The PWHL is transforming dreams into a career path

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) landed in Vancouver for one night in early 2025, drawing a massive, sold-out crowd of 19,038, a season high, to Rogers Arena. This impressive showing of support made a clear statement for a future Vancouver expansion team. In the exhilarating matchup, the Montreal Victoire defeated the Toronto Sceptres 4-2, with Canadian legend and Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin netting two goals in the same building where she won Olympic gold in 2010. 

The PWHL’s record momentum—confirmed by 19,038 fans in Vancouver and the new Goldeneyes—is fueled by accessibility. Affordable tickets and free streams created a uniquely invested fan base, changing the sport by granting girls a genuine, professional goal that previously did not exist. 

Much of the success of the league is due to the accessibility it provides. Nearly every game has been made available through free streams on YouTube or high quality, affordable broadcast deals, removing a barrier many leagues have faced in the past. Ticket prices at games are also much cheaper compared to many men’s leagues. For example, in Vancouver, where hockey is one of the biggest sports in the city, the cheapest ticket for the Goldeneyes home opener was only $50, while the cheapest ticket for the Canucks home opener was approximately $140. This creates a “fan-first” feeling, like a genuine invitation to be part of something, not a premium product locked behind a paywall. This approach has boosted incredible viewership, and most importantly, loyalty. 

“It’s amazing. Two tickets to see the Goldeneyes is cheaper than one to see the Canucks. Plus, you have a better chance at seeing them win,” one fan joked. 

The league instantly created a loyal and energetic fanbase to support it. Their passion isn’t just visible, its record breaking, with attendance records being shattered multiple times from the inaugural 2537 fans in Toronto to the massive 19,038 in Vancouver for the takeover, and the overall league record of 21,105 in Montreal. They aren’t just casual observers, they are deeply invested supporters who fill arenas, wear jersey with pride, and are loud and celebratory online. When the two expansion teams were announced, social media was instantly flooded with support, calling the expansion “well deserved” and expressing excitement for the new season.  

The PWHL started experiencing this success during what they coined their “takeover tour” in early 2025, having the original six teams play in “neutral site” cities, meaning cities without a team. The first takeover tour had destinations like Denver, Edmonton, Detroit, and Vancouver.  

Another takeover tour has since been announced with some duplicate cities already having hosted a game in the past such as Chicago, Edmonton, and Halifax, and some new markets such as Quebec City, Dallas and Winnipeg. 

Months after the first takeover tour concluded, the PWHL announced its first two expansion teams: the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent. 

The league’s most profound impact may be on aspiring young athletes. For years, the path for female hockey players ended in collegiate or national level play, lacking a truly professional landing spot. The PWHL has completely changed that narrative. Now, every young player has a tangible professional goal. They can see athletes who look like them, treated as sports icons and competing at the highest level.  

It doesn’t just encourage them to practice harder, it validates their dreams, showing them that their passion for hockey is an attainable path. The success of the league is giving countless girls the confidence to lace up their skates, knowing that there is a future for them. 

8forty spoke to Jack Low (whose name has been changed to respect his privacy), a hockey fanatic with a daughter of his own. Although his family lives in Texas, they have taken note of the league. “The PWHL has really shifted my perspective on hockey for girls and women,” he said. “I’m seeing more girls enjoying hockey than ever before. [Texas] isn’t a major hockey-playing area, so when girls say they play hockey it still surprises many people.” He says that the PWHL is changing those assumptions. “More girls are feeling comfortable trying the sport and enjoying it without judgement,” he told 8forty. “I’m even seeing adult women taking hockey lessons for the first time which is fantastic.” 

Low says the league has influenced his daughter.  

“The PWHL is inspiring to her because it’s women playing hockey, not men. She sees the NHL and all the boys and men playing at different levels and wishes she could play like them. But when she sees PWHL players take the ice at an elite level, she wants to be them,” he says.  

Low says her dreams may wind up leading her to move up North. “She’s a Vancouver fan, so she used to always pretend somehow the Canucks let a girl play on the team and her imagination had to bend a few constraints, but now she doesn’t have to. Forget the Canucks, she’s going to play for the Goldeneyes.” he said. 

Ultimately, the legacy of the PWHL does not lie in score sheets or attendance records, but in the hearts of the next generation. Now, many young girls can dream of playing professional hockey, a reality that didn’t exist just a few years ago. The league has provided a clear and celebrated path to professional hockey for women. By giving young athletes heroes that look like them, the PWHL has done more than create a successful sports league, it has given the future of women’s hockey permission to believe. 

For every young girl lacing up her skates, the message is clear. Forget the imagination, she no longer needs to rely on a fictional dream. The future is real, and it’s hers. 

Cover Image: Vancouver Goldeneyes/YouTube