Image courtesy of why.edmonton.ca
Arena conflicts are reportedly part of the issue causing a lack of Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) expansion to Oil Country.
The PWHL is in the process of expanding from eight to twelve teams, with Detroit, Hamilton and Las Vegas named the most recent additions.
Rogers Place has hosted PWHL teams for exhibition matches in the past, including a game in the February 2025 Takeover Tour which saw over 17,500 fans in attendance.
Edmonton seems like it would be a prime city to host a PWHL team if the league decides to expand further to western Canada… so why not?
Scheduling conflicts are a factor in it, with Rogers Place already hosting the Edmonton Oilers and the Edmonton Oil Kings for a combined 75 home games in a 210-day hockey season. Trying to fit an additional 15 home games for a PWHL franchise, with a high likelihood of more coming down the pipeline, alongside concerts and other events that the arena hosts, would make for a tight schedule.
Additionally, team ownership has arisen as a potential challenge. The PWHL maintains ownership of all of its teams, meaning that the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG), the entity that controls Rogers Place, would have to agree to host a team not owned by the organization.
Four PWHL teams share arenas with NHL teams within the same city, although none of the arenas play host to more than two pro hockey teams. All of the other teams occupy arenas with capacity high enough to support a professional sports team.