Home Ice Advantage: Fan Experience with the New York Sirens

After spending the first PWHL season bouncing between three venues, the New York Sirens have a regular home rink for 2024-25 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The arena, home to the NHL’s New Jersey Devils as well as college basketball, concerts, and other events, hosted the Sirens’ first two home games on Dec. 18 and 22. I had the opportunity to take in the latter game, which saw the Sirens roar back from a three-goal deficit to push the Minnesota Frost into overtime before losing in a shootout. I also got the chance to speak to some fans at Prudential Center and get their thoughts on the game.

Best Parts

For starters, the product on the ice was excellent. I was lucky enough to be present for an exciting game, with three consecutive goals from each team leading to some very tense bonus hockey. While I was never worried about the quality of play, I had some early concerns about fan energy, especially after Abby Levy let in two goals early for the Sirens. I was wrong to doubt, though, because the home fans kept up regular cheers, mixing up chants of “Let’s go Sirens!” with “wee woo, wee woo” and even a “Let’s go Levy” after the second Minnesota goal. I was impressed overall with the atmosphere the fans were able to contribute to, and the players seemed to appreciate it as well. After the game, both Kayle Osborne and Elizabeth Giguère remarked on how loud the home supporters were, their energy never fading even when New York was down by three. “The fans are always great, and we want them to keep showing up,” Giguère said.

The other incredibly successful part of the game day atmosphere was the in-arena production. The Jumbotron graphics looked slick and professional, splashing the Rock in teal during stoppages and key events, like announcing goal scorers or indicating a power play. It seemed like the Sirens’ design and production team really took advantage of the capabilities of an NHL arena, such as using the lights and projectors on the ice for pregame and intermissions. The DJ and in-arena host were both great, with good music and good energy adding to the experience. There were also some fun mid-game activities, like trivia, as well as the holiday-themed gift bow scoop and dreidel spin. The Dec. 22 game also happens to be the Sirens’ teddy bear toss, so it was a joy as always to see a horde of stuffed animals rain down on the ice during the second intermission. While I love that promotion, I wish the Sirens had done a better job of marketing it, as I only learned the teddy bear toss was happening the day before the game.

Fan Voices

I spoke with several fans during the first and second intermissions, trying to gauge what other people were thinking about the Sirens and the PWHL at the Prudential Center. Most were local, hailing from the greater New York-New Jersey area, but two fans I talked to came from quite a ways away. Kaleb, from northern Virginia, traveled all the way to Newark just for the game, including waking up at 5 AM to make the noon puck drop. An avid hockey fan and Pittsburgh Penguins supporter, Kaleb said he picked the Sirens as his PWHL team because his mom is a fan of the NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC, who share a market and colors with the Sirens, and he was excited to learn the fan traditions. Ki, from Denver, was visiting a friend in New Jersey and made it a point to go to a Sirens game while they were in town. They also noted that they would be going to the PWHL Takeover Tour stop in their hometown.

One aspect of the experience the fans commonly highlighted was the feeling of community and support. Jaycie, who was distributing bracelets to other fans, described Prudential Center as a “fun environment, really easy to make friends,” and noted that bracelet-making was “a great way to build community and meet people.” They appreciated that the Sirens have a bracelet station on the concourse, and told me about another fan who exchanged bracelets with them. Spencer, a longtime fan of the NHL’s New York Islanders, noted that the Rock had a “very supportive atmosphere even if we’re down. Not like going to Islander games where everybody’s on edge all the time and not happy with the team.” Stephanie also compared the vibe of PWHL games to the NHL. “It feels more welcoming,” she said. “Everyone seems nicer. It can be a little aggressive at men’s games, a lot of bro culture, and that’s just not the vibe at any of the women’s leagues that I’ve been to. It’s nice to have a more inclusive, more welcoming environment.” Ashley, who was at her first PWHL game, highlighted the growing fanbase. “I think we’re developing that DNA [as a fanbase], which is kind of fun to be a part of from the ground,” she said. “I started chirping at Minnesota fans and people were laughing, which was good. It’s been fun to interact with the crowd.”

The atmosphere was comfortable for a wide variety of fans, including kids. Erin was at the game accompanying a gaggle of girls from the New Jersey Colonials youth hockey program, who skated on the ice as the first intermission scrimmage team. “It was great, the girls loved it,” she said of the experience. “They love playing hockey, I think it’s great for them to see what they can be. A lot of them want to do this [play pro hockey] when they grow up, so it’s been great so far.” Stephanie added, “It’s really cool to see full families, a lot of women out here, a lot of kids. Multiple generations, you can see grandparents out here too, so that’s really cool that the whole family can get involved.” 

The fans also referenced the unique and burgeoning culture of Sirens fans. “I love that everyone already has their gear. It feels very united and people are on the same page,” Stephanie said. She also added, “I love the ‘wee woo’ SpongeBob reference as a millennial,” referring to the clip of a bellowing Patrick Star that plays after every Sirens goal. Jaycie and Ki also voiced their affection for the sound clip and the associated chant. Jaycie said their favorite part of the game experience was “commitment to the bits, like the ‘wee woo’ and the Pizza Rat signs. It’s a little bit funny, but it’s a lot of fun. I like that it’s a fun kind of silly energy, because I think sports needs that.”

However, the game experience was not without critique. “I honestly expected more people to be here because I heard from a lot of people it’s more easy to get to Prudential Center from the city,” Spencer said. For him, accessibility is the most important part of a fan experience. Similarly, Ashley, who used to New York Rangers games, noted, “It’s still pretty quiet while the game is going on; I’ve never heard a rink so quiet.” Alex was was disappointed with some elements of fan engagement. He said, “I wish there was some kind of giveaway, or at least better prizes for the trivia. Something to encourage attendance and participation. I think a good giveaway with good promotion could get more people to come out here.” However, he appreciated how polished and professional his first PWHL game felt, especially compared to a previous experience watching the PHF’s Metropolitan Riveters at the American Dream mall.

As a whole, going to a New York Sirens game on a Sunday afternoon appeared to be a good experience for most people in attendance. It was heartening to see this level of support and excitement for professional women’s hockey. I hope the Sirens, and the PWHL at large, can capitalize on the energy and continue improving their game day experience for all fans.