PWHL arrives in Northern California with the addition of San Jose

SAN JOSE — The Professional Women’s Hockey League will expand to California with the addition of San Jose next season.

The PWHL will be a 12-team league in 2026-27 with the additions of San Jose, Detroit, Las Vegas and Hamilton.

The PWHL’s stated intention was to expand by up to four teams next season. Seattle and Vancouver joined the league last year.

The original six teams were Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, New York and Minnesota.

San Jose places a fourth PWHL team in the Pacific time zone.

The PWHL held 27 neutral-site Takeover Tour games in its first three seasons to build audience and test possible expansion markets. Neither San Jose nor Las Vegas hosted a neutral-site game.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2026.

The Canadian Press