An announced crowd of 17,228 packed Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, to witness the New York Sirens’ 2-1 victory over the Montreal Victoire. This is the largest crowd in an arena for a professional women’s hockey game in the US.
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The previous record was 16,014, set at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena for a game between Seattle Torrent and Minnesota Frost on November 28, 2025.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) founder Ted Leonsis said in a statement that he was “incredibly proud” of the strong show of support for the PWHL at Capital One Arena.
“Whether on the ice or on the court, these record crowds are the result of deliberate investment, long-term partnership and the belief that women’s sports deserve to be celebrated at the highest level,” Leonsis said.
MSE owns three professional franchises in Washington: the Capitals of the NHL, the Wizards of the NBA and the Mystics of the WNBA.
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A WNBA game between the Mystics and the Indiana Fever drew 20,711 fans, a league single-game attendance record, in September 2024.
A record crowd in a market currently lacking a PWHL team could boost the league’s expansion efforts. Between two and four teams could be added for next season, PWHL executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer said in October.
The PWHL expanded to Seattle and Vancouver this season, the league’s second.
Sunday’s game in Washington was part of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour, which includes 16 games at neutral venues in 11 cities across the United States and Canada.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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