Ted Leonsis, the owner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, is showing a keen interest in bringing a women's hockey team to Washington, DC. Leonsis, who already owns the WNBA's Washington Mystics, is looking to make the city the 'capital of women's professional sports'. However, he has set some conditions before taking the plunge. He is open to hosting women's hockey games at Capital One Arena, but a permanent team in the city would require a change in the league's ownership structure. The PWHL (Professional Women's Hockey League) currently has all its teams owned and operated by the Mark Walter Group, and there's no immediate plan to alter this structure. Leonsis has expressed his desire to bring a women's hockey team to DC, but he is waiting for the league to become more flexible in its ownership model. The DC area has a strong interest in hosting a women's hockey team, as evidenced by the record-breaking attendance at the PWHL Takeover Tour game between the Montreal Victoire and the New York Sirens in January. The game attracted 17,228 fans, breaking the US record for the most people to attend a professional women's hockey game. Leonsis believes that the city should be the 'women's professional sports capital of the world' and wants to play a leading role in this space. The PWHL is planning to expand with up to four new franchises this summer, and the DC area is seen as a potential landing spot. However, the league's current ownership structure and the timeline for renovations at Capital One Arena are factors that could influence the timing of any expansion. Leonsis has been a vocal supporter of women's sports and has previously hosted PWHPA events at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, the team's practice facility. He sees the potential for women's sports to 'explode' and believes that Washington, DC, could become a hub for women's professional sports, including hockey, baseball, and volleyball.
