History was made Saturday night at Madison Square Garden as the New York Sirens played the Seattle Torrent before a sold-out crowd.
It was the first time a Professional Women’s Hockey League game was played at the iconic arena.
The ceremonial puck drop didn’t just signify the start of a game, but a new era in women’s sports.
“We got women in space right now. We got women on the ice,” Queens resident Aaimz Davis said. “We got women everywhere.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 04: A closeup view of the game puck during the game between the New York Sirens and the Seattle Torrent at Madison Square Garden on April 04, 2026 in New York City.
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
For Sirens season ticket holders, a sold-out MSG to see their ladies play was less of a “who would’ve thought?” and more of a “it’s about time.”
“Women’s sports have come a long, long way and this just means– this is just an awesome feeling,” fan Patricia Fraser-Morales said.
“You had the Liberty, yeah, OK, then you have Gotham, the soccer,” fan Myrna Morales-Fraser said. “Now you have hockey.”
It was a history-making game for the sport — both the first home game at the legendary arena for the Sirens, and the first time it’s drawn a crowd this big for women’s hockey.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 04: The New York Sirens and the Seattle Torrent play in PWHL action at Madison Square Garden on April 04, 2026 in New York City.
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
On hand to mark the occasion was 39 Grand Slam-winning tennis great and trailblazer Billie Jean King.
“My dream has always been to help women’s sports grow because I come from a time when nobody cared about women in sports. It was horrible,” she said. “So when I see this, and I’m so happy I’m still alive to see it, you have no idea.”
Girls from the New Jersey Colonials youth hockey team, coached by Sirens Coach Greg Fargo, were excited and inspired. They see themselves going far, hoping to see their names up alongside the legends’ banners at New York’s center-stage arena.
“Maybe it’s gonna start growing more and more, and it’s gonna inspire more girls,” player Quinn Doherty said.
To give fans even more reason to celebrate, it ended up being a thrilling 2-1 shootout win for the Sirens.
More from CBS News
Comments are closed.