PWHL Ottawa general manager Mike Hirshfeld discusses what Ottawa has built and the disappointment of missing the playoffs in year one. The PWHL provided fans with so many lasting and incredible moments, for both new and seasoned fans alike, and so many of those happened right in the Nation’s Capital! “I asked my kids,” Mike Kopack shared, ‘Have you heard about this new professional women’s league?’ ‘Sure,’ they said, ‘it’s on YouTube!’ I turned on the game, just in time for puck drop and realized ‘Hey! This is really good!” With that in mind, and with the help of some of those very same passionate fans, let’s reflect back on the 2024 season for PWHL Ottawa and talk about those memories fans had, in no particular order! ATTENDANCE There is no better place to start than this. Ottawa averaged [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/smaller-arena-in-the-future-for-pwhl-ottawa-a-significant-concern] 7,496 fans this past season and was the talk of the league, even still in the offseason. To put into words what The Arena at TD Place felt like on game day would pale in comparison to the actual experience. Fans stayed, win or loss, until the very end of every game and never stopped cheering. THE HOME OPENER A memory that will live on in the hearts and minds of every PWHL Ottawa fan. Despite a heartbreaking overtime loss to Montreal, each and every one of the 8,318 fans (a professional women’s hockey game attendance record at the time), left that game blown away by the product on the ice and the vibes in the building. It was electric, which is underselling it, to say the least. BOOING “CAPTAIN CLUTCH” MARIE-PHILIP POULIN Speaking of the home opener, many have noted that they’d never have expected hearing boos for a player so revered in Canada as MPP, but that all changed during her first game in the Nation’s Capital. Every time she touched the puck there was no mistake: they weren’t saying “Pou!” LANDO Mentioning fan favourite Lando on this list is crucial, the team’s unofficial mascot for this season. Lando became an instant fan favourite the moment he was introduced and endeared himself to the legion of Ottawa fans with his charm and enthusiasm. His social media presence garnered tons of enthusiastic responses. ENDING TORONTO’S WINNING STREAK Despite a rather unexpectedly slow start to the season, Toronto turned things around and had a dominant second half, which included an 11 game winning streak. That was until they hit the ice against Ottawa. DARYL WATTS’ HAT TRICK Going into the season, everyone knew the player Watts was going to be, but she started the season slow. That didn’t last long and the game against Toronto was a perfect example. Three goals on six shots and each of them had the crowd cheering even louder. KATERINÁ MRÁZOVÁ SCORES TWICE IN THE SHOOTOUT No list would be complete without this incredible moment! Mrázová, who was so important to the team all season long, made it look effortless in the shootout, as she was relied upon twice and made the most of it, scoring two and securing a 3-2 shootout victory over Boston. The emotion of this inaugural season runs through each and every person who attended a game live or watched online. “Without fail,” Carly Fox shared, “every friend I brought to a game would get really emotional right before puck drop. None of us have even played hockey, but knowing what it does for all women meant so much.”
