Of all the places Hilary Knight has played competitive hockey B次元官网网址� from Beijing to Utica, New York B次元官网网址� during her 17 U.S. national team seasons, the Boston Fleet captain holds a soft spot for Seattle, not far from her home in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Two years have passed, but the four-time Olympian still excitedly reflects on the electric atmosphere a U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series record-crowd of 14,551 created inside the NHL KrakenB次元官网网址檚 arena.

B次元官网网址淭o be honest, I have yet to experience another crowd like that,B次元官网网址� Knight said of playing in Climate Pledge Arena, where she scored twice and added an assist in 4-2 win. B次元官网网址淪eattle holds a special place in my mind, and thatB次元官网网址檚 why IB次元官网网址檓 super excited to be able to share that experience with other teammates, whether itB次元官网网址檚 on the Fleet or on the Montreal team.B次元官网网址�

Knight makes her return to the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, when Boston faces the Montreal Victoire to kick off the . Dubbed B次元官网网址淭he Takeover Tour,B次元官网网址� the Seattle stop is the first of nine out-of-market outings the PWHL will play in places including Raleigh, North Carolina, St. Louis and Vancouver, British Columbia.

The series serves two major purposes for the six-team league : Aside from broadening the sportB次元官网网址檚 reach across North America, the tour allows the PWHL to test markets as it considers .

B次元官网网址淚 think any opportunity to have an outreach of currently out-of-market games for us is a critical one for the growth of the game and also our league,B次元官网网址� Knight said of a league whose westernmost team is in Minnesota.

B次元官网网址淲ould I love to see teams out west? Absolutely. I think itB次元官网网址檚 a prime hockey market,B次元官网网址� added Knight. B次元官网网址淪o thereB次元官网网址檚 really no sky or ceiling to where this league can go.B次元官网网址�

Rounding out the list of neutral sites are Denver, Detroit, Buffalo, New York, and the Canadian cities Edmonton and Quebec City. Detroit is already considered a front-runner for expansion and the only repeat city on the schedule after drawing 13,736 fans for one of ; Pittsburgh was the other.

Minnesota goalie Nicole Hensley looks forward to her Denver homecoming on Jan. 12, when the Frost play Montreal at the AvalancheB次元官网网址檚 Ball Arena.

B次元官网网址淚 think the last time I (played in Denver) was in high school,B次元官网网址� Hensley said.

B次元官网网址淵eah, it was a pretty small rink, so this will be little different,B次元官网网址� Hensley added, noting she attended many Avalanche games. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not going to lie, IB次元官网网址檝e been looking forward to it for a while.B次元官网网址�

Current players arenB次元官网网址檛 the only ones awaiting tour stops.

Cammi Granato, who captained the United States to win gold at the first Winter Games to feature womenB次元官网网址檚 hockey in Nagano in 1998, considers the tour yet another a breakthrough for her sport, with Montreal playing Toronto in her adopted hometown of Vancouver on Jan. 8.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 something I never thought could be possible,B次元官网网址� Granato wrote in a text to The Associated Press.

B次元官网网址淲hen I was growing up, I had the same dream as my brothers to play in the NHL. As I got older, it was hard to accept that I didnB次元官网网址檛 have the same opportunities to play professional hockey,B次元官网网址� added Granato, . B次元官网网址淚t is incredible to see that it can be a dream come true for this generation of players.B次元官网网址�

Montreal rookie Jennifer Gardiner is from suburban Vancouver and felt isolated from womenB次元官网网址檚 hockey because much of it was being played in the east. SheB次元官网网址檚 excited to hear the VictoireB次元官网网址檚 game against Toronto has already sold out with the regionB次元官网网址檚 youth girlsB次元官网网址� hockey associations suspending play that day in order to attend.

B次元官网网址淚t goes to show how important it is to continue to expand this league and get these games all over North America because people want to watch,B次元官网网址� said Gardiner, who played at Ohio State. B次元官网网址淚 havenB次元官网网址檛 stopped smiling since I heard about these games out west.B次元官网网址�

The Kraken privately campaigned to land one of the PWHLB次元官网网址檚 inaugural franchises a year ago. SeattleB次元官网网址檚 staff includes assistant GM Alexandra Mandrycky and it is the .

B次元官网网址淲e are committed to growing the game of hockey for both boys and girls in the Pacific Northwest. ItB次元官网网址檚 inspiring for young women in our region to witness female success in hockey on and off the ice,B次元官网网址� Kraken GM Ron Francis said. B次元官网网址淭his is an exciting moment for our community and an important step forward for womenB次元官网网址檚 hockey.B次元官网网址�