СÀ¶ÊÓƵ

Skip to content

PWHL game between Minnesota and Montreal sets attendance record with over 13,000 fans

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Maddie Rooney had a 24-save shutout as Minnesota blanked Montreal 3-0 on Saturday in Professional Women's Hockey League action.
20240106180124-6599e19df7d880d40adc6624jpeg
Minnesota goalie Maddie Rooney (35) stops a shot by Montreal forward Maureen Murphy, left, during the second period of a PWHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Maddie Rooney had a 24-save shutout as Minnesota blanked Montreal 3-0 on Saturday in Professional Women's Hockey League action.

Grace Zumwinkle had a hat trick for Minnesota (2-0-0), putting her third goal into an empty net with 2:47 left in the third.

Anne-Renee Desbiens stopped 19-of-21 shots in net for Montreal (1-1-0).

It was the largest crowd to ever attend a professional women's hockey game, with 13,316 fans packed into Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn.

The crowd surpassed the 8,318 that sold out Tuesday’s PWHL game between Ottawa and Montreal at The Arena at TD Place in Canada's capital city.

Before the PWHL season, the championship game of the 2021-22 Svenska Damhockeyligan season between Brynäs and Luleå held the worldwide professional women’s hockey record with a crowd of 7,765. 

The previous North American record for a regular-season professional women’s hockey game was 5,938, established Dec. 10, 2016, in the CWHL when Les Canadiennes de Montréal hosted the Calgary Inferno at Bell Centre. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks