Expansion Era: Why the PWHL’s Growth Is Just Heating Up

By Jayne Kelly

Disclaimer: This article reflects personal opinions and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), National Hockey League (NHL), or any official sports organization.

Photo Owned by Hazze Media

From the very beginning of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), when it was announced the league would start with six teams, many believed the organization would choose cities based on an Original Six-style format used by the National Hockey League (NHL). That was not the case. However, the PWHL does have teams established in four of the Original Six cities: Montreal, Toronto, New York, and Boston. The league deviated from the NHL by placing teams in Ottawa — Canada’s capital — and in Minnesota, often referred to as the "State of Hockey."The league deviated from the NHL by placing teams in Ottawa — Canada’s capital — and in Minnesota, often referred to as the "State of Hockey."

This leaves two key hockey markets untapped: Chicago and Detroit. Hockey has been part of these cities for nearly a century, with the NHL establishing in 1926. They’re both part of the Original Six and have a combined total of 17 Stanley Cups (Chicago, Detroit). These cities are deeply interwoven with sports and boast passionate, loyal fan bases across all major leagues, not just hockey.

One standout feature of the PWHL’s second season was the Takeover Tour. Through this tour, the PWHL visited cities across North America and saw record-breaking ticket sales, with 123,061 fans attending nine games. The cities visited (in order) were Seattle, Vancouver, Denver, Quebec, Edmonton, Buffalo, Raleigh, Detroit, and St. Louis.

Vancouver drew the largest crowd, with 19,038 in attendance.

Thanks to this overwhelming response from fans, the PWHL announced it will add two new teams by the 2025–26 season. Ownership groups are already placing bids to be selected as the league’s next host cities. We can likely eliminate cities that don’t have the infrastructure to support a professional franchise, which means we’re probably looking at cities that already support an NHL team, where the arena, resources, and fan base are already in place.

The league is expected to add one team in the United States and one in Canada. Most current teams are located in the eastern half of North America, so it’s likely we’ll see at least one team out West. The top contenders? Vancouver, Seattle, or a city in California.

California already supports three NHL teams, which makes it tough to narrow down to just one PWHL option.

The Takeover Tour served as a valuable gauge of fan interest, with Vancouver emerging as the clear frontrunner after drawing the largest crowd. It’s safe to say this city is a top contender for expansion — it's easy to see how many fans want a team there.

Of course, we can only speculate and hope our favorite city gets selected. What’s undeniable is that the PWHL caught lightning in a bottle with the Takeover Tour — it proved that the world is hungry for more women’s hockey. Even if the next team lands in Antarctica, fans would be just as excited and grateful.