Seattle, WA – On Wednesday morning the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) officially announced its newest expansion team in Seattle, following months of anticipation—especially after a leaked logo sparked buzz across social media. A press conference will be held at Climate Pledge Arena at 11am pst to outline the plans to bring professional women’s hockey back to the Emerald City.
This milestone has been a long time coming for the Pacific Northwest hockey community. Earlier this year, Seattle hosted the PWHL Takeover Tour at Climate Pledge Arena, where the Boston Fleet and Montréal Victoire battled in a thrilling 3–2 shootout before 12,608 fans—the largest crowd of the 2024–25 season and the fifth-largest in league history.
The PWHL was founded in 2023 with six original teams: Montreal, Toronto, Minnesota, New York, Ottawa, and Boston. On April 23, 2025, Vancouver was announced as the league’s seventh franchise, set to debut in the 2025–26 season. Vancouver’s team will play at the historic Pacific Coliseum, with practices held at the nearby PNE Agrodome.
Since 2022, attendance for women’s sports—especially hockey—has surged across North America. In Seattle, participation in girls’ and women’s hockey leagues is on the rise, supported by growing fan communities like Women’s Pro Hockey. The nonprofit’s founder, Zoë Harris, and campaign advisor, Cindy Dayley, were recently honored by the Seattle Kraken as “Heroes of the Deep” during Women in Hockey Night and received a grant from the One Roof Foundation for their contributions to growing the game.
Climate Pledge Arena is already home to the four-time WNBA champion Seattle Storm and Jessica Campbell, the first woman to coach an NHL team as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken. The addition of a PWHL team marks a return to the region’s hockey roots. In 1917, the Seattle Hockeyettes became the city’s first documented women’s team. A few years later, in 1921, the Seattle Vamps—also known as the Seattle Sweeties—formed under the leadership of Seattle Metropolitans founders and competed in women’s tournaments across British Columbia.
With a rich past and a promising future, Seattle is poised to become a major force in the next era of professional women’s hockey.
Related: Interview video with with Boston Fleet Captain Hilary Knight.
Professional Women's Hockey League Takes Over Seattle
Boston Fleet rallies back to win over Montréal Victoire 3-2 in shootout in PWHL takeover game.
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