The PWHL is continuing its aggressive expansion plan, with the league announcing new franchises in Detroit, Las Vegas, San Jose, and Hamilton (Canada) in the past two weeks. That will bring the total number of teams from eight last season to at least 12 for the 2026-2027 campaign.
Let’s take a look at each new franchise, when and where it will play, and how you can get tickets.
PWHL Hamilton
The team will play its home games at TD Coliseum, which was also selected in March to be the home of the New York Islanders’ AHL affiliate. “Steeltown” also hosted a Takeover Tour this past January, drawing 16,012 fans to TD Coliseum. The last professional hockey team based in Hamilton was the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, which played from 1996 to 2015. Now, in the span of a few weeks, Hamilton will go from having zero professional hockey teams to two.
The PWHL’s expansion into Hamilton gives the league a chance to tap into one of Canada’s strongest hockey regions, while also creating a geographic rivalry with the existing team in Toronto.
Fans interested in becoming season ticket holders for PWHL Hamilton can place deposits through the team’s official interest form. Deposits are non-refundable at $50 per seat, with a maximum of eight seats per account. If season tickets aren’t purchased, the deposit can be applied to another PWHL Hamilton ticket product during the 2026-27 season. Deposits are time-stamped, so the earlier you sign up, the earlier your seat selection window will be.
PWHL Las Vegas
The team will play their games at T-Mobile Arena, home to the Vegas Golden Knights, and they are arriving at a time when interest in hockey amongst women is exploding locally. Since the NHL expanded to Las Vegas, participation in girls’ youth hockey has grown by 600 percent in the area, and the NHL recently launched a Girls Learn To Play program that experienced year-over-year growth of 147 percent.
The league’s move into Las Vegas brings an opportunity to introduce women’s professional hockey to one of the fastest-growing sports markets in North America. While Vegas may be newer to hockey than traditional markets, the success of the Vegas Golden Knights has shown the city is willing to support the sport. Bringing a PWHL team to Las Vegas not only expands the league’s reach into a non-traditional market, but also gives fans another way to engage with the city’s rapidly growing hockey culture.
Fans interested in becoming season ticket holders for PWHL Las Vegas can place deposits through the team’s official interest form. Deposits are non-refundable at $50 per seat, with a maximum of eight seats per account. If season tickets aren’t purchased, the deposit can be applied to another PWHL Las Vegas ticket product during the 2026-27 season. Deposits are time-stamped, so the earlier you sign up, the earlier your selection window will be for picking seats.
PWHL San Jose
San Jose continues to quietly become a huge sports town. It is home to the San Jose Sharks (NHL), the San Francisco 49ers (NFL), the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS), the San Jose Barracuda (AHL), as well as the San Jose State Spartans (NCAA), which plays in the college FBS system. The new PWHL team will be the sixth major program in the area.
The team will play at the SAP Center, which is home to the Sharks. Fans interested in buying season tickets can place a $50-per-seat deposit, which is non-refundable, but can be applied to either a season ticket purchase or other 2026-27 tickets. Deposits are time-stamped, so the earlier you sign up, the earlier your seat selection window will be. For more information about season tickets, click here.
Bottom Line
Women’s sports continue to grow, and the expanded 12-team PWHL is starting to create critical mass for the league. And the geographic rollout is also creating opportunities for regional rivalries, such as New York-Boston, Seattle-Vancouver, Toronto-Hamilton, Montreal-Ottawa, and Las Vegas-San Jose.
All of these teams will be in action when the 2026-27 PWHL season begins in November.
