From Ottawa, Will Travel: PWHL Ottawa Fans Trek To Utica To Show Their Support

Inside the Adirondack Bank Center at the 2024 IIHF women's World Championships there were pockets of PWHL Ottawa fans who made the trip to cheer on the 11 Ottawa players in the tournament.

There's no denying the fandom that has developed in Ottawa for the PWHL. TD Place Arena is packed to the gills each and every home game with more than 8,000 screaming PWHL Ottawa fans.

Ottawa's faithful however, have continued to go above and beyond. That includes groups of Ottawa fans making the four hour drive from Ottawa to Utica, New York to show support for PWHL Ottawa players competing in the 2024 IIIHF World Championships.

"When we realized how close Utica was to Ottawa, we decided we wanted to support all of the PWHL Ottawa players who are here, and for this game, that's Japan's Akane Shiga," said PHWL Ottawa season ticket holder Susan Woodhouse who was in attendance for a preliminary round game between Japan and Sweden.

"We decided it was close enough, so why would we be watching it on TV when we could drive down and show our support in person," said Tracey Braun, another PWHL Ottawa season ticket holder in attendance. "We wanted to come down to support Akane and her sister. We were only going to come down for the Canada game, but then we thought we'd come down and support our own player."

Akane Shiga is the lone Japanese player in the PWHL this season. PWHL Ottawa has 11 members of their roster competing in Utica with Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner, Emerance Maschmeyer, and Ashton Bell playing with Canada, Katerina Mrazova, Aneta Tejralova, and Tereza Vanisova with Czechia, Sandra Abstreiter backstopping Germany, Savannah Harmon and Hayley Scamurra on Team USA, and Shiga with Japan.

Across the ice from Braun, Woodhouse and the rest of their PWHL Ottawa donned group, was Nicole Shadbolt and her family. They're also PWHL Ottawa season ticket holders who have been following the team and their players with interest this season. After making the eight hour journey from Ottawa to Detroit, Michigan earlier this year to see Ottawa play Boston at the PWHL Takeover Weekend, the four hour drive to Utica was just the next logical step for the family.

"We're huge fans, our whole family is very enthusiastic about women's hockey in general, and the rise, and we love Akane Shiga," said Nicole Shadbolt only seconds before leaping out of her seat for Japan's first goal of the game. 

Shadbolt and her family were not only excited to see Shiga, but they've also been cheering for Ottawa's players throughout the tournament. It's changed their allegiances from being Team Canada fans only, to also supporters of Ottawa players no matter where they're from.

"We're so excited to see Team Canada, but we're also excited to see our Czech players. We brought a Canada flag, a Czechia flag, and a Saskatchewan flag because we're also big Emily Clark fans."

Prior to the launch of the PWHL, Shadbolt would watch Ottawa Senators games if her family had them on television, unless that is she "had something better to do." This season however, with PWHL Ottawa in existence, she's gone from a passive observer to a passionate fan of the sport.

"I've been captivated by professional women's hockey since the PHWL started this year," she said.

It's a sentiment echoed by the large group of PWHL Ottawa fans who have been filtering into the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica for the 2024 IIHF women's World Championships.

"Just by having Ottawa have it's own team, it's so exciting, we've been waiting for this forever," said Woodhouse. "We get so excited to see all the young girls, hockey players and ringette players who are there to possibly see a future for themselves."

The excitement for PWHL Ottawa fans didn't stop with the break in the league schedule. Instead it just created a road trip opportunity for Ottawa fans to follow the love they've found for their team and its players at the World Championships.