Denver hosted the top ranked teams in the standings in the Montréal Victoire, and the defending Walter Cup champions, the Minnesota Frost.
The Minnesota Frost’s thrilling 4-2 victory over the Montréal Victoire at Ball Arena wasn’t just another game, it was a milestone moment in the history of women’s hockey.
With a record-breaking crowd of 14,018 fans in attendance, the event solidified Colorado’s appetite for hockey and ignited calls for Colorado to secure its own PWHL team in the future.
Despite competing with the Denver Broncos Wild Card game happening at the same time, Ball Arena was filled with a sea of hockey fans, many donning the newly launched jerseys of their favorite PWHL players and teams. Entire youth hockey teams packed the stands for this marquee matchup.
Canada still holds the overall attendance record at 21,105 fans in Montreal last April, but Denver’s game shattered the previous U.S. record for a professional women’s hockey game and highlighted the avid support for women’s hockey in Colorado.
“It was awesome, it was incredible,” said Minnesota Frost Head Coach Ken Klee. “To showcase these ladies and their talent, that's what it’s all about. Growing the game - the women's hockey game - and how far it’s come even since I first got involved in 2014, it’s remarkable. People were asking yesterday at the practice, ‘How’s it going to be to see it live?’ and I said, ‘You wait, you’re going to see something and say, that’s incredible.’ And they are incredible.”
In a game that saw contributions from both seasoned veterans and rising stars, Maggie Flaherty scored her first goal of the season, breaking a 2-2 tie in the third period, while Michela Cava sealed the deal with an insurance goal in the final moments
Goaltender Maddie Rooney, who stopped 21 of 23 shots, reflected on the significance of the event: “That’s what it’s all about,” Rooney said. “When I was a kid, I watched the NHL, but for those girls now to be able to watch the PWHL is really cool. To create and have those role models that we didn’t have as a kid (besides the national team) is super special. It’s great visibility for them to be in the stands.”
One exciting aspect of the weekend was the visible support from the Colorado Avalanche organization. Cale Makar, a Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup champion, is one of the most influential figures in hockey today. Makar attended the game and spoke glowingly about the event’s significance: “It was pretty cool. The crowd was crazy,” he said.
“[I] spotted a lot of youth girls teams [in the stands]. It’s great to see. It’s fun that they were able to play a game here and nice that we were able to go to it,” he said. “Ever since I got here, it seems like hockey just keeps growing and growing. It’s a fun state to be in, especially for hockey. Ever since I’ve been here, it seems like there’s more and more youth teams every single year. There’s more and more kids that are getting interested in the game. So that’s how you got to grow the game. You got to find places that people wanna play, and I feel like it just keeps growing in Denver. It’s exciting.”
“We feel like our fans are as good as any fans in the league, especially come playoff time… I heard the chants, ‘We want a team.’ I think that's great,” said Avs head coach Jared Bednar. “It's outstanding that they're moving it around a little bit. They come in, play a game in Denver, and everyone shows up to cheer them on and give them that support. That's what it takes… It's great to see the support for the women's games. It's a great product. The athletes and players in that league are phenomenal… And now the way that league is, [it] can still grow and [it’d] be great to get a team.”
The endorsement from such prominent figures within the Avalanche organization lends significant weight to the growing support of the PWHL.
For Lakewood native Nicole Hensley, the weekend was bittersweet. The Olympic medalist and Minnesota Frost goaltender wasn’t fully cleared to play due to a lower-body injury but suited up as the team’s backup and participated in the ceremonial puck drop.
“It was a really emotional week leading up to it: to be close, but not close enough. It was definitely really hard,” Hensley admitted. “I feel like I held it together until after the game kind of got to me a little bit, not being able to play in the game. To at least be there and be a part of it, and you get to when you're not starting, you do get to experience it a little bit differently and take it all in differently. It’s not the same, and it’s not as good, but I’m still there.”
Hensley’s presence added a personal touch to the night, and fans greeted her with thunderous applause during the ceremonial puck drop. Her role as a trailblazer and ambassador for women’s hockey in Colorado underscores the state’s deep connection to the sport.
Throughout the game, the crowd erupted into chants of “We want a team!” echoing the growing sentiment that Colorado deserves a permanent place in the PWHL one day. To see fans crying out for a women’s team struck a cord in many.
Montréal Victoire defender Cayla Barnes captured the emotion of the night perfectly: “The product we put out on the ice is what fans love to see. We put a lot of work day in and day out. There are a lot of people behind the scenes that have done a lot of work to get to where we are. We also wouldn’t be where we are without the fans. It’s incredible to see that in every building that we’ve gone to, we’re seeing signs and hearing chants that they want a team all over the country, and I think that’s truly amazing. Hopefully, one day we’ll get to having teams all across the country.”
The success of the PWHL Takeover Tour in Denver is an undeniable statement: Colorado is ready for a professional women’s hockey team. With record-breaking attendance, support from the Avalanche, and the overwhelming enthusiasm of fans, Denver has positioned itself as a prime candidate for PWHL expansion.
As Maddie Rooney so aptly put it: “That’s what it’s all about.” For the PWHL, it’s about growing the game, and for Colorado, it’s about becoming a central part of that growth. After this weekend, it’s hard to imagine a future where Colorado isn’t a cornerstone of women’s hockey in North America.
For now, the dream of PWHL expansion out West remains just that - a dream. But with the momentum generated by events like this, that dream is closer to becoming a reality than ever before.