The Professional Women’s Hockey League announced this week that it will field a twelfth franchise based in San Jose, California, marking the league’s first foothold on the Pacific Coast.
San Jose Joins the League
The new club will call the SAP Center its home, sharing the arena with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, and will be bankrolled by billionaire sports executive Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra.
The expansion follows a rapid doubling of the league’s footprint since its inaugural season in June 2023, a growth spurt that reflects rising visibility for women’s hockey and a deepening talent pool ahead of the upcoming draft.
League officials say the addition of a California team not only taps a market with a strong tradition of supporting girls’ hockey but also positions the PWHL to secure a national broadcast partner as it moves toward a twelve‑team structure.
A Coast‑to‑Coast Vision
The franchise’s branding will feature orange, blue and white, colors chosen to echo the state’s coastline and sky, while the league’s colors remain consistent across all clubs. Beyond the Bay Area, the PWHL already counts clubs in Boston, New York, Montreal, Toronto, Seattle, Vancouver and other North American hubs, creating a coast‑to‑coast network that mirrors the geographic spread of its fan base.
With private financing from a high‑profile ownership group and a schedule that will soon include matchups against teams in Detroit, Las Vegas and even overseas venues like Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the league is poised to reshape the professional women’s sports landscape.