PWHL Expansion: Eight Cities To Consider For The Next Two Teams

The PWHL is looking to expand by two teams ahead of the 2025-26 season, according to reports.

The women’s hockey league is launching a process for prospective new clubs to submit their requests, PWHL senior vice-president of business operations Amy Scheer told Sportico in a report on Tuesday.

The first thing the pro league will need to decide, however, is what markets it’ll place teams in. It won’t be a traditional bidding process with expansion fees, as the PWHL uses a single-entity ownership model. Instead, the league will look for the best possible fit based on fan base, facilities, media and market size, and potential sponsorships and corporate partners.

It also begs to reason the league will be looking to keep Canadian and American markets balanced unless the success of the PWHL’s three Canadian markets tips the scale North.

Here’s a look at several markets the PWHL could be considering.

Detroit

The Motor City looks like a leading contender for expansion.

Certainly, Detroit’s ability to set an American attendance record in their neutral site game last season bodes well for the market.

Michigan is a hotbed for women’s and girls’ hockey, and it annually develops some of the top American players in NCAA and professional hockey.

Little Caesars Arena is a busy venue, with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and NBA’s Detroit Pistons both calling the rink home. That could present a problem for a PWHL team.

The proximity to Windsor, Ont., however, is a massive advantage to the market, particularly with the 6,450-seat WFCU Centre in Windsor also being available if necessary. More than 500,000 Canadians live less than an hour from Detroit, including residents of Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent, and Sarnia, Ont.

Quebec City

The nicest thing to hear from a market is, “We want you here.” Quebec City has sent that message to the PWHL.

It’ll get its chance to prove Quebec City is a thriving women’s hockey market in January when the Videotron Centre, a more than 18,000-seat venue without a professional tenant, hosts the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge for a neutral site game.

The Quebec Nordiques were a longtime NHL fixture, and the Quebec Remparts draw the highest average attendance in the QMJHL at Videotron Centre.

This year, the PWHL proved that it’s not simply about the population density of a market but rather the interest in a local market to adopt a team. That disparity rang true watching the attendance levels in Ottawa, which drew a league-best 7,500ish fans, compared to New York, which had a league-low 2,496 fans per game.

Logistically, there is a small challenge here, as neither Boston nor Minnesota have direct flight options to Quebec City unless the league begins chartering.

Chicago

Chicago is a great geographical fit for the PWHL, as it stretches the league’s reach west toward Minnesota for a regional matchup.

While the United Center is busy with the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls, there is an option in the suburban village of Rosemont, Ill. Allstate Arena, which seats more than 16,000 fans for hockey, is home primarily to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and is only a stone’s throw from O’Hare Airport.

The league has tested these venues outside of city cores with less than stellar success in New York and Boston, but the Wolves have regularly drawn more than 8,000 fans per game, one of the best numbers in the AHL. With the Toronto Sceptres and Montreal Victoire thriving in AHL arenas, this might be a fit.

Winnipeg

If the league wants to go west without jumping to Vancouver and Seattle right away, Winnipeg might be a logical intermediary.

There’s no easy way to get to Winnipeg, and certainly, the Jets have had their challenges with season tickets and overall attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic. But looking at the model Ottawa has in place, a team in Winnipeg could thrive. The city has a rich women’s hockey history and currently boasts a vibrant girls’ hockey community.

The question is whether the 15,321-seat Canada Life Centre can hold three professional teams, as the venue already hosts the Winnipeg Jets and AHL’s Manitoba Moose.

Pittsburgh

Here comes the battle of Pennsylvania, as Philadelphia has also been considered a potential market in recent years. Pittsburgh obviously has the leg up after hosting a neutral-site PWHL game last season, although it was the only neutral-site game not to break 10,000 in attendance. Don’t hold this against the Steel City, however, as the Pittsburgh Penguins are supportive, and the Pittsburgh Pens Elite girls program is growing.

Washington, DC

The Washington Capitals are one of the NHL’s most supportive franchises for women’s hockey, but the questions in Washington are a venue and support from a fan base. Yes, there are girls hockey programs in the city, but if the PWHL doesn’t test run a neutral-site game there this season, we might be able to cross them off the list. The Capital One Arena is a great venue, but it has an NHL and NBA team to contest with.

Seattle And Vancouver

We’re listing these markets as a package deal because it would be difficult to imagine the PWHL expanding to the West with only one market.

Seattle and Vancouver could both support professional women’s teams. In Vancouver, a venue wouldn’t be a challenge. In Seattle, the Climate Pledge Arena already has an NHL and WNBA team. If the city hopes to bring back an NBA team, which has been a hot topic of discussion, it would rule out the venue.

The WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds play at the 6,500-seat Accesso ShoWare Center, which could become a primary venue, but it is a 30- to 40-minute drive outside the city center.

For all your women’s hockey coverage and to stay tuned on PWHL expansion, go to The Hockey News’ women’s hockey site.

Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.