pop and we were sitting 5 rows behind the Montreal penalty box.

 

[Essenege]

Montreal would draw better for Junior hockey if it was really a hockey town. It’s a Habs town.

Hopefully they can build and sustain interest based on the initial momentum.

I’ve been to a few games this year and it’s fun.

Laval has 3rd best AHL attendance this year…junior is better suited for smaller cities.