PWHL Detroit to debut in 2026-27 season with home games played at Little Caesars Arena;\u00a0Detroit-based\u00a0Ally becomes Inaugural Partner\u00a0<\/p>\n
2026\u00a0PWHL\u00a0Awards\u00a0Ceremony\u00a0and Draft\u00a0will be\u00a0hosted in Detroit on June 16 and 17,\u00a0respectively\u00a0<\/p>\n
NEW YORK AND TORONTO\u00a0(May 6, 2026)\u00a0\u2014\u00a0The Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced expansion\u00a0to\u00a0Detroit, Michigan, with the newest team to begin play\u00a0for the 2026-27 season\u00a0with home games\u00a0to be played\u00a0at Little Caesars Arena.\u00a0PWHL\u00a0Detroit is joined by Ally Financial as the team\u2019s inaugural partner,\u00a0with team jerseys to feature an exclusive Ally patch on the chest.\u00a0In celebration of the PWHL\u2019s newest market,\u00a0Detroit will host the 2026 PWHL Awards\u00a0Ceremony, presented by Ally,\u00a0on\u00a0Tuesday,\u00a0June 16,\u00a0and\u00a0the 2026 PWHL\u00a0Draft,\u00a0presented by Upper Deck,\u00a0on\u00a0Wednesday,\u00a0June 17, with the Draft\u00a0taking place\u00a0at Fox Theatre\u00a0as a ticketed event\u00a0open to fans.<\/p>\n
Bringing professional women\u2019s hockey to\u00a0Hockeytown\u00a0is an undeniable\u00a0next step\u00a0for the PWHL\u00a0and the storied hockey market.\u00a0Detroit\u00a0has\u00a0welcomed the\u00a0PWHL\u00a0from\u00a0the very beginning, starting\u00a0with\u00a0hosting\u00a0the league\u2019s first-ever neutral-site game at Little Caesars Arena during the\u00a0league\u2019s\u00a0inaugural season\u00a0in 2024,\u00a0drawing\u00a013,736\u00a0fans. Since then,\u00a0local\u00a0support has only\u00a0grown,\u00a0with Detroit\u00a0hosting\u00a0four\u00a0PWHL\u00a0games over three seasons \u2014\u00a0the most of any neutral-site city. Among those games\u00a0were crowds of\u00a014,288 fans,\u00a0setting\u00a0a then-U.S. arena attendance record for women\u2019s hockey\u00a0on March 16, 2025,\u00a0and a Little Caesars Arena women\u2019s hockey\u00a0attendance\u00a0high of 15,938\u00a0at\u00a0the city\u2019s last Takeover Tour\u2122\u00a0game on March 28, 2026,\u00a0cementing Detroit fans\u2019 demand for a PWHL team\u00a0to\u00a0call their own.<\/p>\n
As part of today\u2019s team announcement,\u00a0the league revealed PWHL Detroit\u2019s primary colors\u00a0\u2014\u00a0black and silver\u00a0\u2014\u00a0complemented by white as a secondary color and red as an accent. The palette\u00a0is distinct from\u00a0any other team\u00a0in the league,\u00a0with the\u00a0primary\u00a0colors intended to evoke\u00a0Detroit\u2019s\u00a0innovative and industrial spirit,\u00a0matched with\u00a0the\u00a0resilient identity\u00a0of Metro Detroiters.\u00a0Meanwhile,\u00a0the red accent is a nod to\u00a0the city\u2019s\u00a0celebrated\u00a0sports\u00a0history,\u00a0in particular,\u00a0the Red Wings\u2019 and\u00a0Hockeytown\u2019s\u00a0hockey stewardship\u00a0in the United States for more than 100 years.\u00a0The permanent brand identity, including the\u00a0team\u2019s\u00a0name and logo, will be announced\u00a0at a\u00a0later\u00a0date.\u00a0Visit\u00a0DetroitPWHL.com The decision to expand to Detroit reflects the league\u2019s long-term vision for strategic growth. Detroit\u2019s bid was led by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, the\u00a0business arm\u00a0of\u00a0the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit\u00a0Tigers,\u00a0and operators\u00a0of\u00a0Little Caesars Arena.\u00a0Started through\u00a0an initial\u00a0investment by Mike and Marian Ilitch and strengthened by Ilitch Companies\u2019 long-standing commitment to the sport\u00a0\u2014\u00a0including the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club, which has developed generations of players since 1968\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the Detroit-based global organization has a long history of\u00a0advancing hockey at every level. This commitment includes expanding opportunities for women and girls while building\u00a0a strong foundation\u00a0for the sport\u2019s continued growth.<\/p>\n PWHL\u00a0Detroit\u00a0joins\u00a0the PWHL\u2019s eight\u00a0current\u00a0markets\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Boston, Minnesota, Montr\u00e9al, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver\u00a0\u2014\u00a0as part of\u00a0the league\u2019s single-entity ownership structure under\u00a0TWG Global The 2026\u201327\u00a0PWHL season will begin this fall.\u00a0Fans can place a time-stamped deposit\u00a0here Detroit-based Ally Financial \u2014 home to the nation\u2019s largest all-digital bank and a leading brand in women\u2019s sports sponsorship \u2014 will serve as the Official Bank of PWHL Detroit. This marks a continuation of the collaboration between Ally and the PWHL, as Ally was a presenting sponsor of PWHL Takeover Tour games in Detroit and Raleigh and partnered with the league and Scripps Sports to deliver an historic, first-ever national telecast of a PWHL game in the United States this past March.<\/p>\n For the latest news and updates on PWHL\u00a0Detroit, fans can subscribe to the newsletter\u00a0here SUPPORTING QUOTES<\/p>\n \u201cDetroit has been part of PWHL history since the beginning;\u00a0from\u00a0the support shown at our first-ever neutral site game\u00a0at Little Caesars Arena, the city and fans\u00a0have helped lead the way\u00a0for the future of pro women\u2019s hockey,\u201d said\u00a0Amy Scheer, PWHL\u00a0Executive Vice President,\u00a0Business Operations. \u201cLed by our incredible partner Ilitch Sports + Entertainment,\u00a0Detroit\u00a0proved\u00a0time and time again\u00a0they\u00a0are ready for a team of their own. We\u00a0are so\u00a0proud\u00a0to\u00a0permanently\u00a0join\u00a0Hockeytown\u00a0with the\u00a0introduction\u00a0of\u00a0PWHL Detroit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Detroit area and the state of Michigan have one of the strongest youth hockey development systems\u00a0in the world, especially for girls, which is further exemplified by world-class facilities at Little Caesars Arena and a deep commitment from Ilitch Sports + Entertainment to advancing\u00a0our sport,\u201d said\u00a0Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President, Hockey Operations. \u201cWe are\u00a0honored\u00a0to bring the PWHL to a\u00a0sports community\u00a0where\u00a0women and\u00a0girls\u00a0have already put hockey on the map,\u00a0and\u00a0advance that\u00a0incredible culture\u00a0by offering\u00a0young athletes a\u00a0professional\u00a0league\u00a0they can strive\u00a0for.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDetroit is one of the great hockey cities, shaped by generations of players, teams, and fans who have helped grow the game at every level. Bringing a PWHL team to Little Caesars Arena is an exciting next step for our city and for the continued momentum of women\u2019s hockey,\u201d said\u00a0Chris Ilitch, President and CEO, Ilitch Companies. \u201cThis moment\u00a0also reflects our broader\u00a0vision of using sports as a catalyst for Detroit\u2019s continued revitalization\u00a0\u2014\u00a0strengthening community engagement, supporting economic growth, and contributing to the city\u2019s long-term development.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0proud to support the\u00a0PWHL\u2019s\u00a0growth, welcome these athletes to our city, and inspire the next generation of women and girls to pursue the game at the highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0excited to welcome the PWHL to Little Caesars Arena and thankful for the partnership with the league to bring a team to Hockeytown. The energy Detroit fans have brought to Takeover Tour games over the past few years has been undeniable\u00a0\u2014\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0clear this is a market ready to embrace professional\u00a0women\u2019s\u00a0hockey.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0looking forward to building on that momentum, help grow the game, and create something meaningful with our fans and community,\u201d\u00a0Ryan Gustafson, President and CEO, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment<\/p>\n “We are thrilled that professional women’s hockey is coming to our great city.\u202fDetroit is home to incredibly passionate hockey fans who already have shown their enthusiasm and support for the PWHL here at Little Caesars\u00a0Arena,” said\u00a0Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield. “I am deeply appreciative\u00a0to\u00a0the PWHL, Chris Ilitch,\u00a0and Ally for making today possible.\u202fI have no doubt that Detroit will prove to be a premiere PWHL market.\u202fWe can’t wait for Detroit to host the PWHL Awards Ceremony and Draft here in June as we prepare for the start of the team\u2019s exciting inaugural season.”<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so excited Hockeytown is now home to the newest team in the Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League, and to welcome the 2026 PWHL Draft and Awards Ceremony to Michigan next month,\u201d said\u00a0Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. \u201cDetroit sports fans are the best in the world. From selling out arenas to setting attendance records, our fans show out when women\u2019s hockey shows up. Michiganders have already brought so much talent to the PWHL and U.S. Olympic Team, and\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0ready to build on Michigan\u2019s hockey momentum. Having our own PWHL team in Detroit will inspire even more young girls and women who play hockey in arenas and backyards across our state to follow their dreams right here in Michigan. Welcome, PWHL Detroit!\u201d<\/p>\n “Detroit is Ally\u2019s hometown, and becoming the inaugural partner of this PWHL team reflects our commitment to this city and our longstanding investment in women’s sports,” said\u00a0Andrea Brimmer, Ally Chief Marketing and PR Officer.\u00a0“When we announced last month that Ally had met its 50\/50 pledge to invest equally in women’s and men’s sports media, we were adamant it marked a milestone in our women’s sports journey, not the end of it.\u00a0We’re\u00a0incredibly proud to\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0that continued commitment by investing in the remarkable growth of this league. Adding the Ally name to the front of every PWHL Detroit jersey is a symbol of how we will continue to show up for women\u2019s sports fans and the city of Detroit.”<\/p>\n ABOUT ILITCH SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Ilitch Sports + Entertainment\u2019s (IS+E) mission, to amaze, inspire and unite, is driven by its commitment to provide world-class sports and entertainment experiences for its fans, guests,\u00a0and partners. IS+E serves as the combined business operations of the Detroit Red Wings, an 11-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the NHL\u2019s Original Six franchises, and the Detroit Tigers, a four-time World Series champion and charter member of MLB\u2019s American League. IS+E also\u00a0maintains\u00a0a joint venture interest in 313 Presents, Detroit\u2019s premier live entertainment company.<\/p>\n The company\u00a0operates\u00a0the award-winning and\u00a0state-of-the-art\u00a0Little Caesars Arena, home to the Red Wings and the NBA\u2019s Detroit Pistons; Comerica Park, home of the Tigers and concerts; and the iconic Fox Theatre, one of the most historic music venues in North America. IS+E also\u00a0provides\u00a0facility management services at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, and Pine Knob Music Theatre \u2013 the top amphitheater in the world according to Pollstar\u2019s 2022 Year-End Rankings.<\/p>\n ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL WOMEN\u2019S HOCKEY LEAGUE (PWHL)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that features the best women\u2019s players in the world.\u00a0As of the 2025-26 season, it is comprised of eight teams\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Boston, Minnesota, Montr\u00e9al, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver\u00a0\u2014 with Detroit added as the ninth team ahead of the 2026-27 season. Launched on January 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide\u00a0all-time record\u00a0for a women\u2019s hockey game. The league was recognized by\u00a0Sports Business Journal\u00a0as the Sports Breakthrough of the\u00a0Year, and\u00a0ranked No. 1 in Canada for corporate reputation in both 2024 and 2025, according to the\u00a0Harris Poll. Visit thepwhl.com to\u00a0purchase\u00a0tickets and\u00a0merchandise, and\u00a0subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter for the latest updates. Follow the league on social media @thepwhlofficial.<\/p>\n PWHL, the PWHL Logo, and PWHL team names and logos are trademarks of the PWHL. \u00a9 PWHL 2026. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PWHL Detroit to debut in 2026-27 season with home games played at Little Caesars Arena;\u00a0Detroit-based\u00a0Ally becomes Inaugural Partner\u00a0…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":627440,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[385,99],"class_list":["post-627439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=627439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627439\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/627440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=627439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=627439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=627439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>\u00a0to learn more;\u00a0PWHL Detroit merchandise\u00a0is available now at\u00a0thePWHL.com\/shop
\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>\u00a0for both U.S. and Canadian fans.<\/p>\n
\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>.\u00a0The team\u2019s practice home will be BELFOR Training Center, which is part of the\u00a0arena\u2019s\u00a0complex.\u00a0Details about further expansion, a forthcoming\u00a0expansion\u00a0roster\u00a0building\u00a0process,\u00a0and how Detroit will be integrated into the 2026 PWHL Draft will be announced in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>\u00a0to secure priority access to season tickets for\u00a0Detroit\u2019s\u00a0historic inaugural\u00a0season, once\u00a0ticket packages are released.\u00a0Fans\u00a0who place an early\u00a0season\u00a0ticket deposit\u00a0will\u00a0also\u00a0receive\u00a0first access\u00a0and a discount\u00a0on\u00a0tickets to the 2026\u00a0Draft\u00a0taking place\u00a0in\u00a0Detroit\u00a0at Fox Theatre on Wednesday, June 17. For information and priority access to Draft tickets, fans can subscribe to the newsletter\u00a0here
\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>.\u202fMore information on the 2026 Draft will be shared with media in\u00a0subsequent\u00a0dedicated releases.<\/p>\n
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