With us two days removed from the PWHL’s record breaking Takeover Tour stop at Capital One Arena in Washington DC, we take a look back and hear from the players, coaches, and even executives on this past weekend’s festivities which concluded with a New York Sirens 2-1 victory over the Montreal Victoire.
Touching first on the record attendance at Capital One Arena that saw 17,228 fans see the Sirens and Victoire play in the highest attended women’s hockey game in the United States, Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis noted how proud he was of the accomplishment. “We’re proud that our fans across the Washington, D.C., region showed up in such a big way to be part of this historic moment,” Leonsis said. “The energy inside Capital One Arena for today’s record-breaking PWHL game was extraordinary, creating an atmosphere that reflected the league’s growing momentum.”
In a statement on Twitter, Leonsis also said the following:
Today we had the opportunity to be part of a milestone moment in sports: the highest-attended game at a U.S. arena in women’s hockey history – and the first-ever Professional Women’s Hockey League game hosted in The District!
Watching the Victoire de Montréal and New York Sirens take the ice in front of an energetic crowd of 17,228 was a powerful reminder of the ability of sports to inspire, connect and expand opportunity. The level of competition on display – and the excitement in the building – underscored both the growth of women’s hockey and the appetite for elite women’s sports in our region.
Thank you to the PWHL, including my good friend, PWHL advisory board member Stan Kasten, for bringing world-class talent to Capital One Arena, and to the fans who came out to support these incredible athletes. Moments like these strengthen our community and reinforce why we continue to invest in opportunities that unite fans and uplift athletes at every level.
From the PWHL, EVP of Business Operations Amy Scheer also commented on the accomplishment. “What an incredible day at Capital One Arena,” Scheer said. “Washington, D.C. showed up in such a big way, and the energy our fans brought into the arena turned this game into something truly special. Moments like this capture the joy of our sport and the momentum behind the league. We are so grateful to Monumental Sports & Entertainment for being such a committed partner in helping deliver this world class experience.”
Shifting the focus over to the players and coaches, when asked about the atmosphere in DC.
“It’s a pretty special moment for me for sure. I mean, I knew they would show out, but I think this exceeded everyone’s expectations,” Victoire forward Hayley Scamurra said. “And to beat the US record as much as they did is just incredible. And I think also, uh, their energy that they brought. I mean that was the loudest they’ve ever been. Heard people with the Caps say that was loud as they’ve been all season. So I think , uh, it’s a testament to you know the people we have in our organization.”
“I think that, you know, everywhere we go, we tend to draw big crowds and we keep producing, you know, good quality product on the ice,” Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie said. “And I think that, you know, we’re a very welcoming welcoming environment, and it’s special to be at our games. It’s special to be able to see… some of the best athletes in the world performing on the ice. And I think that the state of women’s hockey continues to grow and it’s special for Scams [Scamurra] and our American players and for us as Canadians who grew up with hockey kind of being our sport of seeing it grow around the world and especially to our neighbors in the south. It’s amazing.”
“I mean, anytime we play in a Takeover Tour game, we’re always excited as a team and as a group,” Sirens forward Sarah Fillier said. “And on the bus down here, we were itching to to to Washington. And we were here for a short time, but it was awesome. The city’s great and it would be awesome if we… could get a team here.”
“I mean it was awesome. I think in the third when they’re singing along during the play, it’s just an awesome feeling as a player to just know fans are excited to show up and watch women’s hockey and see the product we put on the ice,” Fillier said later in the Sirens post game press conference. “Just to speak on this crowd specifically, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many people be at warm-up with signs along the glass for us. So, you can tell there’s a lot of passion here in this city for all of their sports, but especially women’s sports. So, it was a great crowd and it’d be awesome to come back and play here.”
Resources
PWHL BREAKS U.S. WOMEN’S HOCKEY ATTENDANCE RECORD AT CAPITAL ONE ARENA IN WASHINGTON, D.C. (PWHL)
NEW YORK EARNS 2-1 WIN OVER MONTRÉAL IN RECORD-SETTING GAME IN D.C. (PWHL)
Victoire Conférence de presse d’après-match | MTL@NY | 18 janvier 2026 ( Victoire YouTube)
Jan. 18th, 2026 – NY v MTL – New York Sirens Post Game Press (Sirens YouTube)