Professional Women's Hockey League sets attendance record at Minnesota home opener

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) set a world attendance record for women's hockey. 

PWHL made attendance history when 13,316 fans flocked to the Xcel Energy Center PWHL Minnesota's home open against Montreal. This crowd surpassed their current attendance record of 8,318 they hit on Tuesday at the game between Ottawa and Montreal.

Saturday's crowd at the Xcel was the largest attendance ever for a women's hockey game in Minnesota. 

"Living in the State of Hockey, I knew our fans would show up for us, but today they have taken it to a whole new level," said Natalie Darwitz, PWHL Minnesota General Manager. "I feel tremendously proud and inspired by our fan support. On behalf of our team and our league, I want to thank the fans and everyone who has made this day possible. I’ve enjoyed numerous amazing hockey experiences in Minnesota over my career, and experiencing today and the record crowd was emotional and ranks near the top of the list."

PWHL Minnesota beat Montréal 3-0 Saturday night, with University of Minnesota alum Grace Zumwinkle scoring a hat-trick.