Press conferences to take place in Las Vegas (today at 1 p.m. PT \/ 4 p.m. ET) and Hamilton (Thursday at 10:30 a.m. ET)<\/p>\n
NEW YORK AND TORONTO\u00a0(May\u00a013, 2026)\u00a0\u2014\u00a0The Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced expansion\u00a0to\u00a0Las\u00a0Vegas, Nevada and Hamilton, Ontario,\u00a0with the new teams set to take the ice for the 2026-27\u00a0season.\u00a0PWHL Las Vegas will play its home games at T-Mobile Arena while PWHL Hamilton will play out of TD Coliseum.<\/p>\n
The PWHL\u2019s expansion to\u00a0Hamilton and Las Vegas\u00a0recognizes two\u00a0distinct\u00a0markets\u00a0and opportunities\u00a0for the league. Hamilton\u00a0boasts one\u00a0of the largest and most concentrated areas in the world for girls\u2019 hockey participation,\u00a0with a community\u00a0that has rallied for a professional\u00a0hockey\u00a0team of their own for generations, while\u00a0Las Vegas\u00a0is North America\u2019s entertainment mecca and\u00a0home to a community that\u00a0has\u00a0proudly\u00a0adopted and embraced hockey\u00a0and women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n
The two new teams follow Detroit as part of the\u00a0PWHL\u2019s\u00a02026 expansion class, joining\u00a0the\u00a0league\u2019s\u00a0eight\u202fcurrent\u202fmarkets\u202f\u2014\u202fBoston, Minnesota, Montr\u00e9al, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver. Details about further expansion, a forthcoming expansion roster building process, and how\u00a0expansion teams\u00a0will be integrated into the 2026 PWHL Draft will be announced in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
PWHL Hamilton<\/p>\n
Fan fervour for professional women\u2019s hockey\u00a0in\u00a0Hamilton\u00a0was on full display when\u00a016,012 fans came out for the PWHL\u2019s visit for the\u00a02026\u00a0Takeover Tour\u2122 stop at TD Coliseum\u00a0on January 3\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the third-largest Takeover Tour crowd of the season and\u00a0one of the\u00a0top 20\u00a0attendances in league history. Of\u00a0Hamilton Takeover Tour ticket\u00a0buyers,\u00a0more than 70%\u00a0were\u00a0purchasing\u00a0their first\u00a0PWHL game\u00a0ticket,\u00a0underscoring\u00a0the\u00a0league\u2019s\u00a0opportunity to\u00a0reach a distinct audience, even with\u00a0the presence of\u00a0Ontario\u2019s two other PWHL teams.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Greater\u00a0Hamilton\u00a0Area\u00a0ranks among\u00a0the largest\u00a0cities\u00a0in\u00a0Canada\u00a0and\u00a0is within\u00a0commuting distance from\u00a0other highly populated\u00a0areas\u00a0such as\u00a0the\u00a0Waterloo\u00a0Region,\u00a0St.\u00a0Catharines-Niagara, and\u00a0London.\u00a0The\u00a0Greater\u00a0Golden Horseshoe\u00a0features one of the\u00a0strongest\u00a0regions\u00a0in the world for\u00a0girls and\u00a0women\u2019s hockey participation and development, exemplified by\u00a0more than 15% of PWHL players hailing from the\u00a0area.\u00a0PWHL Hamilton\u2019s expansion effort is supported in partnership with Oak View Group, operator of TD Coliseum, and the City of Hamilton.<\/p>\n
As part of today\u2019s announcement, the league also revealed Hamilton\u2019s official team colors:\u00a0gold, maroon, and cream.\u00a0Gold\u00a0is a hat tip\u00a0to\u00a0the uniforms worn\u00a0by the\u00a0CFL\u2019s\u00a0Hamilton Tiger-Cats and\u00a0the\u00a0former\u00a0NHL\u00a0Hamilton Tigers, while maroon\u00a0pays homage\u00a0to\u00a0Steeltown\u00a0by\u00a0representing\u00a0the color of aged steel.\u00a0The permanent brand identity, including the team\u2019s name and logo, will be announced\u00a0at a later date. PWHL Hamilton merchandise is available\u00a0to Canadian fans\u00a0now at\u00a0thePWHL.com\/shop Fans can place a time-stamped deposit\u202fhere Details regarding PWHL Hamilton\u2019s training location will be shared at Thursday\u2019s press conference.<\/p>\n PWHL Las Vegas<\/p>\n Las Vegas\u00a0is one of the fastest-growing sports and entertainment destinations in North\u00a0America and\u00a0has proven its appetite to embrace\u00a0both\u00a0hockey and women\u2019s sports\u00a0at the highest level.\u00a0The PWHL\u2019s arrival in Las Vegas\u00a0comes\u00a0with support from\u00a0the Vegas Golden Knights, whose established hockey infrastructure will help anchor the league\u2019s newest market. Since the Golden Knights\u2019 inaugural NHL season in 2017,\u00a0youth hockey\u00a0participation\u00a0in Nevada has surged, particularly among girls and women\u00a0with a\u00a0600% increase.\u00a0Las Vegas has also\u00a0established\u00a0itself as\u00a0one of the strongest fan bases for\u00a0women\u2019s sports,\u00a0highlighted by\u00a0the success of the WNBA\u2019s Las Vegas Aces and continued investment in major sporting events across the market.<\/p>\n The PWHL\u2019s expansion to Las Vegas also increases the\u00a0league\u2019s\u00a0geographic diversity as\u00a0its first\u00a0team\u00a0in the American Southwest,\u00a0introducing\u00a0professional\u00a0women\u2019s hockey\u00a0to a\u00a0new region\u00a0of fans.\u00a0Combined with the city\u2019s accessibility, hospitality infrastructure, and world-class facilities, Las Vegas\u00a0is\u00a0a strong long-term fit\u00a0for the PWHL. PWHL Las Vegas will train at America First Center in Henderson, Nevada. In addition to the Golden Knights, expansion efforts were also\u00a0supported\u00a0by MGM Resorts International, joint venture owner of T-Mobile Arena.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s announcement also unveils PWHL Las Vegas\u2019 official team colors, inspired by the\u00a0natural tones of Southern Nevada:\u00a0green and gold.\u00a0While Las Vegas is known for\u00a0The\u00a0Strip,\u00a0the area is\u00a0beloved by the community for its natural\u00a0surroundings. Green\u00a0and golden yellow represent\u00a0the beauty of the desert and mountains that\u00a0encircle Las Vegas, while\u00a0gold\u00a0is a nod to\u00a0the\u00a0glamour\u00a0of what makes Vegas, Vegas, and,\u00a0of course, the Golden Knights.\u00a0PWHL Las Vegas merchandise is available to U.S. fans now at\u00a0thePWHL.com\/shop Fans can place a time-stamped deposit\u202fhere Supporting Quotes \u2013 Hamilton<\/p>\n \u201cHamilton and its surrounding communities have long been central to the growth of girls\u2019 and women\u2019s hockey, producing generations of talented players and passionate fans,\u201d said\u00a0Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. \u201cThis is a region with deep hockey roots, and the response we saw during our Takeover Tour game at TD Coliseum made it clear that fans in the region are ready to rally around a team of their own. Thank you to Oak View Group and the City of Hamilton for your partnership in bringing the highest level of women\u2019s hockey home to one of the sport\u2019s most dedicated communities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt Oak View Group, we are proud to deepen our partnership with the PWHL and welcome its newest team to Hamilton,\u201d said\u00a0Amy Latimer, Chief Business Officer, Oak View Group.\u00a0\u201cWomen\u2019s sports\u2014and the league itself\u2014are experiencing extraordinary momentum, driven by elite athletes and passionate fans. Our vision for TD Coliseum has always been to create a world-class destination for live sports and entertainment, and the arrival of the PWHL further reinforces that commitment. Serving our communities is part of our company DNA, and we are excited to embrace Hamilton fans into this new era for the city and women\u2019s hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe momentum around TD Coliseum continues to build, and welcoming the PWHL marks another incredible milestone for this venue and this community,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Nick DeLuco, Senior Vice President and General Manager, TD Coliseum.\u00a0\u201cThis partnership reflects our commitment to bringing world class sports and entertainment experiences to Hamilton while creating a true home for a team and fan base ready for this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHamilton is proud to welcome women\u2019s professional hockey to our city,\u201d said\u00a0Hamilton\u00a0Mayor Andrea Horwath. \u201cThis is an exciting moment for Hamiltonians and another major step forward for our growing sports and entertainment sector. Bringing a PWHL team to Hamilton will inspire young women and girls, bring new energy to our downtown,\u00a0and create incredible experiences for fans and families across our community.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an exciting time for women\u2019s sports in Ontario, and bringing a new PWHL team to Hamilton is a major milestone for the game, for this city, and for our province,\u201d said\u00a0Neil Lumsden,\u00a0Ontario\u00a0Minister of Sport. \u201cWith Ontario now home to three PWHL teams, this expansion reflects the growing momentum behind women\u2019s sport, and this new Hamilton team will help inspire the next generation of athletes and create more opportunities for girls and young women to pursue a career competing in professional sport.\u201d<\/p>\n Supporting Quotes \u2013 Las Vegas<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the staggering growth of youth hockey participation to the passionate support for the Golden Knights and Aces, the Las Vegas community has enthusiastically embraced both hockey and women\u2019s sports. While professional women\u2019s hockey may be new to the market, we know Las Vegas is ready to welcome and champion a PWHL team of its own,\u201d said\u00a0Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President, Business Operations. \u201cThis new team will be Las Vegas Valley-born and reflect the identity of its bold, welcoming, and resilient community, with athletes ready to put on a show and build a passionate following across the region. Thank you to the Golden Knights for helping lay the foundation for hockey in Las Vegas, and to MGM Resorts International for the warm welcome to the ice at T-Mobile Arena.”<\/p>\n \u201cThe arrival of the PWHL in Vegas is a milestone for women\u2019s hockey and our entire community,\u201d said\u00a0John Penhollow,\u202fVegas Golden Knights President of Business Operations. \u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0proud of how far youth hockey has come locally, and even more excited about the path forward and opportunities ahead for future generations with the PWHL\u2019s arrival in Las Vegas. Today\u2019s PWHL announcement gives young girls throughout Nevada and our entire region another chance to dream bigger, pursue hockey at the highest level, and see themselves as future leaders in our community. Our game will be even stronger because of the PWHL\u2019s presence in Henderson and Vegas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are excited to be\u00a0the\u00a0home of the Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League\u2019s\u00a0Las Vegas expansion\u00a0and have the opportunity to\u00a0welcome\u00a0another professional sports team to the destination,\u201d said\u00a0Massimo Bizzarro, T-Mobile Arena\u2019s General Manager.\u00a0\u201cT-Mobile Arena has quickly become the epicenter for championship hockey,\u00a0and we look forward to offering\u00a0the team, and hockey fans nationwide, an unmatched home-ice experience.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe arrival of a Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League\u00a0team\u00a0marks another exciting chapter in Las Vegas\u2019 evolution as a global sports destination,\u201d said\u00a0Steve Hill,\u00a0Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority\u00a0President and CEO. \u201cLas Vegas has become a city where major leagues, iconic events,\u00a0and passionate fans come together, and the addition of professional women\u2019s hockey reflects both the momentum of this market and the continued rise of women\u2019s sports. We are proud to welcome the\u00a0PWHL\u00a0to Las Vegas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are a great sports town for both men\u2019s and women\u2019s sports and I look forward to the incredible success the PWHL will enjoy here,\u201d said\u00a0County Commissioner Jim Gibson.<\/p>\n “The arrival of the PWHL in Henderson is about more than hockey, it\u2019s about inspiring the next generation of young girls who love this game and showing them that there is a place for them at the highest level of sports,” said Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero. “We\u2019re proud to welcome these incredible athletes to our community and excited for the impact they will have on young players across Southern Nevada.”<\/p>\n ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL WOMEN\u2019S HOCKEY LEAGUE (PWHL)\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. As of the 2025-26 season, it is comprised of eight teams \u2014 Boston, Minnesota, Montr\u00e9al, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver \u2014 with Detroit, Hamilton, and Las Vegas added as the 9th, 10th, and 11th teams ahead of the 2026-27 season. Launched on January 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women\u2019s hockey game. The league was recognized by Sports Business Journal as the Sports Breakthrough of the Year, and ranked No. 1 in Canada for corporate reputation in both 2024 and 2025, according to the Harris Poll. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>\u00a0to secure priority access to season tickets for\u00a0PWHL\u00a0Hamilton\u2019s\u00a0historic inaugural\u00a0season, once\u00a0ticket packages are released.\u00a0To learn more\u00a0and stay up to date, visit\u00a0HamiltonPWHL.com<\/a>,\u00a0subscribe to PWHL Hamilton\u2019s newsletter\u00a0here
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\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0secure priority access to season tickets for PWHL Las Vegas\u2019 historic inaugural\u00a0season, once\u00a0ticket packages are released.\u00a0To learn more and stay up to date, visit\u00a0LasVegasPWHL.com<\/a>, subscribe to PWHL Las Vegas\u2019 newsletter\u00a0here
\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>,\u00a0and follow the team on Facebook\u00a0PWHL Las Vegas
\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>, Instagram\u00a0@PWHL_LasVegas
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\n, opens in a new tab<\/a>, and LinkedIn\u00a0PWHL Las Vegas
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