What’s the worst arena in the PWHL? Players sound off on New York, Ottawa

Key Highlights

• An arena shouldn’t be so big that it feels cavernous, but it needs to be big enough to meet fan demand in each market.
• There needs to be adequate locker rooms and training facilities for players, and suitable ice time windows.
• All that — in a major North American city that supports women’s sports, and specifically women’s hockey — can be hard to find. In some cases — such as in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, where the Goldeneyes are a rare primary tenant — the PWHL has nailed it.
• In others, there’s work to be done. But what do the players think about the league’s primary venues?To answer that question, The Athletic spoke to over a quarter of the league’s players, from all eight teams, before the start of the 2025-26 season, as part of our first-ever PWHL player poll.
• We asked who the league’s best player is, what the biggest issue is in women’s hockey and what the best — and worst — arena is to play in. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPlayers were granted anonymity to speak freely.