Vancouver rumoured to possibly get a PWHL expansion team
A new professional hockey team could be coming to Vancouver soon.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is looking to expand, and Vancouver is a premier target for potentially getting a new team.
The PWHL is in the midst of its second season. There are currently six teams located in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, Minnesota, and New York. That could soon change as the league’s success has made expansion probable, with an official announcement expected soon.
PWHL Vice President of Business Operations Amy Scheer said expansion news would come in four to six weeks about five weeks ago. The league is expected to add two franchises for next season.
Vancouver checks many boxes and has been heavily rumoured to be near the top of the league’s desired cities.
The buzz around PWHL circles is that the league could be expanding West, according toĀ Ian Kennedy from The Hockey News reported last week.Ā Vancouver is on a shortlist of possible cities being considered by the league.
Sportsnet and The Ice Garden’s Alyssa Turner also reported hearing rumours that Vancouver could be the PWHL’s city of choice for a new team.
as we await PWHL expansion news Iām hearing that similar to other reports that both teams will be out west. with Vancouver possibly being the Canadian team.
unsure when the league plans to announce the news, but I donāt think we will have to wait much longer for it.
— alyssa (@alyssalerae) March 30, 2025
Vancouver hosted a PWHL game as part of the league’s Takeover Tour on January 9. There were 19,038 fans who packed Rogers Arena to watch the Montreal Victoire take on the Toronto Sceptres, and the event was a smashing success by all metrics. That was the largest attendance of any game on the Takeover Tour.
Plenty of fans at that game had signs asking the league for an expansion team. It seems like they may have their wish soon come true.
With Minnesota currently being the westernmost city, adding a team in Vancouver would create some geographical challenges. However, the strong hockey culture, different venue options, and significant demand for women’s hockey in the area could make it a home run despite the lengthy travel required.
All six franchises in the league are currently centrally owned by the Mark Walter Group. If an expansion team came to Vancouver, there would be no need to find a local owner, but they would need to find a home arena.
The six teams right now play in venues that range from holding 6,500 to just under 18,000 fans. Rogers Arena can fit 18,910 fans for sporting events, which would make it the largest venue in the league.
Some other options in the Lower Mainland include the Pacific Coliseum (17,000 capacity), Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at UBC (5,004), or the Langley Events Centre (5,276).