PWHL attendance, scoring up this season with expansion plans on horizon

Attendance is up, and so is scoring two-thirds through the Professional Women's Hockey League's second season, with the six-team league closing in on a decision to expand by as many as two franchises for next year.

"Fourteen months in, it's an exciting time for us and we certainly haven't slowed down," executive vice-president of business operations Amy Scheer said during a recent call with reporters. "I think we've proven over the last year and a half that we've got staying power, and now we're a solid part of the hockey community."

The league is on the verge of growing, with Scheer saying an expansion decision is expected by early April. Scheer would not provide any hint on what markets are in the running and whether one or two teams will be added.

Detroit is nonetheless considered a front-runner, with the PWHL also impressed with neutral site Takeover Tour game turnouts in Seattle, Denver, Vancouver, Edmonton and Quebec City this year.

The league is averaging 7,365 fans per game, up from 5,500 last regular season. Including playoffs, the PWHL has drawn a combined 925,406 fans entering this week, with the anticipation of surpassing one million within the next month.

The attendance jump can be attributed to the Takeover Tour. Six of the nine games so far have drawn 89,953 fans, including 19,038 in Vancouver, the fourth highest in league history.

Another factor is the Toronto Sceptres playing in a larger venue this year, moving to the 7,800-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum from the 2,500-seat Mattamy Athletic Centre.

The New York Sirens have slightly benefited in establishing their home at New Jersey's Prudential Center after playing out of three venues last season. They're averaging 2,648 fans through 10 games at Prudential vs.