PWHL Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod discusses the PWHL's Takeover weekend in Detroit, Michigan. Last year the PWHL completed a Takeover Weekend playing games at NHL venues in Detroit and Pittsburgh. As Jayna Hefford stated at the time [https://www.thepwhl.com/en/news/2024/february/05/professional-womens-hockey-league-pwhl-coming-to-detroit-and-pittsburgh-march-1617-as-part-of-pwhl-takeover-weekend], “For fans attending these games and players who are competing on the ice, this will be a great celebration of the advancement and opportunity for women and hockey everywhere.” In Detroit, the March 16, 2024 game involved setting a new all-time attendance record for professional women's hockey in the United States [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/13736-new-american-professional-womens-hockey-attendance-record-set-in-detroit], welcoming 13,736 fans to Little Caesars Arena. This week, the PWHL officially filed a trademark application for the phrase "PWHL Takeover Tour" implying the league will again be hosting takeovers in alternative venues, which could involve multiple markets and dates. The application, signed by PWHL Senior Vice President of Business Strategy, Royce Cohen, was officially filed November 8. Looking at the PWHL's scheduled dates that remain listed as to be determined (TBD), an obvious block of games appeared ripe for the "PWHL Takeover Tour" in March. As The Hockey News previously reported, the March 1 game between the Boston Fleet and Montreal Victoire will be played at the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens, in Montreal. Following that date, back-to-back dates on March 7 between Ottawa and Minnesota, and March 8 between Montreal and Boston look probable. The timeline closely mimics last year's March events. Later in the month of March, a March 16 game between Minnesota and New York, March 26 between Toronto and Boston, and March 29 between Ottawa and Boston all have no time or location currently listed. If the PWHL's Takeover Tour does in fact tour between various cities, this is a likely block of games. The PWHL is eyeing expansion in time for the 2025-26 season leading many to believe that neutral site games this season, including a January game scheduled for Quebec City [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/quebec-city-councillor-calls-pwhl-game-first-victory-toward-expansion-franchise], will be used as market testing for expansion. Continue to follow The Hockey News - Women's as more information becomes available about the PWHL Takeover Tour.
