A New Era for the Professional Women’s Hockey League
The Professional Women’s Hockey League announced that it will add a 12th franchise in San Jose, California, for the 2026‑27 season, bringing the league’s newest team to the SAP Center, the home of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.
The expansion follows the league’s recent additions of Vancouver and Seattle, clubs that faced steep travel schedules and finished near the bottom of the standings in their first seasons, prompting the PWHL to pursue a more geographically balanced configuration.
A Thriving Bay Area Sports Landscape
The Bay Area has emerged as a hub for women’s professional sports, with the National Women’s Soccer League’s Bay FC drawing over 40,000 fans to Oracle Park in 2025 and the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Golden State Valkyries averaging more than 18,000 spectators per game. CNBC has valued the Valkyries at roughly one billion dollars, underscoring the region’s commercial momentum.
Both the NWSL and WNBA have enjoyed strong local support, and the area was recently named the best women’s‑sports city in the United States by The Athletic, a testament to the growing appetite for elite female competition.
By adding San Jose and retaining a presence in Las Vegas, the PWHL aims to reduce the long‑distance travel that has hampered West Coast teams, creating a more sustainable schedule and a clearer path for fan engagement across the continent.