Professional Women’s Hockey League game draws sold-out crowd in Vancouver [Video]

It was a momentous occasion for thousands of Vancouverites on Wednesday, as a sold-out Rogers Arena welcomed the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) to the city for the first time. 

The Toronto Sceptres battled the Montreal Victoire in the second game of the PWHL’s “Takeover Tour” of neutral-site games. The Victoire emerged victorious with a 4-2 win.

The enthusiastic reception to professional women’s hockey could be a positive sign for Vancouver, with the league saying the takeover tour — which is travelling across the continent — is a test of where potential expansion teams might take root.

With all the PWHL teams based significantly east of Vancouver — the closest team would be Minnesota in the U.S. midwest — and much of B.C. not seeing professional women’s hockey for over a decade, those in attendance on Wednesday said the excitement was infectious.