The Professional Women’s Hockey League is expanding.
The league announced on Wednesday that Vancouver was selected as its first expansion city. It will be the PWHL’s seventh team, and third in Canada.
“This is a historic day for our league, our fans, our athletes, and our sport,” PWHL executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer said in a statement released by the league. “Vancouver is a vibrant city with a deep love for the game — as we saw firsthand during the PWHL Takeover Tour earlier this season. Expanding to Vancouver reflects the growing momentum behind the league and the incredible passion of our fanbase since launching in January 2024. We’re proud to bring the PWHL to the West Coast and provide more fans with the opportunity to experience live the best women’s hockey players in the world.”
The team will initially go by PWHL Vancouver, and its colors will be Pacific blue and cream. The PWHL plans to announce the date of an expansion draft and how Vancouver will be integrated into its entry draft on June 24 at a later time.
The new Vancouver team, which has yet to be named, will play at the Pacific Coliseum — the former home of the Vancouver Canucks.
And the addition of a second expansion team — with Seattle a candidate — is on the horizon, vice president of business operations Scheer told The Associated Press.
“While some might say Seattle is the obvious shoe to drop, that doesn’t mean that’s what we’re going to do,” Scheer said of pairing the two Pacific Northwest markets.
Though the league is targeting Seattle, an agreement has not been finalized, a person with knowledge of the discussions told the AP and spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks are private. Should a deal not be reached, the PWHL would consider other markets, the person said, with Denver and Detroit serving as likely candidates.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
#PWHL #announces #expansion #city #determined