PWHL
“Our fans deserve this,” Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer said. “They deserve to be able to watch our team play in an atmosphere like that.”
Fleet captain Megan Keller celebrates her goal in Boston’s season-opening win against Montreal in Lowell last month. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
December 3, 2025 | 5:21 PM
2 minutes to read
As Abby Newhook and her Boston College teammates filed out of TD Garden after winning the 2025 Women’s Beanpot consolation game, she could hear the roar of 13,000 fans filling the arena for the championship matchup.
She knew it was a special moment for women’s hockey in Boston — one she wished she could be a part of. She had no way of knowing she’d be back playing at the Garden a little more than a year later, this time as a pro.
The rookie forward and her Boston Fleet teammates will play in front of the TD Garden crowd this spring when they face Montreal April 11 in the first Professional Women’s Hockey League game at the home of the Bruins.
“Just hearing that and how many people were in the building was just an unbelievable feeling and unbelievable experience,” Newhook said. “Being able to play in front of that many people in Boston, which has such a rich history in sports and such a great fan base, is just an incredible opportunity.”
The puck will drop at 7 p.m. following a Bruins game against the Lightning at 12:30 p.m.
After seeing how many fans the Women’s Beanpot drew last season — as well as the Seattle Torrent’s sold-out home opener at Climate Pledge Arena (16,014 in attendance) — the Fleet are confident they can reach a bigger audience than their typical home venues, Lowell’s Tsongas Center and Boston University’s Agganis Arena, can provide.
“Let’s beat all of them,” Fleet coach Kris Sparre said of the attendance numbers at last season’s Beanpot and Seattle’s home opener. “This is the greatest sports city in the United States. I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t exceed those numbers.”
Boston Fleet fans at the season opener on Nov. 23. – Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
TD Garden, with a capacity of 17,850 for hockey, has hosted a handful of major women’s sporting events in recent years, including the two most recent Women’s Beanpot championships. The Garden will host the event again in 2026.
The WNBA’s Connecticut Sun also have played a game at TD Garden in each of the past two seasons, selling out the venue both times.
“Our fans deserve this,” Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer said. “They deserve to be able to watch our team play in an atmosphere like that.”
The PWHL has previously entered NHL arenas through its Takeover Tour, now in its second year, which brings games to large-capacity venues in markets outside the league’s eight teams.
The Torrent, who joined the league as an expansion franchise this season, play home games at Climate Pledge Arena, also home to the NHL’s Kraken. The crowd of 16,014 at their home opener set the record for attendance at a women’s hockey game in a US arena.
The Seattle Torrent set a record with a crowd of 16,014 at its first-ever home game, held at Climate Pledge Arena. – Courtesy/PWHL
The previous US record for a professional women’s hockey game was 14,288, set during last season’s Takeover Tour in a game Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on March 16.
The Fleet, who are the only remaining undefeated team in the PWHL, play most home games at the Tsongas Center, which has a capacity of 6,500. The Fleet also will play four games this season at Agganis Arena, including Wednesday against Vancouver (7 p.m.) and Sunday against Minnesota (3 p.m.).
Season ticket-holders will have the Garden game in their package. Single-game tickets will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster.
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