Breaking down 10 potential PWHL expansion cities
It’s crazy to think that, in three years, the Professional Women’s Hockey League went from a dream to an entity that is looking at expanding for a second consecutive year.
Yet, that’s the reality we’re living in. At a press conference this past Saturday, ahead of a record-breaking night at Madison Square Garden, PWHL Advisory Board Member Stan Kasten revealed that news on potential expansion for the 2026-27 season would be announced in the coming weeks.
That begs the question: Where will the league go?
We’ve been given a glimpse of what the PWHL has been thinking with the Takeover Tour over the past couple of seasons. Last year, incredible crowds in Seattle and Vancouver confirmed the league’s hopes of expanding its footprint from coast to coast. Now, there are a number of cities in North America that have established themselves as favorites to get a team.
Today, I look at the 10 of the 11 cities that hosted Takeover Tour games this season, and break down which have the best chance of getting a team next season:
Top Contenders
Denver
Takeover Games: 3
Potential Venues: Ball Arena (18,007), Denver Coliseum (8,140), Magness Arena (6,315)
Closest Team: Minnesota Frost
Going based on the size of crowds in each of the Takeover Tour games, the Mile High City has a mile-high interest in women’s hockey. A town that has increasingly become a women’s sports destination, with the Denver Summit breaking the National Women’s Soccer League attendance record over a week ago, the PWHL would be smart to try to capitalize on the attention it has received in Denver.
Ball Arena briefly held the U.S. pro women’s hockey attendance record last season. The event was such a hit that the PWHL returned to the home of the Colorado Avalanche twice this year, with over 15,000 fans coming to the second contest just last month. On average, 13,714 fans have attended PWHL games at Ball Arena, with a series of exciting games having taken place there.
Where a team in Denver would play is a question that would need to be addressed. Being a regular at Ball might not be possible, as the arena is home to the Avs, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and NLL’s Colorado Mammoth. However, there are a couple of secondary options that could be more attainable. The University of Denver’s Magness Arena, just outside of downtown, would be a solid venue. The 75-year-old Denver Coliseum might need some upgrades, but it has been home to professional hockey in the past and, like Magness, could regularly draw large crowds given its size.
Detroit
Takeover Games: 4
Potential Venue: Little Caesars Arena (19,515)
Closest Team: Toronto Sceptres
Had the PWHL not set its sights on westward expansion, Detroit would’ve been one of the first teams added to the board. Outside of a lower crowd of 9,624 in the first Takeover games this past January (taking place right at the end of Winter Break for most families), there have been large crowds bringing loads of energy. The PWHL broke the U.S. attendance record for pro women’s hockey twice, first at the inaugural Takeover game in 2024 and again in March 2025. Last month, 15,938 fans came to the home of the Detroit Red Wings to see a great battle between the New York Sirens and the Montreal Victoire, one of the highest-attended PWHL games this year.
Across the four games, an average of 13,307 fans have shown up to see the best players in the world take center stage, and while that number might be hard to match for a supposed 13-game home schedule, interest in women’s hockey and the league in general is high in Hockeytown. Also, there’s a wide range of local talent that could attract a greater audience, with players like Megan Keller, Elle Hartje, and Shiann Darkangelo coming out of southeast Michigan, and 2026 draft prospect Kirsten Simms, of Plymouth, is set to step into the spotlight on the pro stage.
The only hurdle would be the proposed team’s main home. Sure, fitting in one or two special events a year at LCA is simple, but fitting regularly occurring games alongside the Red Wings, Detroit Pistons, and numerous concerts and other entertainment might provide a logistical hurdle. Granted, the league could do special one-off games in other areas of Michigan – like playing in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor or Kalamazoo – as fans from other reaches of the state have made the drive to see the PWHL in Detroit.
Quebec City
Takeover Games: 2
Potential Venue: Centre Vidéotron (18,259)
Closest Team: Montreal Victoire
Is it because Quebec City is just a true diehard hockey city? Or is it because the town is dying for a major-league hockey franchise to call its own? Regardless, the atmosphere inside the home of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts has been unlike some of the arenas the PWHL currently calls home. From selling out the first Takeover game during the 2024-25 season, to having another 14,000-plus see the Victoire take on the Goldeneyes this past January, fans have been coming out in droves, mostly to support the Montreal Victoire, which has provincial stars such as captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Ann-Renee Desbiens.
It would also provide an immediate rivalry between Montreal and Quebec City. Older fans can recall the days of the Montreal Canadiens going to war with the Quebec Nordiques. A split between the two fan bases would add an extra layer of excitement.
Unlike Detroit, Quebec City doesn’t have as many regular tenants. Outside of the Remparts and other events, there seems to be a little more opening for a new team to call the Videotron Centre home. Like the relationship between the Ottawa 67’s and Ottawa Charge, the new team in QC could be a marquee attraction in a town that loves the game.
Borderline Hopefuls
Chicago
Takeover Games: 2
Potential Venues: Allstate Arena (16,692), United Center (19,717)
Closest Team: Minnesota Frost
If you were to ask me my thoughts on Chicago being a destination for a PWHL team after a measly 7,238 came to Rosemont in December, I would’ve thought you were crazy. However, given the PWHL’s unspoken desire to add a team in the Great Lakes region to bridge the gap between Minnesota and the rest of the East Coast teams, the Windy City seems like a possible option.
Whether it was increased promotion or a more appealing time of year for fans to come out, there was a much more positive turnout for the second Takeover game last month, with 10,006 coming to see the Seattle Torrent take down the New York Sirens. It was a livelier crowd, reinstilling the local hope for a team in the future.
The setback for me is that there seems to be a greater, more consistent passion for the women’s game in Detroit. While both locations fell far short of selling out their venues for Takeover Tour contests, Chicago seems to be a little behind in overall interest compared to its geographic rival.
Edmonton
Takeover Games: 3
Potential Venue: Rogers Place (18,347)
Closest Team: Vancouver Goldeneyes
I feel like there is an itch to put a team in Alberta in general, and it’s clear with the number of times the PWHL has played in Edmonton. It’s a hockey-mad city, with a number of Alberta natives currently active in the league. The league seems to be interested in adding another team out west, but can provide as a checkpoint, if you will, between Vancouver/Seattle and Minnesota and a potential Midwest team.
What knocks Edmonton down a peg for me is the rather mediocre turnouts this season. There was a lot of excitement for the first Takeover game in February 2025, with over 17,000 packing inside Rogers Place. However, the game between Vancouver and Minnesota in December drew just over 10,000, while the second game on Tuesday night doing the same, barely reached the upper bowl. Heck, even the Rivalry Series game between the United States and Canada in December didn’t even draw 5,000 fans.
The hurdle that Edmonton also has is that there are already two hockey teams that call Rogers Place home – the Edmonton Oilers and the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Yet, if the right partners are ready to do business, the provincial capital of Alberta might be given an honest look.
Halifax
Takeover Games: 2
Potential Venue: Scotiabank Centre (10,595)
Closest Team: Montreal Victoire
If you were to ask people in Nova Scotia if they would welcome a PWHL team to town, you’d probably hear a resounding yes. However, it’s not entirely clear whether the feeling is mutual on the league side. The Takeover Tour made two stops in Halifax this season, both in December and January. Even with four different teams playing, both games at Scotiabank Centre sold out, giving a glimpse of the city’s love for the women’s game and the consistent support it could have.
If the PWHL were to go to Halifax, they would certainly be the big dog in town. Sure, the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads have been part of the community for decades, but big-time pro hockey would gain a massive following in the Maritimes. I’m not sure if the logistics of travel would be an issue for the league, with the possibility of Vancouver and Seattle having to fly all the way up to Halifax once or twice a year seemingly being a greater burden for teams.
Longshots
Calgary
Takeover Games: 1
Potential Venues: Scotiabank Saddledome (19,289), 2027: Scotia Place (est. 18,400)
Closest Team: Vancouver Goldeneyes
Calgary being on this list comes from the historical connection between women’s hockey and the city. The Canadian National Team traditionally centralized in the province’s largest city, with a number of games between Canada and the United States. Not to mention the fact that 16,150 fans were inside Scotiabank Saddledome to see the Charge and Sceptres go at it just last week.
However, the biggest thing holding the league back from exploring Calgary is the number of tenants in both the current Saddledome and the future Scotia Place. The new team would have to try to fit its schedule with the Calgary Flames, the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, and the NLL’s Calgary Roughnecks. With no second venue that could properly fit a PWHL team, Calgary might be further down the league’s list of sites that fans would hope.
Hamilton
Takeover Games: 1
Potential Venue: TD Coliseum (17,383)
Closest Team: Toronto Sceptres
The visual of seeing the PWHL Takeover Tour logo at center ice in January was something to behold. The league filled up with the recently renovated TD Coliseum in Hamilton, with 16,012 fans going wild for a matchup between Toronto and Seattle.
The appeal to Hamilton came from the possibility that the PWHL could be the sole team in the barn. However, that changed when the New York Islanders officially announced that it would be moving its AHL affiliate to Hamilton, starting next season. Also, the fact that Hamilton would place a new team so close to an already established franchise will keep the PWHL from exploring the southern Ontario city as an expansion option.
Washington, D.C.
Takeover Games: 1
Potential Venues: Capital One Arena (18,573), CareFirst Arena (4,200)
Closest Team: New York Sirens
Expansion to the U.S. capital was solely sparked by the massive crowd that showed up to Capital One Arena on Jan. 18. For a game featuring the Victoire and Sirens, 17,228, a U.S. record at the time, came to see an exciting game that ended with a line brawl. While D.C. was on no one’s radar for expansion, a lively audience changed the narrative ever so slightly.
I think the league needs a little more time exploring Washington as a possibility. The Takeover Tour game could’ve easily just been a one-off. Also, it’d be hard to sell 10,000 on a nightly basis at the home of the Washington Capitals. The only other notable arena in the area is CareFirst Arena, home of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, but the league has made it clear it has outgrown smaller venues.
Winnipeg
Takeover Games: 1
Potential Venue: Canada Life Centre (15,321)
Closest Team: Minnesota Frost
Like Washington, Winnipeg is only getting love on this list thanks to an impressive crowd for their Takeover game this season. At the home of the Winnipeg Jets last month, a near-sellout crowd of 15,225 saw an entertaining battle between Ottawa and Montreal. I think a PWHL team would work in Winnipeg, with consistent crowds of 10,000 seemingly attainable. Yet, even though the potential franchise would only be sharing the barn with the Jets and the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, I expect the league would want to host a couple more neutral-site games before even considering a long-term commitment.