The PWHL’s expansion to Hamilton and Las Vegas recognizes two distinct markets and opportunities for the league. Hamilton boasts one of the largest and most concentrated areas in the world for girls’ hockey participation, with a community that has rallied for a professional hockey team of their own for generations, while Las Vegas is North America’s entertainment mecca and home to a community that has proudly adopted and embraced hockey and women’s sports.
The two new teams follow Detroit as part of the PWHL’s 2026 expansion class, joining the league’s eight current markets — Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver. Details about further expansion, a forthcoming expansion roster building process, and how expansion teams will be integrated into the 2026 PWHL Draft will be announced in the coming weeks.
PWHL Hamilton
Fan fervour for professional women’s hockey in Hamilton was on full display when 16,012 fans came out for the PWHL’s visit for the 2026 Takeover Tour™ stop at TD Coliseum on January 3 — the third-largest Takeover Tour crowd of the season and one of the top 20 attendances in league history. Of Hamilton Takeover Tour ticket buyers, more than 70% were purchasing their first PWHL game ticket, underscoring the league’s opportunity to reach a distinct audience, even with the presence of Ontario’s two other PWHL teams.
The Greater Hamilton Area ranks among the largest cities in Canada and is within commuting distance from other highly populated areas such as the Waterloo Region, St. Catharines-Niagara, and London. The Greater Golden Horseshoe features one of the strongest regions in the world for girls and women’s hockey participation and development, exemplified by more than 15% of PWHL players hailing from the area. PWHL Hamilton’s expansion effort is supported in partnership with Oak View Group, operator of TD Coliseum, and the City of Hamilton.
As part of the announcement, the league also revealed Hamilton’s official team colors: gold, maroon, and cream. Gold is a hat tip to the uniforms worn by the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the former NHL Hamilton Tigers, while maroon pays homage to Steeltown by representing the color of aged steel. The permanent brand identity, including the team’s name and logo, will be announced at a later date. PWHL Hamilton merchandise is available to Canadian fans now at thePWHL.com/shop.
Fans can place a time-stamped deposit here to secure priority access to season tickets for PWHL Hamilton’s historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. To learn more and stay up to date, visit HamiltonPWHL.com, subscribe to PWHL Hamilton’s newsletter here, and follow the team on Facebook PWHL Hamilton, Instagram @PWHL_Hamilton, X @PWHL_Hamilton, TikTok @PWHL_Hamilton, YouTube PWHL Hamilton, Threads @PWHL_Hamilton, Bluesky @PWHL-Hamilton, and LinkedIn PWHL Hamilton.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is one of the fastest-growing sports and entertainment destinations in North America and has proven its appetite to embrace both hockey and women’s sports at the highest level. The PWHL’s arrival in Las Vegas comes with support from the Vegas Golden Knights, whose established hockey infrastructure will help anchor the league’s newest market. Since the Golden Knights’ inaugural NHL season in 2017, youth hockey participation in Nevada has surged, particularly among girls and women with a 600% increase. Las Vegas has also established itself as one of the strongest fan bases for women’s sports, highlighted by the success of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces and continued investment in major sporting events across the market.
The PWHL’s expansion to Las Vegas also increases the league’s geographic diversity as its first team in the American Southwest, introducing professional women’s hockey to a new region of fans. Combined with the city’s accessibility, hospitality infrastructure, and world-class facilities, Las Vegas is a strong long-term fit for the PWHL. PWHL Las Vegas will train at America First Center in Henderson, Nevada. In addition to the Golden Knights, expansion efforts were also supported by MGM Resorts International, joint venture owner of T-Mobile Arena.
The announcement also unveils PWHL Las Vegas’ official team colors, inspired by the natural tones of Southern Nevada: green and gold. While Las Vegas is known for The Strip, the area is beloved by the community for its natural surroundings. Green and golden yellow represent the beauty of the desert and mountains that encircle Las Vegas, while gold is a nod to the glamour of what makes Vegas, Vegas, and, of course, the Golden Knights. PWHL Las Vegas merchandise is available to U.S. fans now at thePWHL.com/shop.
Fans can place a time-stamped deposit here to secure priority access to season tickets for PWHL Las Vegas’ historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. To learn more and stay up to date, visit LasVegasPWHL.com, subscribe to PWHL Las Vegas’ newsletter here, and follow the team on Facebook PWHL Las Vegas, Instagram @PWHL_LasVegas, X @PWHL_LasVegas, TikTok @PWHL_LasVegas, YouTube PWHL Las Vegas, Threads @PWHL_LasVegas, Bluesky @PWHL-LasVegas, and LinkedIn PWHL Las Vegas.
