Watch the PWHL expansion announcement

John Wawrow · The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 11:20 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Click connected the video supra astatine 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT for unrecorded watercourse sum as the Professional Women's Hockey League volition marque an enlargement announcement, with reports tabbing Vancouver arsenic the newest franchise.

Without specifically mentioning where, the PWHL issued a quality merchandise saying it would clasp an day quality league regarding expansion, and making league executives disposable later.

On Friday, a idiosyncratic with cognition of the determination told The Associated Press that Vancouver volition beryllium the PWHL's archetypal enlargement team. The idiosyncratic spoke to the AP connected information of anonymity due to the fact that the league has not revealed its plans.

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 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."

WATCH | PWHL Players Association caput connected expansion:

The six-team league is successful 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.

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-site 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.