The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) has experienced a remarkable surge in popularity recently. They have seen a massive jump in audience attendance this season.

The momentum comes at a time when excitement around women’s hockey is at an all-time high.

After 93 games in the PWHL 2025-26 season, the average attendance in the game goes up to 9,040. This is 24.5% more attendance than the total average from the last season. 

Last season, the league drew 7,245 fans per game on average. Overall, in 90 games, the league saw 644,839 recorded fans last season. 

That means almost 1800 more fans are attending the games (per game) live this season. This jump highlights the growing visibility and credibility of the PWHL, which continues to establish itself as a major force in professional women’s sports.

One of the major factors behind this growth is also the arrival of new teams. This year, two new franchises—the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent—were added to the Professional Women's Hockey League.

Their inclusion has expanded the market and helped the league reach a wider audience.

Vancouver is drawing around 11,370 fans, while Seattle is averaging approximately 12,533 fans per game. These numbers clearly indicate that the number of people watching and following the league has significantly increased.

But even if we take out this factor, the league still saw a 13.5% increase in attendance.

USA Women’s Olympic Triumph Sparks New Wave of Interest in PWHL

One of the biggest reasons behind the growing popularity of the PWHL is also the gold medal victory of the United States women's national ice hockey team at the Olympics.

On February 19, 2026, the USA’s national women’s ice hockey team won a gold medal in the Winter Olympics at Milan Cortina. They defeated Canada 2-1 (overtime) in the final.

High-profile players returning from international competition have brought renewed attention to the league, inspiring young athletes and drawing new fans to arenas.

All in all, this is a positive sign that the Professional Women's Hockey League is moving forward and attracting more fans.

In its first season, the league managed to draw only 392,259 fans across 70 games, with an average attendance of 5,448 per game. Since then, the PWHL as a product has grown significantly.

There is still plenty of time left before this season ends, and it is expected that even more fans will connect with the league. What are your thoughts on this? Are you also watching the PWHL?

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Shraabona Sengupta