Edmonton hosts third PWHL Takeover Tour game as league ponders expansion - BERITAJA

Edmonton’s hopes for an description franchise successful the Professional Women’s Hockey League sewage different boost Tuesday erstwhile 10,794 fans turned retired for a 3rd Takeover Tour crippled astatine Rogers Place.

While attendance was down from the first of the 3 games played successful Edmonton complete the past 2 seasons, the enthusiastic instrumentality consequence passim the 5-1 Boston Fleet triumph complete the Vancouver Goldeneyes caught the attraction of the players.

“It would beryllium awesome for the league,” Goldeneyes skipper Ashton Bell said of Edmonton getting a franchise. “We’ve played 2 games present and the fans person been great…they’ve been hoping for a team.”

Vancouver, which on pinch the Seattle Torrent joined the PWHL this season, dropped its 2nd neutral-site crippled successful Edmonton. The Minnesota Frost defeated the Goldeneyes 2-1 successful December.

Goldeneyes caput coach Brian Idalski nevertheless thought the summation of Edmonton would beryllium “awesome. Nice to person personification other spell done what we’re going through. And there’s a batch of affirmative for the subordinate pool.”

The eight-team PWHL intends to grow again by 2 to 4 teams for 2026-27.

No different Canadian metropolis has hosted arsenic galore Takeover Tour games arsenic Edmonton.

The first past play drew 17,518 fans to Rogers Place. Attendance for the 2nd Dec. 27 was 10,264.

Jessie Eldridge of Barrie, Ont., scored her team-leading ninth and 10th goals for Boston connected Tuesday successful the Fleet’s 5th consecutive win.

Boston was a azygous constituent down the Montreal Victoire — a 4-1 victor complete the Torrent connected Tuesday — successful the title for first spot successful the standings.

Stan Kasten, a personnel of the PWHL advisory board, said past week the league, nearing the extremity of its 3rd season, is fresh for description .

“There is simply a statement of cities eager to person america there, whether it’s for a mates Takeover Tour games aliases for a full-time team. We’re going to person news about that successful the adjacent fewer weeks,” Kasten said astatine a New York news conference.

The league’s original six teams are the Victoire, Fleet, Frost, Toronto Sceptres, Ottawa Charge and New York Sirens.

This season’s 16 Takeover Tour games were to build assemblage and trial markets. Halifax, pinch 2 games, Calgary, Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hamilton besides hosted PWHL games this season.