More professional hockey is officially on its way to Vancouver!
On Wednesday, the Professional Women’s Hockey League announced that it is expanding West, with Vancouver set to be the league’s seventh franchise.
Canadian Olympic Gold medalist Tessa Bonhomme was on-site in Vancouver, joined by the Vancouver Angels, a U-11 Girls hockey team, who made the long-speculated announcement official.
The team will kick off in the 2025-26 season and will play at Pacific Coliseum, the former home of the Vancouver Canucks from 1970-1995. The Coliseum has a capacity of 16,281, immediately making it one of the largest stadiums in the league, and the only one where the team will be the primary tenant. They will practice at PNE Agrodome.
As part of the announcement, they also confirmed the team’s primary colour will be Pacific Blue, while the second colour will be Cream. Similar to the first six franchises, they will operate under the name PWHL Vancouver until their complete brand identity is announced.
PWHL Senior VP of Business Operations Amy Scheer spoke after the announcement, citing the size of the market, the growth of the women’s game in British Columbia, and the strong corporate community as some of the many driving factors behind Vancouver’s successful bid.
Vancouver’s franchise hardly comes as a surprise, as the long-rumoured expansion has been one of the worst-kept secrets in sports. Last week, it was reported that Vancouver would be awarded a PWHL team, with the league’s website then accidentally confirming the report, teasing merchandise that had yet to be announced. Along with the West expansion, Seattle is expected to be the eighth franchise, but it has yet to be officially confirmed.
Following the success of doing so in their inaugural season, the PWHL hosted a Takeover Tour this year, with games played in neutral-site locations across Canada and the United States. Beyond an initiative to promote the league, they were also seen as market testers for possible expansion teams. Vancouver was the best-attended of all the stops on the Takeover Tour, with 19,038 fans present for a contest between the Montréal Victoire and Toronto Sceptres in early January.
Attendance for PWHL Takeover games:
1. Vancouver: 19,038
2. Quebec City: 18,259
3. Edmonton: 17,518
4. Detroit: 14,288
5. Denver: 14,018
6. Detroit ('24): 13,736
7. Seattle: 12,608
8. Raleigh: 10,782
9. Pittsburgh ('24): 8,850
10. St Louis: 8,578 (Today)
11. Buffalo: 8,512
— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) March 29, 2025
The PWHL kicked off in January last year with six teams based in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, New York, Boston, and Minnesota. Currently on its international break, the PWHL is set to resume play this Saturday, with playoffs scheduled to take place in May, as teams contend for the Walter Cup. Minnesota were the victor in the inaugural season.
With Vancouver’s PWHL franchise officially confirmed, let the speculation about the name and draft begin. Details of an expansion draft have yet to be confirmed, but with a wealth of British Columbian talent already in the league, the team is sure to see some hometown skaters on their debut roster.
What would you like to see Vancouver’s PWHL team called, and who would you like to see on the inaugural roster?
