It’s probably not a coincidence that the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s newest markets were part of last season’s “Takeover Tour.”
Vancouver and Seattle each hosted neutral-site games last season and made successful pitches to secure the league’s first expansion franchises, which debuted last month. This year’s 16-stop installment of the barnstorming tour kicked off on Wednesday with a sold-out crowd in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
According to executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer, the league will add two to four teams, going from eight franchises to as many as 12 by next season. As the league eyes such rapid expansion, the “Takeover Tour” should once again be a solid testing ground for the 11 cities hosting a game (or two) this season.
Here’s how each stop stacks up.
1. Chicago
It might seem odd to have Chicago ranked No. 1, ahead of markets that have already established themselves as serious contenders for expansion. But it just feels like a no-brainer.
Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States and has a robust corporate base and a massive television market, which could certainly help the PWHL land more sponsorships and the kind of major U.S. broadcast deal it still needs. Chicago is also a strong grassroots hockey market, with several youth programs and a number of notable home-grown national team players, including Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Cammi Granato, Kendall Coyne Schofield and 2025 PWHL prospect Abbey Murphy. (I’d be fine with some light tampering to start the franchise with Murphy.)
A Chicago team would also help connect Minnesota, the lone team in the American Midwest, to the PWHL’s Eastern footprint. And Allstate Arena in nearby Rosemont, Ill., where Sunday’s Takeover Tour game will be played, could be easily shared with just one other professional tenant, the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
The arena is around 17 miles from Chicago, so travel time and traffic for fans could be a concern. Sunday’s game between the Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge will be a good measuring stick for the location.
2. Detroit
It’s fair to assume Detroit is among the top contenders for expansion, as the league will play its third and fourth games at Little Caesars Arena this season.
“Hockeytown” checks a lot of boxes for the PWHL. Takeover Tour games have drawn well in Detroit, twice breaking the U.S. record for attendance at a pro women’s hockey game with 13,736 and 14,288 fans at LCA. There’s a great grassroots system; according to USA Hockey, Michigan ranked fourth in female hockey registration last season, only behind Minnesota, Massachusetts and New York, three states that already have PWHL franchises.
The biggest concern with Detroit has been infrastructure, which is the PWHL’s priority when considering expansion markets. The Red Wings and the NBA’s Pistons are full-time occupants at LCA, which also hosts plenty of concerts and other events. The WNBA is coming in 2029 as well, though that season (typically May to September) shouldn’t overlap with the PWHL much.
This year’s PWHL games in Detroit are being played back-to-back with Red Wings home games. Detroit will play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 3 at noon, before the Vancouver Goldeneyes play the Boston Fleet at 7 p.m. On March 28, the PWHL will serve as the matinee before the Red Wings play later that night, which will be an interesting test to see if adding another pro team to LCA could work.
3. Denver
If the PWHL wants another “Western Conference” team, Denver would be a solid option. It’s the most populous American city on the Takeover Tour list behind Chicago and Dallas and has a growing number of girls registered to play hockey in the state. Colorado is top-10 in the U.S. for female hockey registration, according to USA Hockey, just ahead of Illinois.
The league also has had success in the market, with over 14,000 fans at last year’s neutral-site game at Ball Arena, home of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and NBA’s Denver Nuggets. That the PWHL will make two stops in Denver this season could suggest it’s on the short list.
4. Edmonton
If the PWHL wants to continue westward expansion, there is no better option in Canada than Edmonton.
It’s a well-established hockey market, with a multi-million dollar arena that only hosts one pro sports franchise – the NHL’s Oilers – and a junior hockey team, among other events. So Edmonton feels a bit less busy than, say, Detroit or Denver, which have NBA franchises. More girls and women are registered to play hockey in Alberta than any other Canadian province outside Ontario, which would provide a ton of grassroots and community engagement opportunities.
The PWHL already sold out a game at Rogers Place last season, with over 17,00 fans in attendance, and will have two more games this season to prove the fan interest in women’s hockey is real.
5. Halifax
Halifax would be a smaller market than any of the other cities in the top five, but it hits a lot of the right marks.
With 10,500 seats, the Scotiabank Centre would be an ideal size for a PWHL rink with a central location. A Halifax team wouldn’t need to compete with other pro teams for space at the arena, which is primarily home to the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads – and the National Lacrosse League’s Halifax Thunderbirds. The city hasn’t had a professional hockey team since the AHL franchise left in 1993, which would make a PWHL franchise a major attraction. The team could also draw fans from elsewhere in the Maritimes.
The only downside would be travel. Halifax isn’t close enough to any current PWHL cities to allow for bus trips, and there wouldn’t be direct flights to Minnesota, Seattle or Vancouver.
6. Quebec City
Quebec City made a strong case for expansion during last year’s Takeover Tour with more than 18,000 fans at the game between Montreal and Ottawa. Fan support and ticket sales would be strong in Quebec City, which also checks the infrastructure box better than most options.
The Videotron Centre is a professional rink — built in a very public attempt to lure the NHL back to the city — without a pro tenant. As the main tenant, the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) have been treated very well since the building opened in 2015.
“It would be the same thing for a PWHL team,” Martin Tremblay, the CEO of Quebecor Sports and Entertainment, told The Athletic last year.
A team in Quebec City could also reignite one of the most intense rivalries in the sport with the Montreal Victoire.
7. Hamilton
Sticking with the venue conversation, Hamilton, a city around 40 miles from Toronto, is an intriguing option for the PWHL to consider.
TD Coliseum – originally built as Copps Coliseum with NHL ambitions in 1985 – recently reopened after $300 million in extensive renovations. A PWHL team in Hamilton would really only need to compete with the Toronto Rock (a pro lacrosse team) and concerts in the venue.
Now, there is a school of thought that a team in Hamilton could siphon support away from the Toronto Sceptres. But it could also provide a natural rival and attract fans from surrounding areas who might see downtown Toronto as too far of a trek.
8. Washington, D.C.
D.C. has often come up as a landing spot for professional women’s hockey. The Washington Capitals have been big supporters of the game and played host to women’s hockey events over the years. Monumental Sports & Entertainment majority owner Ted Leonsis has also been bullish on women’s sports. Monumental, which owns the Capitals, also owns the Washington Mystics. Back in May, Leonsis reiterated his desire to make Washington the “capital of women’s sports” and said he’d look at adding a women’s hockey team.
A Monumental-backed PWHL team would also have broadcast infrastructure via the Monumental Sports Network.
But – sorry to sound like a broken record – a D.C. franchise could struggle to find an appropriate, or available, arena. Capital One Arena hosts the Capitals, the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the Georgetown men’s basketball team. That said, Monumental made things work when the Mystics played at Capital One until the team got its own facility, so it’s not impossible.
9. Calgary
If the PWHL were looking to expand in 2027 or 2028, Calgary might be higher on the list. But right now, with the Scotiabank Saddledome booked, busy and old, Calgary just isn’t a realistic option. The Dome is already home to the Calgary Flames, the AHL’s Wranglers, junior hockey’s Hitmen and a pro lacrosse team. There is no other suitable arena in the city for a professional hockey team, either.
When the $1.2 billion Scotia Place opens in 2027, perhaps Calgary could throw its hat in the ring for future expansion, but the PWHL might already be holding at 12 teams by then. It’s a shame because the Calgary Inferno – from the now-defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League – was an iconic and successful women’s hockey franchise. Not to mention Calgary would geographically make sense if the league is going to continue its westward expansion, and would be a great rival for a potential Edmonton team.
10. Winnipeg
The health of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, both on and off the ice, has been well-documented over the years, so I’m not going to pile on here. But there have been attendance issues and arena challenges that push Winnipeg down the list, especially compared to other Canadian markets.
The PWHL would likely need to have the support of True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Jets and operates Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg, to have a shot at being successful. The last hockey team that moved to Winnipeg, the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice, played at a 1,600-seat arena at the University of Manitoba and was sold and relocated after just four seasons after failing to build a new arena in the city.
Like other cities on this list, Canada Life Centre is busy with the Jets, their AHL affiliate and other concerts and events. Given the early rave reviews from players in Vancouver, where the PWHL is a primary tenant, being the third or fourth priority might not cut it anymore.
11. Dallas
Dallas feels like the fun Takeover Tour stop where players will be treated well and enjoy the weather — and Coppell, Texas, native Hannah Bilka’s homecoming — but it won’t go further than that. Unless the league wants to aggressively expand its footprint south, dropping a team in Texas doesn’t make a ton of sense. There’s also an ongoing legal battle between the NHL’s Stars and NBA’s Mavericks over their shared arena, the American Airlines Center, which the league probably doesn’t want to get involved in.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Sports Business, Women's Hockey
2025 The Athletic Media Company
