One team was a crowd favorite in Rosemont on Sunday. It wasn’t the Chicago Wolves, the normal home team at Allstate Arena, but one that had fans were wearing purple sweaters as they transferred from the cold outside to the cold inside.
The Minnesota Frost play their home games about five hours away from Chicago, but that didn’t stop a layer of Frost jerseys from spreading its way across the lower bowl of the stadium. Player announcements, especially for Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, were met with a roar from the crowd.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League made its first stop in the Chicago area on Sunday as a part of the league’s Takeover Tour. It was the second of 11 cities to host the tour this season.
The event started with Chicago area natives Coyne Schofield and Charge left winger Taylor House — who entered the stadium wearing a Connor Bedard Blackhawks sweater — in the ceremonial faceoff before the Charge won 3-2 in overtime. The pair said they felt the love from their home area.
“It’s huge anytime you get to play in front of your home fans,” House said. “Getting this chance to grow the game here, it’s pretty special to see them turn out for us.
Added Coyne Schofield: “I thought about it today what it would have meant if I had the opportunity to come here as a 10-year-old little girl to see this and dream about it. (It was) special today to see the arena filled with boys and girls knowing that they now will have that same dream to grow up and be a professional hockey player.”
Sunday was the city’s unofficial audition for a PWHL team in a possible future expansion. The announced crowd of 7,238 was smaller than expected, but the fans’ energy may have made enough of a case.
“Chicago is an excellent hockey city,” said Josh Pitterle, wearing a Taylor Heise Frost jersey. “Chicago needs a team for the PWHL in the upcoming expansion.”
Each fan had their own stories about how they began watching the PWHL. Some are seeing the league for the first time while other have been actively following their favorite teams.
“I’m an American fan and I’m from the Boston area,” said Heather Darrah, wearing a Jocelyne Larocque Charge hoodie. “(The Charge) stole my heart during last year’s playoff run (with their) underdog story.
“I’m like, OK, come on. I love you guys.”
Die-hard Frost fans traveled from Minnesota to see their back-to-back Walter Cup champions in action. For them, the league is a breath of fresh air in the hockey world.
“I didn’t care about hockey until the women’s league was founded,” said Shannon Doty, wearing a Lee Stecklein Frost sweater, said. “(I) found out there was a league, (so) of course I’m going to support it because it’s women’s sports.
“Then, I learned that I actually really like hockey. I tell everybody I can (that) there’s a women’s professional hockey league right now.”
Though the crowd was smaller than previous Takeover Tour events, the love for hockey was evident in the Allstate Arena. Fans watched eagerly as the Frost and Charge went back and fourth for more than minutes.
The Charge opened the scoring with a power-play breakaway from defender Ronja Savolainen, who launched a snipe that zoomed past Frost goaltender Nicole Hensley. Charge netminder Gwyneth Philips had 41 saves on the night, including a glove save that kept Ottawa’s lead 1-0 after the first 20 minutes.
“We’re very fortunate to have her in our organization, she’s just a hoot,” Charge coach Carla MacLeod said of her goaltender. “She’ll hold us within games and give us the opportunity to find her feet and get some points.
Defender Mae Batherson tied the game at 2-2 for the Frost at the 3:56 mark in the third period. It was her first goal in the PWHL.
“I’ve been waiting a bit for that,” Batherson said. “When it finally went in, I was pretty relieved and it gave us a chance.”
In an intense overtime period, right winger Sarah Wozniewicz sent a laser from the blue line to give the Charge the 3-2 win. It was a picture-perfect shot for the Wisconsin alum.
“I still can’t believe the puck went in,” Wozniewicz said. “It’s so awesome having Wisconsin fans here from being so close to the university.”
The PWHL game was fast-paced with a gold mine of scoring chances. The scuffles and hits were there, but so were the phenomenal saves and the aggressive shooting.
Exactly what hockey fans are looking for. And it was precisely what the Rosemont crowd wanted.
“You can see the energy the whole game with the plays and how they react to (Kendall Coyne Schofield’s) name,” House said. “Chicago is excited for hockey and I think that really showed today.”
It differs from the NHL. The record system is different (0-0-0-0 system) and there are not as many substitutions, among other things.
“It opens up a different avenue and it’s a different type of hockey,” fan Mike Collins said. “Here, it’s a lot more technical.”
“There really is a demand that we want to show up and we want to be pro fans,” Darrah said. “I hadn’t gone to any hockey games until a year and a half ago, now I’m all in.”
PWHL players don’t have the power to create expansion teams, but they wouldn’t say no to a team in Chicago.
“I think it was a win for the sport (and) was a win for society,” Coyne Schofield said. “(I’m) so proud to be able to be a part of bringing women’s professional hockey here to Chicago.”
Added MacLeod: “You just saw what the PWHL is all about. These women are absolutely elite in what they do, they’re the best in the world at being hockey players. It’s so fun to come to new communities that maybe haven’t been exposed to it yet.”
The Frost and Charge posed on the ice for photos after the final horn before exiting the rink to sign autographs. There will be another PWHL game in Rosemont on March 25, but the league made a good first impression on Chicago, while the city did the same for the league.
“From the Ottawa Charge to everyone … thank you for investing in us and investing in this league and taking your time today,” MacLeod said.