The PWHL will expand to eight teams next season by adding Seattle as its second new franchise alongside Vancouver, and The Associated Press has learned that plans are already in the works to add two more in a year鈥檚 time.
Seattle鈥檚 addition, announced Wednesday, gives the PWHL a strong foothold in the Pacific Northwest and comes a week after the unveiling of the new for the 2025-26 season. The westward move broadens the league鈥檚 reach across the continent in two markets with a history supporting women鈥檚 sports and separated by just a three-hour drive.
鈥淥f course the geography makes a ton of sense and I think we have a built-in rivalry here that will just naturally happen,鈥 executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer told the AP.
鈥淏ut most importantly is they met all the criteria in terms of what we were looking for,鈥 she added. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just a ton of business reasons to do it. And those are the only things we鈥檙e focused on.鈥
The two-team expansion for Season 3 is only the beginning for a league that with five Eastern franchises 鈥 Boston, New York, Montreal, Ottawa and 海角社区官网鈥 and one in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The PWHL plans to grow to 10 teams for its 2026-27 season, a person with knowledge of discussions told the AP on the condition of anonymity because the talks are private. The person said the league is accelerating its plans based on the strength of responses and feedback received during its eight-month expansion search in which .
Scheer didn鈥檛 entirely dispute the plan, without providing an exact timetable.
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e been pretty clear from the outset that this is the first year of a multi-year process,鈥 Scheer said as the PWHL . 鈥淚t could come in Year 4. It could come Year 5. I think that those conversations are still being had.鈥
Neutral site stops this past season in Denver, Detroit, Quebec City and Edmonton each topped 14,000 fans.
The new team will initially go by PWHL Seattle and its colors will be emerald green and cream. The team will play out of the NHL Kraken鈥檚 Climate Pledge Arena and practice at the Kraken Community Iceplex. Vancouver also has not announced a nickname yet.
Though all PWHL teams are centrally controlled by the league, Seattle鈥檚 expansion bid was led by the Kraken and the Oak View Group, which developed and operates Climate Pledge Arena.
Oak View has longtime ties to women鈥檚 hockey, and expressed interest in landing an original six franchise when the league was established in June 2023 by Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, his wife Kimbra, and tennis icon Billie Jean King.
Seattle features a growing youth hockey program, is home to the WNBA’s Storm and NWSL’s Reign, and previously shown support for women鈥檚 hockey. In November 2022, Seattle drew a U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series record crowd of 14,551. In January, the PWHL drew a crowd of 12,608 in kicking off its nine-game Takeover Tour of neutral site games in Seattle.
Boston Fleet captain and four-time U.S. Olympian in the weeks ahead of her team鈥檚 Takeover Tour game against Montreal.
鈥淚 have yet to experience another crowd like that,鈥 Knight said of the Rivalry Series game. 鈥淪eattle holds a special place in my mind, and that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 super excited to be able to share that experience with other teammates, whether it鈥檚 on the Fleet or on the Montreal team.鈥
The PWHL plans to announce the date of an expansion draft and how Vancouver and Seattle will be integrated into its at a later time.
鈥淪eattle is an incredible sports city and we鈥檝e seen firsthand the passion for the women鈥檚 game,鈥 said Kraken owner Samantha Holloway. “We鈥檙e also proud to grow the game of hockey ... and together we鈥檒l continue to inspire the next generation of hockey players and fans alike.鈥
In the bigger picture, the PWHL鈥檚 accelerated expansion plans coincide with wealth of college talent anticipated to enter the league over the next two years. The league鈥檚 growth is also expected to lure more Europeans to North America.
鈥淯pon launch, you鈥檝e got six teams and maybe if you鈥檙e not North American, you don鈥檛 know really what to expect,鈥 PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said. 鈥淣ow I think these players are seeing that this league is here, it鈥檚 thriving, it鈥檚 growing, and they are going to want to be a part of it.鈥
In overseeing the expansion search, Scheer was impressed by the response.
鈥淚 feel more encouraged than ever about what our business looks like and what our business can be,鈥 she said. 鈥淎s we look to expand and move beyond Year 3, we鈥檒l have plenty of suitors along the way as we look to grow.鈥
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