PWHL Adds Las Vegas, Hamilton Teams for 2026-27

The Professional Women's Hockey League announced Wednesday that expansion teams in Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ontario, will join the circuit for the 2026-27 season, bringing the total to 11 franchises alongside the previously confirmed Detroit club.

The Las Vegas team will play home games at T-Mobile Arena, sharing the venue with the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights. Its colors will be green and gold, reflecting the desert landscape, surrounding mountains and the glamour of the local sports scene. League executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer said in a statement, "While professional women's hockey may be new to the market, we know Las Vegas is ready to welcome and champion a PWHL team of its own." The expansion is supported by the Golden Knights organization and MGM Resorts International.

Since the Golden Knights arrived in 2017, participation in girls' and women's youth hockey in Nevada has surged from 107 registered players to 5,305 as of the 2024-25 season, with 2,353 aged 9 to 18, according to USA Hockey data. The move builds on Las Vegas's emergence as a hub for women's sports, highlighted by the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, who have won three championships in four...