The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) will expand to Las Vegas, according to a source familiar with the matter who confirmed the development to The Athletic on Tuesday. This expansion strengthens the PWHL presence nationwide.
The league is expected to announce Las Vegas as the home of its 10th franchise on Wednesday afternoon. Foley Entertainment Group, owner of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, recently sent an invitation promoting the announcement. Las Vegas will be the second of up to four expansion teams for the 2026-27 season. In addition, PWHL Detroit was announced last week. This marks another milestone for the PWHL.
Future Plans
A PWHL team in Las Vegas would likely play at T-Mobile Arena, home of the Golden Knights, with a capacity of 17,500 for hockey. Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada, home to the AHL Henderson Silver Knights, is another potential venue. However, its 5,567-seat capacity is likely too small for the PWHL, which averaged 9,304 fans per game during the record-breaking 2025-26 season. Moreover, attendance figures reflect the growing popularity of PWHL games.
Las Vegas has rapidly developed into a center for major professional sports. After the NHL’s Golden Knights were established by owner Bill Foley in 2017, other leagues expanded into the city. The WNBA Aces relocated from San Antonio in 2018. The NFL’s Raiders moved from Oakland for the 2020 season. In addition, MLB’s Athletics, also formerly in Oakland, plan to open a ballpark in 2028. In March, the NBA approved exploring an expansion team in Las Vegas for the 2028-29 season. Now, the city is set to add pwhl hockey to its range of major professional sports.
The Aces have established a dominant presence in Las Vegas, winning three league titles in four years. In March, the organization announced it was the first WNBA team to sell out season ticket allotments for three consecutive seasons. The Aces play at Michelob ULTRA Arena and have drawn large crowds for select games at T-Mobile Arena. In July 2024, they played Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever before 20,366 fans. This marked the largest regular-season crowd at a WNBA game since 1999. This continued growth mirrors the momentum for PWHL in the city.
PWHL Expansion
Las Vegas has also emerged as a premier destination for NHL players, as demonstrated this summer when the Golden Knights acquired Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The arrival of PWHL teams is expected to further elevate the city’s profile.
PWHL Las Vegas and Detroit will join the original six markets—Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, New York, and Minnesota—as well as the league’s first expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver. This strengthens the nationwide footprint of the PWHL.
San Jose, California, and Hamilton, Ontario, have also emerged as leading candidates for league expansion to reach 12 teams next season, according to discussions within league circles. The future of PWHL expansion looks promising.
Adding teams in Las Vegas and another western market, along with one in the east, would improve the league’s geographic balance. This could result in four franchises in the West, two in the Midwest (Detroit and Minnesota), and six in the East. Such a distribution may allow the PWHL to organize into two conferences and possibly four divisions. Furthermore, PWHL executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer said the league is exploring this possibility. This reinforces the strategic vision behind the pwhl.
Eric Butler is a Contributor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on Instagram and X via @ReportandOpine
