Of all the places Hilary Knight has played competitive hockey 91裸聊视频� from Beijing to Utica, New York 91裸聊视频� 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 Kraken91裸聊视频檚 arena.

91裸聊视频淭o be honest, I have yet to experience another crowd like that,91裸聊视频� Knight said of playing in Climate Pledge Arena, where she scored twice and added an assist in 4-2 win. 91裸聊视频淪eattle holds a special place in my mind, and that91裸聊视频檚 why I91裸聊视频檓 super excited to be able to share that experience with other teammates, whether it91裸聊视频檚 on the Fleet or on the Montreal team.91裸聊视频�

Knight makes her return to the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, when Boston faces the Montreal Victoire to kick off the . Dubbed 91裸聊视频淭he Takeover Tour,91裸聊视频� 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 sport91裸聊视频檚 reach across North America, the tour allows the PWHL to test markets as it considers .

91裸聊视频淚 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,91裸聊视频� Knight said of a league whose westernmost team is in Minnesota.

91裸聊视频淲ould I love to see teams out west? Absolutely. I think it91裸聊视频檚 a prime hockey market,91裸聊视频� added Knight. 91裸聊视频淪o there91裸聊视频檚 really no sky or ceiling to where this league can go.91裸聊视频�

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 Avalanche91裸聊视频檚 Ball Arena.

91裸聊视频淚 think the last time I (played in Denver) was in high school,91裸聊视频� Hensley said.

91裸聊视频淵eah, it was a pretty small rink, so this will be little different,91裸聊视频� Hensley added, noting she attended many Avalanche games. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not going to lie, I91裸聊视频檝e been looking forward to it for a while.91裸聊视频�

Current players aren91裸聊视频檛 the only ones awaiting tour stops.

Cammi Granato, who captained the United States to win gold at the first Winter Games to feature women91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 something I never thought could be possible,91裸聊视频� Granato wrote in a text to The Associated Press.

91裸聊视频淲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 didn91裸聊视频檛 have the same opportunities to play professional hockey,91裸聊视频� added Granato, . 91裸聊视频淚t is incredible to see that it can be a dream come true for this generation of players.91裸聊视频�

Montreal rookie Jennifer Gardiner is from suburban Vancouver and felt isolated from women91裸聊视频檚 hockey because much of it was being played in the east. She91裸聊视频檚 excited to hear the Victoire91裸聊视频檚 game against Toronto has already sold out with the region91裸聊视频檚 youth girls91裸聊视频� hockey associations suspending play that day in order to attend.

91裸聊视频淚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,91裸聊视频� said Gardiner, who played at Ohio State. 91裸聊视频淚 haven91裸聊视频檛 stopped smiling since I heard about these games out west.91裸聊视频�

The Kraken privately campaigned to land one of the PWHL91裸聊视频檚 inaugural franchises a year ago. Seattle91裸聊视频檚 staff includes assistant GM Alexandra Mandrycky and it is the .

91裸聊视频淲e are committed to growing the game of hockey for both boys and girls in the Pacific Northwest. It91裸聊视频檚 inspiring for young women in our region to witness female success in hockey on and off the ice,91裸聊视频� Kraken GM Ron Francis said. 91裸聊视频淭his is an exciting moment for our community and an important step forward for women91裸聊视频檚 hockey.91裸聊视频�