The Professional Women’s Hockey League has chosen San Jose, California, as its fourth and final expansion market in the league’s latest round of growth, according to multiple reports. The move, first reported by The Hockey News, brings the PWHL to 12 franchises and doubles the league’s size since it began in 2024, per the report.
San Jose, home of the NHL’s Sharks, would give the PWHL a four-team presence in the West and is expected to host the new team at the Sharks’ SAP Center, the report says. The expansion that includes San Jose follows other recent Western moves, with Las Vegas also identified as an expansion market and Seattle and Vancouver having joined the league last year.
The report notes the PWHL added franchises in Detroit and Hamilton, Ontario, over the past two weeks as it continued its rapid enlargement. League officials framed the latest additions as part of a broader effort to expand geographic reach and create more regional alignment among clubs.
Executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer previously told the Associated Press that the league is prioritizing geographic diversity and reducing travel time between markets. Scheer also said the PWHL has been exploring the idea of splitting into two conferences or divisions to reflect its expanded footprint, per the Associated Press.
The PWHL began with six original franchises: Boston, New York, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Minnesota. The latest expansion wave, which includes San Jose, Detroit and Hamilton, marks a significant increase in the league’s national footprint, according to the report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
