PWHL Seattle Overview
The PWHL Seattle franchise, officially known as the Seattle Torrent, is a professional women’s ice hockey team based in Seattle, Washington. Established in 2025, the team competes in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and began play in the 2025-26 season alongside the Vancouver Goldeneyes, the league’s first two expansion franchises. The Torrent is owned by the Mark Walter Group and plays its home games at Climate Pledge Arena, sharing the venue with the National Hockey League’s Seattle Kraken and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm. The team has quickly distinguished itself through record-setting attendance and a strong identity rooted in the Pacific Northwest.
Under the leadership of general manager Meghan Turner and inaugural head coach Steve O’Rourke, with Hilary Knight serving as the franchise’s first captain, the Seattle Torrent have emerged as one of the PWHL’s most prominent expansion sides. The team’s color palette draws inspiration from the region’s landscape, including slate green, river blue, glacier blue, foam, haze grey, and basalt black. From their debut game onward, the Torrent have drawn some of the largest crowds ever recorded for women’s hockey in the United States.
PWHL Seattle Competitive Journey
The Seattle Torrent joined the Professional Women’s Hockey League in 2025-26 as part of the league’s first round of expansion, marking the franchise’s entry into top-flight North American women’s hockey. Their inaugural season produced a series of historic attendance milestones and competitive moments that immediately positioned the organization among the league’s flagship franchises.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The path to a Seattle PWHL franchise began with the city’s longstanding history of hosting major women’s hockey events. In January 2025, Climate Pledge Arena hosted a PWHL Takeover Tour game between the Boston Fleet and Montreal Victoire, drawing 12,608 spectators. Seattle had previously held the record for the highest attendance at a non-college women’s hockey game in the United States, after a 2022 Rivalry Series matchup between the United States and Canada women’s national teams drew 14,551 fans.
On April 30, 2025, the Professional Women’s Hockey League officially announced its expansion to Seattle, making the Seattle team the eighth franchise in the league and the second expansion team alongside the Vancouver Goldeneyes. The Mark Walter Group was unveiled as the ownership group, with a bidding consortium that included the Seattle Kraken and arena operator Oak View Group. The Kraken partnership provided the new franchise with established marketing and business operations infrastructure from day one.
Following the expansion announcement, the organization began assembling its leadership and on-ice staff. On June 20, 2025, Steve O’Rourke, a former head coach of the Oshawa Generals, was named the team’s inaugural head coach. Meghan Turner was appointed as general manager, and on November 14, Hilary Knight was named the franchise’s first captain, completing the initial executive and leadership structure.
Growth Into PWHL Competition
As the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s eighth franchise, the Seattle Torrent entered the league as part of its first expansion wave, a step that signaled the league’s growing national footprint. The franchise temporarily operated as PWHL Seattle during the 2025 offseason, mirroring the approach used by the original six teams during the 2023-24 PWHL season. The organization focused on building front-office operations, broadcast partnerships, and fan engagement programs ahead of its inaugural campaign.
The team’s entry into PWHL competition included a series of business and operational milestones. The franchise announced broadcast agreements with KZJO (Fox 13+) and KONG to carry its games on television, with the majority of contests airing on KZJO and six games on KONG. All PWHL games were also made available on the league’s official YouTube channel. Broadcasters Alison Lukan and Piper Shaw, who also work for the Seattle Kraken, were named as the team’s announcers, further strengthening the operational ties between the two franchises.
On October 21, 2025, the franchise released its inaugural season jerseys, produced by equipment manufacturer Bauer. The jerseys featured the city name displayed diagonally across the front without a team name or logo, and the release generated the highest single-day jersey sales in PWHL history. The official team name, Seattle Torrent, and its full visual identity were unveiled on November 6, 2025, completing the franchise’s transition into the league.
Early Seasons and Development (2025-2026)
The Seattle Torrent’s first competitive season was a historic one defined by record-breaking attendance figures and notable on-ice performances. The franchise’s first game took place on November 21 at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, where the expansion Torrent faced the Vancouver Goldeneyes. The team lost 4-3 in overtime, with Julia Gosling scoring the first two goals in franchise history.
The Torrent’s inaugural home game at Climate Pledge Arena drew 16,014 spectators, setting a new record for the largest attendance at a women’s hockey game in the United States. Despite the historic crowd, the visiting Minnesota Frost won the contest 3-0. The franchise earned its first victory in its third game, a 2-1 home decision over the New York Sirens on December 3, 2025.
Breakthrough in PWHL (2025-2026)
The 2025-26 season marked a breakthrough moment for women’s professional hockey in Seattle, as the Torrent consistently delivered the league’s highest attendance figures. On April 4, 2026, the team played the New York Sirens in the inaugural PWHL game at Madison Square Garden in New York City, drawing 18,006 attendees and breaking the record for attendance at a U.S. professional women’s hockey game while selling out the iconic venue.
The Seattle Torrent finished their inaugural season with an average attendance of 12,875, ranking first in the Professional Women’s Hockey League. The franchise’s ability to fill Climate Pledge Arena, which has a seating capacity of 17,151, established the Torrent as a standard-setter for fan engagement in women’s professional hockey. Climate Pledge Arena ranked as the second-largest arena in the PWHL by seating capacity.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2025-Present)
Under the continued ownership of the Mark Walter Group, with Meghan Turner serving as general manager and Steve O’Rourke as head coach, the Seattle Torrent have built a foundation for sustained competitiveness. The franchise operates its training operations out of the Kraken Community Iceplex in Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood, sharing the facility with the Seattle Kraken. This arrangement allows the organization to benefit from established infrastructure and shared resources.
The team’s relationship with the Seattle Kraken extends across marketing, business operations, and broadcasting, giving the Torrent access to experienced personnel and a built-in regional fan base. With Hilary Knight as captain and a roster built through the league’s expansion process, the franchise has positioned itself for long-term growth. The team’s rivalry with the Vancouver Goldeneyes, the nearest competitor, is expected to be a defining feature of the franchise’s competitive calendar in the seasons ahead.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
The Seattle Torrent draw significant operational and strategic strength from their close relationship with the Seattle Kraken, leveraging shared facilities, broadcast talent, and front-office expertise. Playing in a 17,151-seat arena, the franchise is built to deliver a high-energy game-day experience, with music and atmosphere tailored to engage large Pacific Northwest crowds. The team’s identity, rooted in regional natural elements, supports a brand that emphasizes community connection and fan accessibility.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
The Seattle Torrent’s inaugural season produced several historic milestones, including the largest U.S. attendance for a women’s hockey game at their first home contest with 16,014 fans, the highest single-day jersey sales in PWHL history during their October 2025 jersey release, and the largest crowd for a U.S. professional women’s hockey game with 18,006 attendees at Madison Square Garden on April 4, 2026. The franchise finished the season with the league’s highest average attendance at 12,875 per game.
PWHL Seattle Achievements and Results
In their inaugural 2025-26 season, the Seattle Torrent established themselves as a record-setting franchise in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, leading the league in average attendance and delivering multiple historic crowds. While the team did not capture a Walter Cup or regular-season title in its first year, the franchise set new benchmarks for fan engagement and visibility in women’s professional hockey.
PWHL Achievements
During the 2025-26 season, the Seattle Torrent finished with zero Walter Cup championships and zero regular-season titles. Despite the absence of a championship in their debut campaign, the franchise led the Professional Women’s Hockey League in average attendance with 12,875 fans per game. The team also posted the highest single-day jersey sales in league history during the release of its inaugural jerseys in October 2025, underscoring the franchise’s commercial impact on the league.
Conference Achievements
The Professional Women’s Hockey League’s 2025-26 season structure did not include formal conference play for the Seattle Torrent, and no conference championships were recorded during the franchise’s inaugural campaign. The team’s competitive schedule and results were organized at the league-wide level, with the focus remaining on building a foundation for future postseason success.
Divisional Achievements
The Professional Women’s Hockey League’s 2025-26 season structure did not include formal divisional play for the Seattle Torrent, and no divisional championships were recorded during the franchise’s inaugural campaign. The team’s efforts were concentrated on league-wide competition and the development of a sustainable on-ice product.
Series Achievements
The Seattle Torrent participated in the 2025-26 Professional Women’s Hockey League regular season and established a series of historic attendance benchmarks, including the largest U.S. women’s hockey game crowd at their inaugural home opener and the largest crowd for a U.S. professional women’s hockey game at Madison Square Garden. While no on-ice series titles were captured in the debut season, the franchise’s performance in driving fan engagement set a new standard for the league.