PWHL’s Growth Continues with Expansion to Hamilton and Las Vegas
Seattle Torrent faces Montreal Victorie on December 24, 2025. Photo credit: Jenn G.
Written by Josie Dinonsie
The Professional Women’s Hockey League announced today that two new teams will join the league. Beginning in the 2026–27 season, Hamilton, Ontario, and Las Vegas, Nevada, will each receive PWHL franchises.
With Hamilton representing a booming Canadian hockey market and Las Vegas bringing a contrasting desert-based, non-traditional American hockey culture, this expansion reflects the PWHL’s broader mission: to unite women’s hockey fans and players across diverse communities while challenging traditional perceptions of the sport and proving that women’s hockey can thrive anywhere.
This announcement comes just one week after the league revealed its expansion to the Motor City, Detroit. The addition of these three franchises marks a major milestone for the PWHL, increasing the league’s total number of teams to 11 after beginning with just six during its inaugural 2024 season.
The addition of these three teams is more than just expansion; it solidifies the PWHL’s commitment to growing the women’s game and demonstrates the increasing demand for women’s hockey. The league’s expansion, combined with rising attendance numbers, shows that women’s hockey is growing rapidly and being valued more than ever before.
Fan attendance during the 2025–26 season played a significant role in making this expansion possible. Through its Takeover Tour, games played in neutral cities that currently do not have a team, the PWHL gathered key evidence that fans will support women’s hockey.
In Hamilton, a Takeover Tour game took place on Jan. 3 at TD Coliseum. Attendance reached 16,012 people, making it the third-highest attended game of the Takeover Tour. The large crowd filled with supportive fans, 70% of whom had never attended a PWHL game before, reinforced that the city is an excellent fit for a franchise. Beginning in the 2026–27 season, TD Coliseum will serve as the home arena for the Hamilton team.
The Greater Horseshoe Valley region surrounding Hamilton is already the birthplace of more than 15% of PWHL players, making it a significant hub for women’s hockey development. With the addition of a professional women’s team in the city, girls’ youth hockey is expected to grow even further. Hamilton’s addition also gives Ontario three PWHL teams, further solidifying the province as a hockey capital.
“This is a region with deep hockey roots, and the response we saw during our Takeover Tour game at TD Coliseum made it clear that fans in the region are ready to rally around a team of their own,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.
“It’s an exciting time for women’s sports in Ontario, and bringing a new PWHL team to Hamilton is a major milestone for the game, for this city, and for our province,” said Neil Lumsden, Ontario Minister of Sport.
As for Las Vegas, the decision to introduce a PWHL team is backed by passionate fans and growing player participation. Known as one of North America’s entertainment capitals, Las Vegas has evolved into a major sports city over the past decade. Since the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights debuted in 2017, hockey participation in the region has grown exponentially, including a 600% increase in girls’ and women’s hockey, making the city an ideal location for a PWHL franchise.
The Las Vegas team will play at T-Mobile Arena, the same arena used by the Golden Knights, representing another major step forward for women’s hockey visibility. In addition, the franchise will become the PWHL’s first team in the southwestern United States, increasing the sport’s geographic reach and accessibility.
“Today’s PWHL announcement gives young girls throughout Nevada and our entire region another chance to dream bigger, pursue hockey at the highest level, and see themselves as future leaders in our community. Our game will be even stronger because of the PWHL’s presence in Henderson and Vegas,” stated John Penhollow, Vegas Golden Knights President of Business Operations.
Fan Priority Access to Season Tickets:
Las Vegas: https://forms.thepwhl.com/261255927931867
Hamilton: https://forms.thepwhl.com/261308664479871
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