Two cities in the American Midwest have seen action so far on the 2025–26 Takeover Tour: Chicago and Detroit. Just next week, both cities will get another chance to see the PWHL in action.

In early 2026, Detroit welcomed 9,624 fans after having broken the U.S. attendance record at the time back in March 2025. Chicago brought in an attendance of 7,238 just before the 2025 holiday break.

I spoke with fans on the PWHL Discord to hear their experiences at each game. Responses have been edited for conciseness and consistency.

Chicago, Illinois – Allstate Arena

December 21, 2025 | Ottawa: 3, Minnesota: 2 (overtime)

Fan experiences

Fan testimonial #1

Was this your first PWHL game?

No, I’m a Frost season ticket holder. But I also travelled for last year’s Detroit Takeover Tour game.

Did you travel from farther away, or are you local to the city?

I drove from the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

What’s your favourite PWHL team?

Minnesota (go Frust!).

Who’s your favourite PWHL player?

I don’t have a “super” favourite. There are so many good ones on the Frost that it’s hard to like just one. My player jersey has Zumwinkle on it, but I’m thinking of getting an “away” jersey with Stecklein.

What was your highlight of the game or the overall experience?

Just being at a game where so many fans are excited to be there and cheer on the players no matter who wins or loses. The general atmosphere of the Takeover Tour games is just super duper lovely. I just like watching these teams play!

Fan testimonial #2

Was this your first PWHL game?

This was my second game. My first was the Detroit Takeover Tour game in March 2025. I also attended the Detroit game on January 3, 2026.

Did you travel from farther away, or are you local to the city?

I travelled as I live in northeastern Ohio. Chicago was a road trip with an overnight stay.

What’s your favourite PWHL team?

My favourite team is the Frost, but the Goldeneyes are a close second (because of how many former Frost players they’ve signed).

Who’s your favourite PWHL player?

Off the Frost, my favourite player is probably Katy Knoll, simply because I like her energy.

What was your highlight of the game?

Getting to see the team play. As I’m a fan who doesn’t live close to either of the teams I cheer for, it’s something I don’t take for granted. I’d say overtime was a highlight, but it really just made me stressed.

What was your highlight of the overall experience?

The highlight of both of my Takeover Tour experiences this season was having a good excuse to travel and do something fun, honestly. The journey of getting to those cities and getting to do other things while visiting, even if my visits were short, was a lot of fun.

Detroit, Michigan – Little Caesars Arena

January 3, 2026 | Vancouver: 4, Boston: 3

Fan experiences

Fan testimonial #1

Was this your first PWHL game?

This was my third game. I also attended the Chicago Takeover Tour game on December 21, 2025.

Did you travel from farther away, or are you local to the city?

I travelled as I live in northeastern Ohio. Detroit was a day trip, but it could’ve easily been an overnight trip if we’d planned better.

What’s your favourite PWHL team?

The Frost, but the Goldeneyes are a close second.

Who’s your favourite PWHL player?

Off the Goldeneyes, it’s a tie between Thompson and Jaques for similar reasons as to why I like Knoll.

What was your highlight of the game?

Getting to see the Goldeneyes win. To be blunt, given both teams’ records, I expected us to lose, but watching the final seconds of that game and knowing we were going to win felt amazing. Seeing two of my favourite players score goals certainly didn’t hurt, either.

What was your highlight of the overall experience?

Other than the excuse to travel, as I mentioned about my Chicago experience, I love watching these teams, and getting to see them play live was fantastic.

Fan testimonial #2

Was this your first PWHL game?

No, this was the third PWHL Takeover Game in Detroit, and our seventh PWHL game overall!

Did you travel from farther away, or are you local to the city?

I live in Detroit! But we’ve travelled as far as Lowell for Game five of the 2024 Walter Cup Finals.

What’s your favourite PWHL team?

The Boston Fleet.

Who’s your favourite PWHL player?

Aerin Frankel (of course) and Susanna Tapani.

What was your highlight of the game?

Getting to see two of my favourite goalies in the league make incredible saves!

What was your highlight of the overall experience?

Bringing two friends who had never watched a PWHL game before, and by the end said they want to go to the Takeover Tour game in March and will plan to bring more people!

Second stops upcoming

Chicago will get a second game on Wednesday, March 25, featuring the New York Sirens and the Seattle Torrent. Detroit will host the New York Sirens and the Montréal Victoire on Saturday, March 28.

Other Takeover Tour testimonials

Read about fans’ experiences at the Halifax Takeover Tour games.

More to come

Stay tuned for testimonials from the other Takeover Tour games!