The PWHL’s growth marches on with teams No. 10 and 11.
One of the league’s longest open secrets became a reality on Wednesday morning with the announcement of franchises in Hamilton, Ontario, and Las Vegas, Nevada, who will begin playing in 2026-27.
The announcements come after Detroit, Michigan, was already announced as an expansion franchise on May 6th, for the league’s fourth season this coming fall.
The league’s expansion to Hamilton gives Ontario its third franchise, joining the Ottawa Charge and Toronto Scepters. Adding Las Vegas further expands on the league’s presence in the Western part of North America after 2025-26 saw the additions of Seattle and Vancouver.
While Hamilton had one of the highest-attended Takeover Tour games, Las Vegas enters the league as a market that has never hosted one of the league’s neutral-site showcase games. While the Takeover Tour never touched down in Nevada, the state is one of the fastest growing in the United States among girls and women, according to USA Hockey.
When it comes to where both teams will play, PWHL Hamilton will share TD Coliseum with the National Lacrosse League’s Toronto Rock and Hamilton’s newest AHL team, which has yet to settle on a new name after relocating from Bridgeport, Connecticut. Las Vegas will share T-Mobile Arena with the NHL’s Golden Knights.
The Bay Area Could Be Next
Expansion for 2026-27 isint over yet, and the fourth team could be the PWHL’s first venture into California. It has been suggested that San Jose will soon join the league, although nothing has been officially set in stone just quite yet, according to Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News.
If the PWHL now settles at 12 teams for a few seasons, the question will be when they’re ready for further expansion or when the idea of selling franchises could be in play.
