While the Edmonton Oilers have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, a new hockey buzz is building in the city as fans embrace the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) postseason. Despite Edmonton not yet having its own PWHL team, watch parties are drawing enthusiastic crowds.
Puck Yeah YEG Leads the Charge
Kaia Heroux, founder of the Edmonton PWHL social club Puck Yeah YEG, started the group this spring. The club gathers at Euphoric 83, a sports bar near Argyll Road, where games are shown on a projector and multiple TVs. Social activities encourage conversation among fans.
"A lot of people were wearing just anything to show their support for the league in general," Heroux said. Fans of opposing teams mingle under one roof, and some sport jerseys of teams not even playing.
Heroux was inspired after attending PWHL takeover tour games at Rogers Place in Edmonton and another in Calgary. At one Edmonton takeover game, fans chanted "we want a team." Heroux first noticed the league during last year's playoffs when Ottawa and Montreal battled through four overtimes. "The takeover tour games really got me into it," she added.
For Heroux, the PWHL offers a different atmosphere than men's hockey. "As a trans woman, I don't always feel safe in a lot of very masculine environments," she said. "But at PWHL games, I feel safe, and it feels like a very supportive environment."
Playoff Parties and Community Spirit
With four teams—Montreal Victoire, Minnesota Frost, Boston Fleet, and Ottawa Charge—competing in the postseason, Puck Yeah YEG is planning parties for the Walter Cup Finals. Heroux expects more attendees now that the Oilers are out of the NHL playoffs.
Arcadia Brewing Co. in Manchester Square has also hosted PWHL parties since the playoffs began. Owner Darren McGeown said the first event was a huge success. "It was packed up here," he noted. The brewery raised money for WIN House, an Edmonton women's shelter, during the event.
McGeown is planning a specialty brew for next season called "jailbreak," named after the PWHL rule where a penalized player can exit the box if their team scores shorthanded. He acknowledged that games can be hard to find on TV and often air at odd times, but when they do, the events feel like big community gatherings. "It's more than just watching the game," McGeown said. "They're there to support something that's not being as supported."
The surge in watch parties reflects growing interest in women's hockey in Edmonton, even without a local franchise. Fans are eager to show their support and build a community around the sport.
