PWHL Seattle is the next big act on the Emerald City’s vibrant sports scene

Seattle has a new team to rally around this fall. The city’s entry into the Professional Women’s Hockey League will debut in the coming months, and while there’s no official name or schedule yet, excitement is already bubbling across the region. From summer camps to halftime appearances at Storm games, the organization has spent the offseason laying the groundwork for something bigger than just hockey.

For head coach Steve O’Rourke, the mission is simple: get people in the door. “We know, once you get inside the building and start watching, it’s tough to ever go back to another sport,” he said.

The work this summer included something no other PWHL organization tried this offseason—an adult hockey camp. Seattle also ran youth programming, but extending the opportunity to grown-ups underscored the team’s commitment to broadening the game.

“One of the things that struck me most was some of the adults who told me they started to play once we announced the team,” said Madi McNamara, PWHL Seattle’s Director of Business Operations. “It was heartwarming to hear that we were getting people on the ice.”

McNamara says it’s important to think about growth from all angles. “From a market trying to grow the game, having Women’s Pro Hockey Seattle here has been very helpful. They have been supportive of the sport before PWHL Seattle was here and they're a big reason the sport has grown in the city. It was really important to give adults an opportunity to play. There are a lot of opportunities to grow that area.”

That idea of finding opportunities—both expected and unexpected—has defined the team’s offseason. PWHL Seattle players such as star forward Hilary Knight and/or team staffers have made appearances at games played by—at minimum—the Mariners, Seahawks, Storm and Athletes Unlimited softball, with some youth events thrown in as well, putting women’s hockey in front of fans who might never have thought about it before. “We’ve been jumping at any opportunity like that,” McNamara said. “We’re trying to get visibility in a busy sports community in the city.”

O’Rourke has noticed the impact. “We’ve joked about how much excitement fans are showing just through the small window of tour and camp,” he said. “I can also see the excitement the staff have for their jobs. They're making every moment count and stretching it out for months. The tour was amazing. How they moved us around. Myself, the players, getting us as many touchpoints as possible. Media, events, being on the court at halftime of the WNBA game. Amazing stuff.”

Seattle’s crowded sports calendar could have been a challenge, but instead the new team has found support from its neighbors, and McNamara is feeling the city’s reputation as a capital of women’s sports firsthand. “The community has been so supportive and across industries, too. People want to help us grow, introduce us to people,” she said. “I think it’s a unique market with how supportive they are. It’s a really great place to work and play in sports and as we head to the season there will be more opportunities to work with all the teams. And it’s good for them, too.”

Hockey itself already has a foothold here thanks to the Kraken, who joined the NHL in 2021. Now, PWHL Seattle will expand that presence, giving fans more opportunities to watch and, for many, to play. “As a city and organization, one of our pillars is to grow the game in the city and area,” McNamara said. “From mid-November to March there’s a lot of college sports happening but there’s not a lot going on from the pro women’s sports perspective...We’re helping create more of those chances.”

The team will call two state-of-the-art facilities home: practicing at Kraken Community Iceplex and playing at Climate Pledge Arena. “I think anything that happens at Climate Pledge Arena is a draw,” McNamara said. “It’s one of the most sustainable arenas in the world, which goes along with Seattle’s identity. It’s appealing for group tickets and corporate events. As women’s hockey is introduced to a market, there’s not another arena that has as many bells and whistles as Climate Pledge offers.”

For McNamara, this role is more than a job. A lifelong sports fan, she was in the crowd during the PWHL Takeover Tour’s Seattle stop earlier this year and quickly realized she wanted to be part of the movement. “Women's soccer was my first love but women's sports is my passion,” she said. “To be at something that had never happened before was important. It was a pretty amazing opportunity when this all came about and I’m really grateful to be in the space.”

Now, with the season fast approaching, Seattle’s newest pro team is nearly ready to skate out in front of its fans for the first time. Excitement is building in the community and with a star-studded roster and a growing list of ticket buyers, it should be a memorable first year in the Emerald City.