On Wednesday, April 23, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) introduced its newest franchise, which will play in Vancouver, British Columbia. The expansion speaks to a larger trend and the continued growth of women’s sports.
How many teams are in the PWHL?
Nine-year-old hockey player Sydney Milden got the announcement started in style, along with her youth team who crowded around the podium waving signs asking for a local women’s hockey team.
“Today, we are so excited because right here in Vancouver, we got a team,” Milden said.
The league, which is wrapping up its second season, has teams in Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa, New York, Minnesota and Boston. The seventh team doesn’t have a name yet.
PWHL’s vice president of hockey operations, Jayna Hefford, who won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, said the expansion is about growing the game.
“With this team comes more opportunity for the best women’s hockey players in the world to continue competing in one league,” Hefford said. “The talent pool has never been deeper, and with a strong 2025 draft class ahead, we’re pleased that even more women are going to be able to play at the professional level.”
Will there be even more expansion in the PWHL?
Reports say expansion candidate Seattle will join Vancouver starting this fall, the league’s third season, but negotiations between the league and city officials are ongoing. Both cities were attendance leaders during the PWHL’s nine-city Takeover Tour of venues across the country –– proof that fans have an appetite for more women’s events.
“This is an exciting moment. It marks the start of something bigger than just hockey,” PWHL announcer Tessa Bonhomme said. “It’s about creating a new chapter in professional women’s sports, not just hockey-specific. It’s inspiring the next generation to continue playing to drive for something.”
What’s behind the growth in women’s sports?
The PWHL is the latest in a growing trend. The WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries will begin their first season in May, and the league will expand with two more teams, Toronto and Portland, in 2026.
In terms of demand, the numbers speak for themselves. In 2024, the WNBA delivered its most-watched regular season in 24 years with more than 54 million unique viewers, and had its highest total attendance in 22 years –– over 2.3 million fans –– up 48% from 2023.
Unrivaled, a women’s 3-on-3 basketball league started by current WNBA players Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, wrapped up its inaugural season in March to rave reviews.
Meanwhile, the National Women’s Soccer League has “very ambitious plans for expansion,” according to Commissioner Jessica Berman. There are currently 14 teams, and Boston and Denver will make it 16 when they start play in 2026. The plan is to become a 30-team league in the future.
Credit icons like Megan Rapinoe, Caitlin Clark and Olympic hockey gold medalists Hefford and Bonhomme for raising the bar to a level that brings in more television money and exposure to the sports they play.
That has drawn in more fans –– both men and women –– and more online engagement, which is attractive to new investors. Now, the cycle can continue for the next generation of young girls who become professional athletes.
