PWHL Expands in Las Vegas, Hamilton and San Jose

The Professional Women’s Hockey League has announced new teams in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Hamilton, Ontario, that will take the ice for the 2026–2027 season.

PWHL Las Vegas will play its home games at T-Mobile Arena, while PWHL Hamilton will play out of TD Coliseum.

The two new teams will join Detroit, which had already been announced as an expansion team for the 2026-27 season, and brings the league to 11 teams total. The league debuted in 2024 with teams in six markets — Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. The league then expanded to Seattle and Vancouver for the 2025-26 season. Further details about the league’s growth and the new expansion teams will be announced in the coming weeks.

Hamilton’s official team colors will be gold, maroon and cream in a nod to the uniforms worn by the Canada Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and former NHL team Hamilton Tigers, while maroon pays homage to the city’s nickname, “Steeltown” with the color of aged steel.

The Las Vegas team will wear green and gold to represent the deserts and mountains around Las Vegas and the NHL’s Golden Knights. It will become the league’s first team in the American Southwest, and will train at America First Center in Henderson, Nevada.

Further details around the teams’ brand identities will be announced at a later date.

The PWHL is in the midst of its championship round, the Walter Cup, named for league founder Mark Walter. Montreal leads Ottawa 2-games-to-0 in the best-of-five series, with Game 3 taking place on Monday night.

Further Expansion

The PWHL is also expected to announce San Jose, California, as the home of its 12th franchise, according to The Athletic.

It is reported that there will be a press conference at 12:45 p.m. PT on May 19 at the SAP Center. The venue, which is home to the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, will also become the home of PWHL San Jose for both matches and practice.

The team would also be expected to take the ice for the 2026-27 season, alongside PWHL Las Vegas, PWHL Hamilton and PWHL Detroit.

Reactions

“Hamilton and its surrounding communities have long been central to the growth of girls’ and women’s hockey, producing generations of talented players and passionate fans,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations. “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.”

“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 Ontario Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden. “With Ontario now home to three PWHL teams, this expansion reflects the growing momentum behind women’s sport, and this new Hamilton team will help inspire the next generation of athletes and create more opportunities for girls and young women to pursue a career competing in professional sport.”

“From the staggering growth of youth hockey participation to the passionate support for the Golden Knights and Aces, the Las Vegas community has enthusiastically embraced both hockey and women’s sports,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice president, business operations. “While professional women’s hockey may be new to the market, we know Las Vegas is ready to welcome and champion a PWHL team of its own.”

“This new team will be Las Vegas Valley-born and reflect the identity of its bold, welcoming, and resilient community, with athletes ready to put on a show and build a passionate following across the region.”

“The arrival of a Professional Women’s Hockey League team marks another exciting chapter in Las Vegas’ evolution as a global sports destination,” said Steve Hill, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority president and CEO. “Las Vegas has become a city where major leagues, iconic events, and passionate fans come together, and the addition of professional women’s hockey reflects both the momentum of this market and the continued rise of women’s sports. We are proud to welcome the PWHL to Las Vegas.”