4 takeaways from Week 4 of PWHL: Takeover Tour takes precedent, Fleet stay on fleek
Aaaaaaand we’re back! After a break for international hockey, the PWHL returned with plenty of on-ice action and off-ice intrigue (did that read as dramatic as it sounded when I typed it? Unlikely…)
The league saw two Takeover Tour games last week, with one being herald as a success and the other leaving some wondering if it’s a dead end.
With that being said, here’s four takeaways from Week 4 of the PWHL’s 2025-26 season.
Halifax Takeaway Tour game total success
We’ve seen dozens of Takeover Tour games in the PWHL’s young history, some more successful than others, some so triumphant that it helps spur the league to create expansion franchises. Vancouver’s 2024-25 event saw the Montreal Victoire and Toronto Sceptres battle it out in front of more than 19,000 fans at what is now the home of the Vancouver Goldeneyes, while the Victoire and Boston Fleet played in front of more than 12,600 at Climate Pledge Arena, home of today’s Seattle Torrent.
For those in Canada’s Atlantic coast, they’re hoping the success from last week’s Takeover Tour game between the Sceptres and Victoire at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S., was enough to impress league officials who have reportedly considered expanding the league by as many as four teams in 2026-27.
FULL HOUSE IN HALIFAX‼️ The first stop of the 2025-26 PWHL Takeover Tour sets the bar with a sold-out crowd of 10,438! Le premier match de La Grande Tournée LPHF donne le ton avec une foule de 10 438 partisan·es, une soirée à guichets fermés!
With a potential franchise up for grabs, the city certainly held its own, as 10,438 packed inside Scotiabank Centre, home of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, to watch Montreal defeat Toronto 2-1 in a shootout, thanks in large part to Ann-Renee Desbiens making 35 saves and Marie-Philip Poulin scoring in the shootout.
Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore told The Laker News after the game that the crowd response through the game was electric, and that he thinks the city made a strong case to the league for an expansion franchise.
“Oh my word, absolutely,” Fillmore said. “The crowd were on their feet, the energy was electric.”
Fillmore added that the city’s restaurants were full in the lead up to the game and the energy inside Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre was something “I haven’t seen in a while.”
“We have to be able to show that we’ve got good practice ice for them where they can have access to it when they need it,” he said. “We have to be able to show that there are enough hotel rooms, that there are flights in and out.”
It’s the first of two Takeover Tour games in Halifax this season, as the Fleet will take on the Ottawa Charge Jan. 11, a game that’s also expected to draw more than 10,000 fans.
“I think we’d be a great expansion city,” he added.
STORYBOOK MOMENT 🤯 Sarah Wozniewicz was @PWHL_Ottawa's OT hero with her first career goal!
Chicago neutral-site game a disappointment
In the second Takeover Tour game last week, the Windy City was treated to a PWHL Final rematch between the Charge and Minnesota Frost in a Sunday matinee. The two teams went back and forth, with Minnesota peppering Ottawa netminder Gwyneth Philips with 43 shots, including 35 between the second and third period. But it was a Sarah Wozniewicz goal in overtime that gave the Charge their second win of the season.
While the on-ice action was exciting and those in attendance left the rink with a smile, it was exactly how many left the rink that’s leaving some feeling uneasy. The game took place at Allstate Arena, home of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, and has a capacity for nearly 16,700 fans when sold out for hockey. However, the league announced the final attendance for Sunday’s matchup was 7,238.
Thank you, Chicago!
Last season, Buffalo hosted a game between the Fleet and New York Sirens at KeyBank Center, home of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, announcing an attendance of 8,512. At the time, it was the lowest-attended Takeover Tour game in PWHL history. But now, we have a new record holder.
PWHL executive vice president of hockey Jayne Hefford told the Chicago Sun-Times that Chicago remains an attractive market and they saw the day as a success.
“(We’ll) continue to learn more about the market and see if it could be a potential market for us,” she said.
Chicago will get another chance at making an impact on the league as a second Takeover Tour event will be held in March between the Sirens and Seattle Torrent.
Expansion teams finding their groove
I know, a lot of expansion talk in this week’s takeaways, but hey, at least this section will be about expansion that actually exist, and not just speculative ones!
The Torrent won their second game in franchise history in a 4-1 victory over the Charge, thanks in large part to a two-goal, three-point performance from Alex Carpenter, who earned DFO Player of the Week honors via Ben Steiner over the weekend. She is just one of two players in league history to hit the 20-point mark in a season twice (the other being Poulin) and looks well on pace to do it this season with five points through her first five games.
While Seattle’s 3-1 loss to the Fleet was mostly one-sided, getting a regulation win and a much-needed three points gives the Torrent some breathing room as we approach the holidays.
As for the Goldeneyes, goaltender Kristen Campbell played her best game of the season, stopping 33 of 34 shots in a 2-1 Vancouver win over the Charge (I mean, it was only her second game of the season, but nevertheless, her best of the season). They were outmatched in a 4-2 loss to the Victoire a few days later, but getting three out of a possible six points was a must if they want to avoid the bottom of the league standings.
Fleet on fleek this week (I’m sorry)
The Fleet won two of three games last week and expanded their first-place lead in the PWHL standings, now owners of a 6-0-0-1 record and 18 points, seven ahead of the second-place Victoire. Yes, Boston has played two more games than Montreal, but you can only play the games they schedule, and nearly a third into the season, the Fleet are thriving.
Credit to new head coach Kris Sparre, whose group leads the league in goals and has the highest power play success rate at 27.8%, and perhaps even more impressive, a penalty kill percentage of 100%.
The defensive pairing of Megan Keller and Haley Winn has been arguably the best in the league, each averaging more than 26 minutes per game and helping drive the offensive production for the team. Keller leads both all Fleet skaters and all PWHL defenders in scoring with seven points in seven games, and has found the scoresheet in all but one contest this season.
Fleet fans should be ecstatic to have both Keller and Winn, both of which are expected to make the U.S. Olympic roster in the new year.
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