PWHL chooses Vancouver as 1st expansion city with 2nd market to be determined: reports

John Wawrow · The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 18, 2025 2:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

The PWHL's archetypal enlargement squad volition beryllium based successful Vancouver with an announcement scheduled for adjacent week, a idiosyncratic with cognition of the determination confirmed to The Associated Press connected Friday.

The idiosyncratic spoke connected the information of anonymity due to the fact that the league has not revealed its plans. The Province paper successful Vancouver archetypal reported the metropolis being selected for PWHL expansion.

On clasp for present is the league announcing a 2nd enlargement city, with Seattle being considered, the idiosyncratic said. The league has different candidates for enlargement if discussions interruption down with officials successful Seattle, the idiosyncratic added.

The Vancouver enlargement announcement is expected to beryllium made Wednesday, with media invited to be a property league billed arsenic being an "historic announcement for athletics successful Vancouver and British Columbia." The caller squad is expected to beryllium based retired of the Pacific Coliseum, the erstwhile location of the NHL Canucks.

The PWHL declined to verify immoderate details by saying: "We're continuing to finalize decisions related to enlargement and look guardant to sharing much details soon."

The six-team league is successful the midst of completing its 2nd play and has spent the past six months evaluating much than 20 markets for the imaginable to grow by arsenic galore arsenic 2 franchises.

Large marketplace with growing girls' hockey base

The determination to prime Vancouver meets respective cardinal criteria for the women's pro league founded by Dodgers proprietor Mark Walter, who serves arsenic the PWHL's fiscal backer, and tennis icon Billie Jean King successful June 2023.

Aside from being a ample market, the portion has a increasing girls' hockey base, which was evident successful January, erstwhile a PWHL neutral tract crippled successful Vancouver drew a sellout assemblage of 19,038 — the fourth-largest turnout for a league game.

Geography besides plays a origin with the league seeking to broaden its scope crossed North America. The league presently has 5 teams — New York, Boston, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto — based successful the northeast, and 1 successful St. Paul, Minnesota.

PWHL officials person privately expressed interest of a start-up pro women's league being launched connected the westbound coast.

Adding an enlargement squad successful Seattle would marque the astir consciousness successful portion due to the fact that of its proximity to Vancouver, portion besides already location to 2 pro women's teams, the WNBA Storm and NWSL Reign FC. The PWHL's neutral tract crippled successful Seattle successful January drew a assemblage of 12,608.

Other imaginable markets see Denver, Detroit and Quebec City, though it's much apt the PWHL would tendency a 2nd enlargement squad based successful the U.S.

The PWHL's nine-city Takeover Tour of neutral games this play drew 123,601 fans successful helping the league apical the 1 cardinal people successful attendance past month.

The PWHL's regular play resumes adjacent week — with each squad having 3 games near — pursuing a three-week interruption coinciding with the women's satellite championships being held successful the Czech Republic. The four-team playoffs are acceptable to unfastened successful the archetypal week of May.

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