We start with a huge shoutout to the Seattle Torrent for a successful inaugural season – because to me, the only legitimate metric in an expansion team’s first year is attendance – and the Torrent stole the show.
No venue saw more PWHL fans this season than Climate Pledge Arena, which welcomed 21 thousand more total fans than any other venue in North America. Last night’s home finale was their second sellout of the season, where they averaged close to 13 thousand fans over 13 home games, and never fewer than 86-hundred fans. It also says something when a team sells out an arena when there’s absolutely nothing on the line.
I know the Seattle Storm had nine more home games in 2025 than the Torrent this season, but the Torrent averaged 1,000 more fans per game at Climate Pledge Arena. The Torrent averaged 2,000 more fans in the same number of games as Reign FC last year. Sure, any team is a novelty in its first season, but if anything, those numbers reflect some staying power.
"It’s no small feat: We’re in the bottom of the standings, and we’re still selling out Climate Pledge Arena," Hilary Knight said. "That just goes to show the level of love and support that this city has for sports."
You could argue that the Torrent were boosted in an Olympic year. Or by having multiple national team members and gold medalists as well. But they already were pulling numbers prior to the Olympics. And there was an energy inside the arena contagious enough to bring fans back.
Some would say it’s a source of pride that Seattle is the only city with teams in all three major women’s professional leagues, with the Storm, Reign and now the Torrent. But simply having those teams doesn’t mean a thing if they don’t have a strong enough following to sustain them. In one season, the Torrent’s fantastic attendance is a clear example of a team being more of a benefit than a burden.
It’s not just a cost-effective alternative to the Kraken, although that’s a plus as well. The pool of role models for all young athletes grows even stronger too.
Do we all want to see more wins next year? Of course. But one season in, it’s clear the Torrent has staying power – enough to deem Year One an undeniable success.