Seattle Torrent Set U.S. Women's Hockey Attendance Record
A crowd of 17,335 at Climate Pledge Arena set a new mark for professional women's hockey in a U.S. building.
The Seattle Torrent drew 17,335 fans to Climate Pledge Arena on Friday night, setting a new U.S. arena attendance record for professional women's hockey. The sold-out crowd for the Torrent's matchup against the Toronto Sceptres surpassed the previous mark of 17,228, set earlier this season at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., when the Montreal Victoire faced the New York Sirens during the PWHL Takeover Tour.
It was the third time this season the league has broken its own U.S. record. Seattle had previously set a then-record of 16,014 during their inaugural home opener against the Minnesota Frost on November 28 at the same building.
Friday's game was the first for both clubs following the Olympic break. The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics drew 61 PWHL players, roughly 30 percent of the league, and 41 of them returned with medals. The post-Olympic surge has been measurable: on February 24 and 25, the league recorded its two highest single-day home venue ticket sales totals since opening night. Merchandise sales jumped 101 percent compared to the pre-Olympic season trend, and website traffic during the Olympic window rose nearly sixfold, with 73 percent of those visitors arriving for the first time.
Overall attendance across the PWHL was up 17 percent season-over-season through 61 games before the Olympic pause, per thepwhl.com.
