For its second season, PWHL Montréal will make Place Bell its primary home.
During its inaugural season, the PWHL team played 11 home games in three different venues. It played six games in its main home, the Verdun Auditorium, and four games at Place Bell, a larger arena located just north of Montreal in Laval, Que.
The Verdun Auditorium seats 4,114 and Place Bell seats just over 10,000.
The team also played a sold-out game last season at the Bell Centre, the home of the Montreal Canadiens that can seat over 21,000 fans, setting a world record for attendance at a women’s hockey game.
Place Bell is already home to the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
“We are extremely happy to be able to accommodate our growing number of fans and to give them even more opportunities to come support our players. This precious collaboration with the Groupe CH will allow us to create new magical moments with our fans,” said PWHL Montreal general manager Danièle Sauvageau in the team’s written statement.
Hockey hasn’t been the only thing PWHL fans have been enjoying at Montreal’s home games. DJ Montana says she’s found a special connection with those in the stands.
The team says three games at Place Bell last season drew capacity crowds, including a historic triple-overtime playoff game versus Boston.
France Margaret, the president of Groupe CH Sports and Entertainment which owns the Montreal Canadiens, said the organization was “thrilled” to have PWHL Montreal make Place Bell its home.
“Over the course of hosting multiple record-setting PWHL Montreal games in our venues in 2024, we saw crowds create an electric atmosphere, once again demonstrating the strength of this hockey market,” Margaret said in the statement.
PWHL analyst Hanna Bunton said today’s news is a big step in the right direction. She said she is excited for the team and the players as they enjoyed the atmosphere at Place Bell last season.
Ensuring the team continues to play at Place Bell, a professional-level venue, shows how exciting the league is and how well it has been marketed, said Bunton, a retired professional hockey player who now works as a hockey coach and manager at Bourget College in Rigaud, Que.
The first season demonstrated the quality of women’s hockey and proved that fans want to watch, Bunton said. She’s now looking forward to year two.
“I think there was a lot of energy around year one. It was something new, and I am excited to see how they can continue to grow and transfer that same excitement into year two,” said Bunton.
PWHL Montreal will continue using the Verdun Auditorium as a practice venue. The team says information regarding season ticket availability will be available soon.
This year, the PWHL regular season will expand from 24 to 30 games.
‘Onwards and upwards’
Heidi Van Regan, Verdun resident and a PWHL fan club founder, said she loved having games in her local auditorium. The venue dates back to the 1930s and she says it’s still an important place to many in the community.
“It’s a little sad that it doesn’t seem like we are going to be getting any games there. But money talks and the seats are selling,” said Van Regan.
“It’s onwards and upwards. It’s only good to be moving into the bigger space for more games.”
She said she is a season pass holder with seven seats. Last season, she brought 59 different people to games so they could see the new team in action.
She hopes some games will be held at the Bell Centre, and she’s happy the team will still have a presence in Verdun.
“The neighbourhood really started to embrace the team, so we will continue to think of them as our own even if the games are in Laval,” said Van Regan.
Source Agencies
