KAITLYN’S SPORT STORIES RECAP: May 1, 2024

In this 20th edition, we learn more about Canadian Women & Sport’s new research about the value of Canadian women’s sports fans. We also learn more about the events hosted by Canada Soccer and Tennis Canada this spring and summer across Canada. Lastly, we learn more about the record-breaking PWHL Montréal “Duel at the Top” game, including Kaitlyn’s game highlights and wishes for upcoming PWHL games.

The stories of the week show young girls and women in sport and physical activity that:

1. Fans are ready and eager for more women’s sports in Canada. The data from recent research and proof from past women’s sports events prove that fans want to engage in person and financially to follow their favourite sports, whether it be through live events, merchandise, etc.  

2. The availability of events hosted by organizations like Canada Soccer and Tennis Canada shows that fans follow women’s sports Canada-wide. Having these events available across provinces like Québec, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, and more, which may not as often have access to frequent large women’s sports events year-round, has a positive impact.

3. The success of the PWHL Montréal Bell Centre game proves that there is a direct correlation between women’s sports and the opportunity for live games to be successfully hosted at larger sporting venues, allowing more fans to buy tickets and attend games.

Canadian Women & Sport Research Confirms Canadians Love Women’s Sports 

Canadian Women & Sport has released new research called “It’s Time: Unlocking The Power of Pro Women’s Sports Fans.” This study came with new findings about “the current and the potential value of fans of women’s sports in Canada.”

Some of the most impactful data from the research include:

• 67% of Canadians between the ages of 13-65 consider themselves fans of women’s sports.This statistic measures up to an equivalent of 17 million Canadians!

• Canadians aged 13-26 and 27-34 are more likely to be women’s sports fans.
• Younger Canadians are the ones driving engagement with women’s sports.
• 8 in 10 women’s sports fans played sports growing up.
• 1 in 5 women’s sports fans described themselves as WNBA fans after the 2023 WNBA Canada Game.
• 8 in 10 women’s sports fans are excited about the future of women’s sport in Canada. 

Click here to learn more about the new research.

Canada Soccer to Touch Down in Montreal and Toronto For a Summer Send-Off Series

Canada Soccer has announced that soccer fans are getting more Canadian women’s national team games this summer before the team kicks off their battle in the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

The women’s national team will host two games in early June in Montréal, Québec, and Toronto, Ontario. Canada will face Mexico in both games.

Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased here for the Montréal game and here for the Toronto game.

PWHL Montréal’s “Duel at the Top” Was The Perfect Occasion For a New Women’s Hockey World Record

On April 20th, PWHL Montréal hosted their “Duel at the Top” matchup against PWHL Toronto at Bell Centre, the largest hockey arena in North America!

The exciting matchup sold out within a few hours of going on sale. The quick sellout confirmed that this highly anticipated game would be on track to set another new attendance record for a professional women’s hockey game. The previous attendance record of 19,285 came from the “Battle on Bay Street” matchup at Scotiabank Arena in February 2024. 

Some highlights of the game included: 

• The new attendance record of 21,105 fans.
• The rally towels and light-up wristbands laid out on each seat.
• The loud and impactful standing ovation and cheers for the Montréal players, including captain and Québec-native Marie-Philip Poulin.
• The multiple merchandise locations around the arena stocked up with PWHL gear.
• The quality of light effects and sound/music entertainment throughout the game.
• The speed and organization of the arena staff so lineups never ended up being too long.
• The PWHL artwork that was created by artist Samantha Woj during the game, using only a hockey puck to paint with (see here).

Wishes for upcoming games:

• Specific merchandise for the special occasion games. I hoped to see “Duel at the Top” merchandise similar to what was available at Scotiabank Arena for their “Battle on Bay Street” game. Mugs, shirts, and jerseys were available, and I was hoping to buy something similar if this type of merchandise was available at Bell Centre.
• This is more arena-specific, but the speakers in the arena at times made it difficult to hear what the game host was saying. I also noticed this when a video would play on the jumbotron. At certain points, it was difficult to know whether it was a section-specific or arena-wide issue.

Kaitlyn’s Sport Stories Recap are written by Kaitlyn Lehbert, a passionate and driven sport advocate for girls and women. Kaitlyn holds her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Brock University. Learn more about Kaitlyn by clicking here!

Have a sport story you want to share? Contact info@fastandfemale.com and it may get featured in Kaitlyn’s next feature.