Sold-out PWHL game at MSG to set U.S. attendance record - ESPN

The PWHL game on April 4 between the New York Sirens and the Seattle Torrent has sold out Madison Square Garden, with a crowd expected to set a U.S. attendance record for a professional women's hockey game.

The current attendance record was set on Feb. 27 at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena, when a crowd of 17,335 fans watched the Torrent take on the Toronto Sceptres. The capacity for hockey at MSG is 18,006.

New York announced the MSG game on Jan. 8, touting it as «the Sirens' arrival at the epicenter of New York City sports.» The Sirens play home games across the Hudson River at Prudential Center in Newark, home of the New Jersey Devils.

New York is fourth in the PWHL standings while Seattle, one of two PWHL expansion teams this season, is in last place entering Thursday's action.

A PWHL spokesperson told ESPN that the MSG sellout was fueled by «riding the wave of the Winter Olympics,» with a significant uptick in interest and ticket sales after Team USA's thrilling overtime victory over Canada in the gold medal game in Milan.

Team Canada star Sarah Fillier, forward Kristin O'Neill and goalie Kayle Osborne play for the Sirens. The Torrent have four players from the U.S. team, although captain and star Hilary Knight is on long-term injured reserve with a MCL injury.

The league has seen a boom in interest and increased visibility since the Olympics. That included Knight and U.S. «golden goal» scorer Megan Keller of the Boston Fleet appearing on «Saturday Night Live.» Not only did they wear their PWHL gear during the «good nights,» but they gifted jerseys to «Heated Rivalry» stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who hosted the show.

MSG hosted its first professional women's hockey game in February 2021 as the