Las Vegas is poised to welcome a new professional women's hockey franchise, an expansion team of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) that will begin play in the 2026‑27 season.
The club will be operated by the Mark Walter Group, the same organization that owns the NHL’s Golden Knights, and will host the majority of its home games at T‑Mobile Arena while using America First Center in Henderson as its practice facility.
Golden Knights’ Support and Community Roots
Although the Golden Knights will not hold ownership or managerial responsibilities, the franchise will draw on the team’s extensive experience and facilities to accelerate the development of women's hockey in the region.
The arrival of the PWHL team builds on a dramatic surge in girls' hockey participation, which has risen by 600 percent since the Golden Knights entered the market, and on a 147 percent year‑over‑year increase in the NHL’s Girls Learn To Play program.
Bill Foley, who founded the Golden Knights and built three state‑of‑the‑art hockey facilities in the area, has been a driving force behind this growth, providing the infrastructure that now supports a professional women's league.
Innovations on the Ice
The PWHL distinguishes itself with a 3‑2‑1‑0 point system that rewards competitive play and with a strong focus on player safety, including automatic video reviews for hits to the head.
Its postseason will feature two best‑of‑five semi‑finals followed by a best‑of‑five final for the Walter Cup, offering a clear and exciting path to the championship.
The league’s talent pool spans nine countries, comprising 25 international athletes and 62 newcomers who have never previously competed in the PWHL, underscoring its global reach and developmental focus.