The Motor City will welcome professional women’s hockey as the Professional Women’s Hockey League announced Wednesday that Detroit has been selected as the first expansion location for the upcoming season.
The choice of Detroit stems from the strong partnership the PWHL maintains with the Ilitch family, who own the Red Wings, and demonstrates the league’s success from hosting four neutral-site contests at the NHL team’s venue.
“I think from the get-go, we have really felt the passion that this city and state have for hockey and the PWHL,” executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer told The Associated Press. “I think it’s the perfect place for us to grow.”
During the league’s debut season in 2024, Detroit served as host for the PWHL’s inaugural neutral-site contest, which Scheer said sparked the organization’s multicity “Takeover Tour” over the past two seasons. The quartet of matches at Little Caesar’s Arena, which will become the franchise’s home venue, drew a total of 53,626 spectators, with 15,938 attending the March game that marked the PWHL’s first nationally televised broadcast in the United States.
Additionally, the PWHL revealed that Detroit will serve as host for the league’s draft and awards ceremony in mid-June. The June 17 draft will showcase a highly anticipated group of prospects rich with American talent, including Olympic gold medalists Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards, who made history as the first Black female athlete to compete for Team USA.
With Detroit’s inclusion, the PWHL expands to nine franchises, following last year’s addition of teams in Seattle and Vancouver. More growth is expected this spring, as the league previously indicated plans to add between two and four new markets.
While Scheer declined to specify how additional teams will be announced, expectations point to four new franchises being revealed in the coming weeks.
Denver appears to be a leading candidate, with the PWHL targeting the city after a January 2025 Takeover Tour game drew 14,018 fans who chanted “We want a team!” Las Vegas also emerges as a contender, with the NHL’s Golden Knights advocating for a franchise over the past two years.
Hamilton, Ontario represents another possibility, which would establish three PWHL teams in Ontario alongside Toronto and Ottawa. Located one hour west of Toronto, the PWHL believes Hamilton’s population of 570,000 is sufficient to avoid drawing supporters away from the Sceptres.
The league has also shown interest in Washington, D.C., Dallas, Alberta cities Calgary and Edmonton, Quebec City, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. However, Washington and Calgary face challenges regarding arena availability and space constraints that complicate adding another team.
Detroit satisfies multiple key PWHL expansion requirements, featuring an arena with an attached training facility while geographically bridging the travel distance between Toronto and Minnesota.
The city boasts a substantial corporate presence, including current league partners Ally Financial and Meijer grocery stores.
Detroit also maintains a strong tradition of girls’ developmental hockey programs. Among American states, Michigan ranks second only to Minnesota in developing PWHL talent.
The PWHL can claim success in bringing women’s hockey to the state ahead of its colleges. Michigan currently lacks a Division I women’s hockey program, though the University of Michigan is exploring establishing one.
“I hope it follows, right? I hope we can be a catalyst to continue to grow the game here,” PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said. “We’re excited about the impact we’re going to be able to have here in Detroit on hockey in general, but certainly on women’s hockey.”
The unnamed franchise will sport black and silver as primary colors, with red accents honoring the Red Wings. The uniforms will also display an Ally Financial sponsorship patch.
“Bringing a PWHL team to Little Caesars Arena is an exciting next step for our city and for the continued momentum of women’s hockey,” said Chris Ilitch, CEO of Ilitch Companies, which also owns baseball’s Detroit Tigers. “This moment also reflects our broader vision of using sports as a catalyst for Detroit’s revitalization.”
This expansion wave occurs during the Walter Cup playoffs and follows the league experiencing significant growth after the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The PWHL’s 120-game regular season drew over 1.1 million fans, representing a 28% increase from the previous year and marking the first time the league surpassed 1 million attendees in a single season. Online merchandise sales jumped more than 50% compared to last season, including a 190% spike following the Olympics versus the same timeframe a year earlier.
The league’s YouTube channel viewership rose 77% this year and now reaches 154 countries.
Incorporating three American markets with its four current U.S. cities — including Newark, New Jersey, and Boston — would strengthen the PWHL’s position to secure a national U.S. broadcast deal.
This season, Scripps Sports agreed to televise various games, including playoffs, on ION, which reaches 126 million American households. Both league and Scripps representatives have expressed interest in establishing a more permanent partnership for next season.
The PWHL operates under central control with private backing from Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra, who have invested hundreds of millions of dollars.
Scheer noted this expansion round before Season 4 aligns with the Walters’ vision of building a sustainable league.
“While it might be fast in terms of the way other leagues have done things, for us it’s measured and calculated,” Scheer said. “So we feel good at the pace that we’re moving, and feel confident in the way we’re growing. We’ll be here for a while.”
