PWHL Announces Vancouver as First Expansion Franchise, Pacific Coliseum to be New Home

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) is set to announce Vancouver as its first expansion franchise on Wednesday, with the new team expected to be based out of the Pacific Coliseum. The league has been evaluating over 20 markets for expansion and has other candidates for a second expansion city, with Seattle being considered. The decision meets the league's criteria for a large market with a growing girls' hockey base.

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) is set to announce Vancouver as its first expansion franchise on Wednesday, with the new team expected to be based out of the Pacific Coliseum. The league has been evaluating over 20 markets for expansion and has other candidates for a second expansion city, with Seattle being considered. The decision meets the league's criteria for a large market with a growing girls' hockey base.

The announcement comes after a person with knowledge of the decision confirmed to The Associated Press that Vancouver was selected for expansion. The league has not yet officially verified the details but has indicated that they are continuing to finalize decisions related to expansion [1].

Vancouver's selection is not surprising, given its large market size and growing girls' hockey base. A neutral site game in Vancouver in January drew a sellout crowd of 19,038, the fourth-largest turnout for a league game. The region's proximity to Seattle, which is already home to two pro women's teams, the WNBA Storm and NWSL Reign FC, also makes it an attractive choice for expansion [2].

While Vancouver is the first confirmed expansion city, Seattle is still being considered for a second expansion team. The PWHL has other candidates for expansion if discussions with Seattle officials break down. The league's nine-city Takeover Tour of neutral games this season drew 123,601 fans, helping the league top the 1 million mark in attendance last month [3].

The PWHL's regular season resumes next week, with each team having three games left. The four-team playoffs are set to open in the first week of May. The league, founded by Dodgers owner Mark Walter and tennis icon Billie Jean King in June 2023, is currently in the midst of completing its second season.

References:
[1] https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/44735098/pwhl-chooses-vancouver-first-expansion-city
[2] https://www.nhregister.com/sports/article/pwhl-chooses-vancouver-as-1st-expansion-city-with-20283184.php
[3] https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/kraken/pwhl-expanding-to-vancouver-considering-seattle-reports-say/