San Jose to get a PWHL team
The Bay Area is about to get another professional women's sports team with the arrival of the PWHL.
The Professional Women's Hockey League has its eyes set on the San Francisco Bay Area for a potential expansion team, with reports suggesting San Jose, California will be the city to host the new team. The PWHL is looking to expand its league from 8 teams to 12 teams for the 2026-27 season. Detroit has already been officially announced to as the league's ninth team and will be playing at Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings.
In a report published by Ice Warriors Magazine, the league is finalizing a deal between Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and San Jose, California. Las Vegas, Nevada was also named as a front runner to complete their 4-team expansion. Official announcements are set to be announced later this month as the league enters its expansion phase on May 28th.
Breaking News: IW has learned the PWHL will be expanding to Hamilton, ON, and San Jose, CA.https://t.co/wmESxrcdq8
— IW Magazine (@IWmag) May 8, 2026
Local fan support makes the Bay Area is a premiere destination for professional women's sports. The Golden State Valkyrie was named the top team in CNBC's ranking for most valuable WNBA franchises with a $1 Billion evaluation and Bay FC has been in the top 5 for attendance in the NWSL's 14 team league in their first two seasons. So, despite critics of San Jose receiving a team despite never hosting a PWHL Takeover Tour, it seems like a rational and logical decision to bring the sport to the Bay Area market.
Ice Warriors Magazine suggests that the PWHL San Jose team is likely to play its home games at the SAP Center at San Jose, home of the San Jose Sharks, but it is still awaiting confirmation. The "Shark Tank" would make an excellent venue for a PWHL team as it was recently approved to undergo a $425 million renovation to modernize the arena and extend its lifecycle for the next 25 years. The arena also has seen a renewed interest and surge of hockey fans in attendance due to the rise in popularity of the San Jose Sharks, thanks in part by the 2024 1st overall selection Macklin Celebrini.
The PWHL will offer Bay Area sports fans a unique hockey experience with 30 games per season, a 3-2-1-0 point system for determining team standings, and a jailbreak goal rule that rewards teams that score short-handed. For more details on fan reception, excitement, and introduction to basic rules; check out the latest episode of Frostbitten.
