WASHINGTON, DC — Women’s hockey fans turned out in droves this weekend for the PWHL’s first game in DC.
The Montreal Victoire and New York Sirens played a packed house at Capital One Arena on Sunday, setting a new attendance record for a pro women’s hockey game in the United States. The game drew a total of 17,228 fans, beating the previous record of 16,014 set at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena in November.
Announcement of US attendance record
“It’s a pretty special moment, for sure,” said Victoire forward Hayley Scamurra, daughter of Capitals alumnus Peter Scamurra. “I knew they would show out, but I think this exceeded everyone’s expectations. To beat the U.S. record as much as they did is just incredible.
“I think also their energy that they brought, that was the loudest they’ve ever been. I heard people at the Caps say that was the last they’ve been all season. So I think it’s a testament to the people we have in our organization.”
📸: Katie Adler/RMNB
Montreal’s Bell Centre holds the worldwide women’s hockey attendance record, with 21,105 fans in the building for a game between the PWHL’s Toronto and Montreal in April 2024.
Merchandise booths at Capital One Arena sold out nearly immediately on Sunday, with lines wrapping around the arena.
“We’re incredibly proud to see Capital One Arena serve as the stage for another historic moment with today’s record-setting PWHL game,” Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement. “…[T]he momentum we’re seeing today reflects both the excellence of the athletes and the growing demand from fans to experience women’s sports at the highest level.”
Professional women’s hockey last came to the DC area in 2023, when the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association hosted a stop of its Dream Gap Tour at MedStar Capitals Iceplex — a rink with a capacity of approximately 1,200. Three years later, attendance has grown more than tenfold.
Scamurra, who also played in the Dream Gap Tour, reflected on the difference between that 2023 event and what the PWHL has done this weekend.
“It’s just incredible,” she said Saturday. “The stands were filled then, but to have that full circle moment is really incredible, to now play professional hockey where the men play.”
Sunday’s game is part of the PWHL’s 2025-26 Takeover Tour, which includes 16 neutral-site games in 11 cities across the US and Canada.
After beginning play in 2024 with six teams, the PWHL expanded to Seattle and Vancouver this season, with two or four more teams to come in 2026-27. Data from the Takeover Tour will help the league evaluate potential expansion sites.