Hotspots for Professional Women’s Hockey League expansion
Many North American cities are considered for a franchise
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) announced in late October its intention to grow with up to two new teams for the 2025-26 season.
Here are a few cities you should keep an eye on to potentially secure a PWHL team.
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Chicago seems like a match made in heaven. The city already has an original six National Hockey League (NHL) franchise in the Blackhawks, possessing a rich history and a passionate fanbase. The Blackhawks had the fifth-highest attendance in 2023-24. It would be surprising to see Chicago’s United Center accommodate another team’s games, as the Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls both use the arena for their home games. However, the city’s Wintrust Arena holds a capacity of over 10,000 fans—perfect for a PWHL team.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Another potential great fit would be Pittsburgh. The city’s PPG Paints Arena hosted a PWHL game between Montreal and Toronto last season, which drew just under 9,000 people. The arena is only home to the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, which makes scheduling much easier if it were to host a PWHL team’s games. Also, seeing the iconic Pittsburgh black and yellow colourway in the league would be awesome.
Detroit, Michigan, USA
The city that is most likely to get a franchise, might be Detroit. Motor City, like Chicago, is home to an original six NHL franchises, the Red Wings. Given its proximity to other PWHL franchises like Toronto, Montreal and Boston, securing a franchise here makes perfect sense. Boston and Ottawa played a neutral-site game at Little Caesars Arena last year, breaking records. It was the highest-attended PWHL game in the United States, with more than 13,500 people in attendance. Like the Blackhawks, the Red Wings had the fourth-highest attendance last year, ending the season fourth in that category, which is further proof that Detroit is already a hockey-crazy market.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax does not have an NHL franchise, but it does have a team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the Halifax Mooseheads, who have a fantastic fanbase. Last year, they finished second in attendance. Halifax will also be a lucky host of the Canada-USA women’s hockey Rivalry Series, which will come to the Nova Scotia capital on Feb. 6, 2025. It’ll be a great opportunity for fans to show others the extent of Halifax’s love for hockey, and prove why they deserve a PWHL franchise. With the Scotiabank Centre and its capacity of over 11,000 seats, the city is well-equipped to support such a venture. While they aren’t the flashiest market, keep an eye on Halifax as a dark horse to land a team.
Quebec City, Quebec
The PWHL already has teams in Montreal, but that hasn’t stopped the rumblings surrounding Quebec City. Ever since the Quebec Nordiques left Quebec for Colorado, USA in 1995, many have been vocal about their desire to bring an NHL franchise back to Quebec. It could make a lot of sense to bring a PWHL franchise to the provincial capital. The Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL had the best attendance last year, and there’s no doubt Quebecers would come in droves to watch another hockey franchise.
This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 6, published November 19, 2024.
