According to a Monday report from The Athletic, the Professional Women’s Hockey League is preparing to reveal San Jose, California as the location for its 12th franchise during an announcement scheduled for Tuesday.
San Jose will join three other expansion teams set to begin competition in the 2026-27 season, including franchises in Detroit, Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ontario.
League officials have scheduled a press conference for 12:45 p.m. PT on Tuesday at the SAP Center, which serves as the home venue for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.
This expansion represents a significant growth milestone for the PWHL, which has now expanded to twice its founding membership from 2023. The league originally launched with six teams based in Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. Two additional franchises in Vancouver and Seattle joined the competition in 2025.
San Jose’s addition continues a recent trend of Bay Area expansion in women’s professional sports. The Golden State Valkyries became part of the WNBA in 2025, while Bay FC joined the NWSL in 2024.
