PWHL Ottawa fell to PWHL Montreal 3-2 in overtime on Jan. 2 in their first-ever game and home opener at the Arena at TD Place.
Ottawa’s first-ever PWHL game was near capacity with 8,318 fans in attendance, setting the attendance record for a professional women’s league game, until Minnesota broke that record shortly after Jan. 6, fitting 13,316 fans into Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
Camera bays were moved to accommodate more seating beyond the initial expected capacity, which was expected to mirror the average attendance of the Ottawa 67’s, about 4,000.
Ottawa’s attendance surpassed the 7,765 fans recorded at the championship game of the 2021-22 Svenska Damhockeyligan season.
“[The attendance] is a testament to the passion of our fans, reflecting a bond between our league and our community that we are committed to building even more strongly over time,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL senior vice-president of business operations, in a press release.
Led by Team Canada stars Marie-Philip Poulin on offence and Ann-Renée Desbiens tending the crease, Montreal had no intention of handing Ottawa the win on this special occasion.
The first period was scoreless, as the teams were well matched. Ottawa’s Emerance Maschmeyer and Montreal’s Desbiens formed Team Canada’s goaltending duo at the 2022 Winter Olympics and both were unbeatable for their respective teams during the opening frame.
Still in the second period, Ottawa forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis appeared to have scored PWHL Ottawa’s first-ever goal. However, upon review it was apparent that the puck managed to slide under the side of the net after Desbiens’ skate briefly knocked the post out of its moorings. The officials waived the goal and the game remained scoreless.
It wasn’t until the final minutes of the second frame when American forward Hayley Scamurra opened the scoring for Ottawa on the power play, officially marking the franchise’s first-ever goal.
Defenceman Zoe Boyd found blueline partner Ashton Bell on the point where she then fed Scamurra on the left circle. Scamurra collected the puck and wired it over Desbiens’ shoulder with an near-unstoppable slap shot from in close.
Ottawa regained the lead early in the third period as Czech forward Kateřina Mrázová cleaned up the rebound from Bell’s shot from the point.
But Montreal had another response late in the third period. Canadian forward Laura Stacey scored when Ottawa defenceman Amanda Boulier accidentally deflected Stacey’s cross-crease pass attempt past Maschmeyer. The goal was assisted by forward Tereza Vanišová and Poulin.
With the game knotted at two goals apiece, the game needed extra time to solve, but it didn’t last long.
Ottawa defenceman and first round pick Savannah Harmon was pestered by Montreal forward Kristin O’Neill in Ottawa’s zone. O’Neill stripped the puck from Harmon and found defenceman Kati Tabin, whose shot attempt was blocked and then picked up by forward Ann-Sophie Bettez. She spun around and found an opening on Maschmeyer’s short-side to give Montreal its first-ever PWHL win.
The historic matchup showcased the exciting play this new professional women’s league promises.
Momentum shifted quickly as the majority of players used their high skill-set throughout play as opposed to punishing physical play.
That isn’t to say there was any shortage of grit and tenacity between the two teams. There were eight penalties throughout the game, a few punches and skirmishes after whistles and an enormous hit by Montreal forward Sarah Bujold, who ran Boyd into the stanchion next to the Montreal bench. Just one game has proven the PWHL’s entertainment value.
Although Ottawa’s home-opener resulted in a loss, it was a hard-fought game and competitive throughout. There is much to look forward to this season for the team, which only promises to improve as the team builds chemistry and shakes out the rust.
More important than the on-ice result however, were the fans.
“This amazing turnout, for our very first game ever, is utterly unforgettable,” said Ottawa GM Mike Hirshfeld. “The energy of our fans drives us forward, every minute of every day.”
Ottawa looks forward to Jan. 13 when they face off against PWHL Toronto at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
Featured image by Arianne Bergeron/PWHL.
