After a third successful stop on the PWHL Takeover Tour, Denver, Colorado seems to be the consensus frontrunner for a PWHL expansion team in the United States.
Denver, Colorado seems all but certain to be the recipient of one of the PWHL's next expansion teams. The market has consistently proven they are prepared to support a PWHL team, and the PWHL itself would like to continue to spread their geographic reach west.
Last season, Denver kicked off their PWHL debut setting a new American professional women's hockey attendance record drawing a crowd of 14,018. That mark has since been broken several times, but it was a clear message that Denver was interested in the league.
When the league returned to Denver this season, it came on a day when the PWHL was forced to place themselves head-to-head with the AFC Championship Game being held only 200 yards from Ball Arena at Empower Field at Mile High a game that drew 76,862 fans. Still, Denver managed to show up for the game attracting 11,612 fans.
In their final PWHL Takeover Tour ahead of the next round of expansion announcements, Denver put their best foot forward yet again, drawing 15,512 to see Minnesota beat New York.
The message in Denver has remained consistent, the state of Colorado wants a PWHL team. From signs in the stands, to mid-game chants, Denver is in on a PWHL franchise.
Photo @ PWHL"Seeing the attendance record go up—15,000—and hearing the “we want a team” chant gives me chills on the bench," said New York Sirens captain Micah Zandee-Hart after this week's final stop in the market.
If there's one question mark in Denver, it's the venue. Ball Arena is a world-class facility, but it's also already used by the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, NBA's Denver Nuggets, and NLL's Colorado Mammoth.
Despite the hurdle, the PWHL's massive success this season in Seattle and Vancouver has demonstrated that a more western reaching league comes with tremendous benefits.
With the PWHL aiming to maintain a similar timeline to the one they followed last season, Denver could soon learn their fate, particularly with the final PWHL Takeover Tour game in the United States scheduled for March 28. It's a game taking place in another expansion frontrunner, Detroit, and will be nationally broadcast on ION.