Voices From The District: What Fans Had To Say About The Washington D.C. Takeover Tour

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sunday, I was in Washington, D.C. for the PWHL Takeover Tour game between the New York Sirens and the Montréal Victoire. It was a great game, with big goals, exceptional saves, and plenty of physicality, including a line brawl after the final buzzer. 

Almost as good as the game on the ice was the energy in the stands. It was my first time at Capital One Arena, and the crowd did not disappoint. 17,228 fans showed up to support women’s hockey, setting a new U.S. attendance record in the process. Speaking to the media after the game, Sirens forward Sarah Fillier said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many people at warm-ups with signs along the glass for us. You can tell there’s a lot of passion in this city for sports, and especially for women’s sports. It was a great crowd, and it would be awesome to come back and play here.”

I had the chance to talk to several fans before the game and during intermission, from DC locals to people who traveled, passionate PWHL followers to first-timers, and folks of all ages. (If you’re reading this and you were one of those people, thank you!) What I learned is that DC sports fans care a lot about their city, women’s sports are a real draw, and the Takeover Tour does a good job at engaging new PWHL fanbases.

Amanda was no stranger to the PWHL. Last year, she went to New York to watch the Sirens play the Montréal Victoire, so she found it funny that she was watching the same matchup again. She started as a Boston Fleet fan, but her team allegiance followed her favorite player, Hilary Knight, to Seattle, especially since she is originally from the Pacific Northwest. Now living in DC, Amanda was impressed by the buzz around women’s hockey in the district. “I think there’s a lot of excitement here,” she said. “When they announced they were doing the Takeover Tour here, a lot of my friends who didn’t even know hockey knew it was coming.” Similarly, Grace, Fiona, and Carmen were recent transplants and Seattle Torrent fans happy to be watching women’s hockey in DC. Grace is a big hockey fan who convinced her friends to support her favorite team as well, but the group joked they would pick their second-favorite team based on the results of the game. 

While walking around the concourse, a group of three friends caught my attention because of their jerseys from the PHF’s Boston Pride and hand-drawn signs with phrases like “I ♥ Girl Aquarium.” Longtime women’s hockey supporters, they traveled from Philadelphia to DC for the Takeover Tour. They were excited to watch women’s hockey at the highest level, especially in an arena as nice as Capital One and with the level of recognition and enthusiasm from the crowd. The community aspect of women’s hockey was important to the group. “We really enjoy watching hockey in all forms, and we really like how inclusive they are.”

Yunqian and Jamie also told me about their journeys into women’s hockey. Originally from China, Yunqian fell in love with women’s hockey while in school at the University of Wisconsin. Two Badger alums, Casey O’Brien and Abby Roque, are her favorite players, and she got to watch them both in DC. “The game is amazing, seeing women’s hockey at this level is a joy in and of itself,” she said of attending PWHL games. Now living in New York, the Sirens have become Yunqian’s favorite team, and she’s hoping to see them in a playoff game this year. Jamie, meanwhile, leads a growing hockey family. She began playing the sport at 40 and is now part of three different teams, including women’s teams. Following her lead, both her son and daughter started playing as well. From nearby Virginia, Jamie previously attended last year’s Takeover Tour game in Raleigh, NC, but she was happy to bring her daughter to her first PWHL game.

The local sports crossover was strong. Alexa, Sammy, and Shana were wearing merch for the NWSL’s Washington Spirit. “The three of us are big Washington Spirit fans, that’s like our go-to women’s sports team, but we’re looking to go to more women’s sports events, so that’s kinda what brought us here.” Barbara described herself as a Washington Capitals season ticket holder who fell in love with hockey about a year ago. When asked what she was looking forward to the most at her first PWHL game, Barbara told me, “I have two daughters and two granddaughters, so I’m just excited to see women’s sports!” Elizabeth, a DC local and big sports fan, described the game as one of the best she’s seen at Capital One Arena. “I love watching people compete at the highest level, and to see women do it outside of the Olympics is pretty special.”

The comparison between the vibe of the Takeover Tour and other hockey events was particularly stark, according to some fans. Greg, who was at the game with his young daughter, told me, “Grading the fans, this is the best hockey game I’ve ever been to. I think Caps fans are actually terrible fans, they don’t pay attention … but the fans are so into the game here.” Dick, a Minnesota native whose daughter plays hockey, agreed. “It’s the most amazing thing. Everyone is just really nice,” he said. “It’s just a different feel than most games. People here actually like hockey, as opposed to people who are just at the event because it’s the expensive thing in town.”

Daphne, a New Jersey local who moved to DC, is a big Sirens fan and was happy to see her team get this kind of attention. Comparing the Takeover Tour to a home game at Prudential Center, she described it as “leaps and bounds better. It sold out, that’s super exciting. At Prudential Center, the fans are really into it, but the fan experience here … like it’s packed, that’s amazing to see.” Her favorite parts of the game were Kristýna Kaltounková’s goal and the scuffle after the final buzzer, which brought the arena to its feet.

Emma, Daphne’s girlfriend, was attending her first-ever hockey game. “I like it a lot,” Emma said. “It’s way more exciting than I thought it would be, but I had no expectations.” Bree and Andrew, also first-timers at PWHL games, expressed similar sentiments. “I’m actually having a really awesome time … it’s so nice to see so many people here enjoying hockey,” Bree told me. Andrew, who was convinced to attend by his partner, described it as a pretty fun way to spend a Sunday. Adelaide and Ruby, both newer hockey fans, had an even more succinct summary of the game. “It’s good, it’s fun. They’re doing a lot of falling.” 

Despite the variety among the crowd, the common thread among all the people I spoke to was that they all wanted Washington, D.C., to get its own PWHL team. To some, it was a natural evolution of the city as a sports hub. “I feel like we have a team for every other sport — the Spirit, the Mystics — might as well add a PWHL team too,” Fiona said. Ruby later agreed, saying, “Women’s sports are so profitable right now, it makes sense that now would be a good time to bring a team here.”

To others, the sheer numbers of the crowd were proof enough that the PWHL would work in Washington. Emma, Alexa, Elizabeth, and Bree all highlighted the record-breaking attendance at Capital One Arena. “There are more people here right now than there were at the last [Washington] Wizards [NBA] game I was at,” Bree said. “They could make money … [DC is] a huge market for hockey in general and for women’s hockey.”

For Dick, the city’s ability to draw transplants and tourists makes it an ideal location for a PWHL expansion team. “DC has tons of people from everywhere, and just like how Vegas was great [in the NHL], because people go there for vacation all the time, people come here for work,” he told me. “Plus, it’s the nation’s capital. We deserve to have a team.”

Meanwhile, local fans wanted access to professional women’s hockey closer to where they lived. “It’s really disappointing that it’s not easily available,” Elizabeth said. Jamie was proud to support women’s hockey, but wished it were closer to home. Andrew told me he wasn’t sure how far he’d travel to watch the PWHL, but he’d be happy to go to more games if the league came through DC again.  

Just for fun, I put some fans on the spot and asked them to name a hypothetical new DC PWHL team. Several brought up the city’s famed cherry blossoms. Amanda hoped for something nature-inspired, "both tough and feminine." Others suggested finding something in line with the district’s other women’s sports teams. “Spirit and Mystics have such a vibe,” Grace said, as she and her friends were brainstorming. Another group, trying to think of something both patriotic and fitting the capital city’s sports naming conventions, landed on DC Force.

With the enthusiasm the fans in Washington, D.C. showed for the PWHL, plus the sheer number in the building, I’d be surprised if the league didn’t take notice. Plenty of cities are vying for an expansion team, but the word on the street is the PWHL might be adding four teams as soon as next season. After talking to fans and experiencing it for myself, I hope DC is on that list.