The Professional Women’s Hockey League is only two days into its second season, and Toronto fans are displaying a kind of excitement that hasn’t been felt since the organization’s inception.
That’s because their team — now called the Sceptres — are sporting a new name, dawning a fresh logo and playing home games out of Coca-Cola Coliseum, an arena which holds more than 8,000.
The league's other five teams have also debuted new looks.
We’re celebrating a new era of hockey.
— Toronto Sceptres (@PWHL_Toronto) November 21, 2024
Puck drops 11.30.2024. pic.twitter.com/chxZMHXIL9
It’s great news for hockey fans Amy Renton and Amanda Skelly, who told TorontoToday during Saturday’s home opener that they couldn’t get tickets last season because the Mattamy Athletic Centre — the team’s former rink — only seated fewer than 3,000.
“The venue was just too small — it was difficult to secure tickets,” Renton said. “We’re really happy we can watch these games now.”
Fortunately, Skelly had the chance to hit the road in the inaugural season when PWHL games were selling out NHL rinks in Montreal and Boston, an early indication the women were generating huge interest.
RECORDS ON RECORDS‼️
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 20, 2024
A new PWHL attendance record was set today at the Bell Centre with 21,105 fans attending PWHL Toronto vs. PWHL Montreal game. pic.twitter.com/MbrDrmES5Q
But it wasn’t always like that.
Unable to play hockey since the sport wasn’t available to girls in her area, Skelly grew up playing ringette instead — a storyline that was too common for women in her age demographic, she said.
With that memory in mind, she felt a tremendous sense of pride when the Sceptres hit the ice in their blue and gold uniforms during this weekend’s raucous home opener against the Boston Fleet.
“It’s really special,” Skelly said. “We need to support these girls and women’s hockey as much as we can.”
“And just the fact these women are getting paid properly — a living wage — to play now is phenomenal,” Renton added. “It’s about time that female hockey is getting the attention, it’s way overdue.”
In U.S. dollars, the salary for PWHL players is currently between $35,000 and $80,000.
Meanwhile, season ticket holders Frank Lavosta and Nicolle Santini were enjoying Saturday’s game from their seats in Section 100 — but in opposing jerseys.
Lavosta, a Sceptres fan, may throw some lighthearted chirps at his Boston-supporting partner during the game, but he doesn’t have any complaints when it comes to either team’s new threads this season.
“Having a name gives the team an identity, so I think that adds to the whole thing,” he told TorontoToday. “The colours are nice for all the teams — they did a great job.”
It’s no secret that women’s hockey leagues have come and gone over the years, and while the two hockey parents refuse to root for the same team, Lavosta and Santini can agree on one thing: the PWHL is going to last a long time.
“I think people are starting to realize the pace of the game is just as fast as any other game,” she said. “The women’s game is here to stay. We’re hoping to make every game this season.”
Dreaming of a playoff series against Boston this season, Lavosta has a good feeling about the Sceptres’ overall chances to capture the Walter Cup following last season’s disappointing first-round exit.
“They’re going to do really well, but the league’s going to be very competitive,” he admitted. “There won’t be any one team that takes it easily and there’s going to be a lot of parity. But it’s going to be good hockey.”
The Sceptres skated away with a 3-1 win against the Fleet in front of 8,089 fans at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Saturday. They return to action in Ottawa against the Charge on Tuesday.
