The New York Sirens are making the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, their primary home entering the PWHL’s second season, the team announced on Friday.
The move to the home of the NHL New Jersey Devils was anticipated and comes after the newly named Sirens split their inaugural season playing out of three rinks across the tri-state region.
The team struggled attracting fans in opening the season playing home games in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and also played games at the Islanders home, UBS Arena. The team then closed the season at Prudential, where New York drew a season-best crowd of 5,132 on April 20.
“We saw last season how quickly Prudential Center and our loyal fans could create an electrifying atmosphere,” Sirens general manager Pascal Daoust said in a statement. “Our players and staff are thrilled and can’t wait to play again in this high-class venue and call this place home for the upcoming season.”
A pricing chart released by the Sirens to season-ticket holders, and obtained by The Associated Press, indicated the team will play 13 of its 15 home game at the New Jersey facility.
The PWHL has yet to release its schedule, which will have each team playing 30 games — up from 24 last year — with the season set to open in early December.
The league has previously announced plans to increase the number of neutral-site games after playing in Detroit and Pittsburgh last season. The PWHL was exploring the possibility of the Sirens playing at least one home game at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
New York finished last in the standings in the six-team league, and selected Canadian national team and Princeton star forward Sarah Fillier with the No. 1 pick in the draft in June.
The Sirens also announced they are relocating their training facility to the Devils’ former practice home in West Orange, New Jersey.
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed
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