Canada remains largely untested for professional women's sport, but the market is there. In the USA, several markets stand out as primed for new pro hockey franchises.
With the ongoing discussion, of "where" will the new professional women's hockey league franchises be placed, there are a number of items to be considered.
Venue appears to be the largest sticking point given NHL, NBA, WNBA, AHL, OHL, and NCAA schedules have all been set, filling many top venues' prime nights for next season. But there are still a number of venues that make perfect sense for the new league in enticing markets.
Rumored markets have included Toronto, Montreal, Washington, Chicago, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, London, Ottawa, and Detroit. Although none have been publicly confirmed.
Sadly in Canada, women's professional sport has remained largely untested. The Toronto Six were launched during the pandemic, and finally looked to be gaining momentum this season winning the Isobel Cup, but their potential to draw fans and grad media share in Toronto was never fulfilled given the team no longer exists. The Montreal Force had just completed a successful inaugural season, and were set to move into a professional venue next season. But there is no professional women's soccer or basketball in Canada...yet. The WNBA hosted an exhibition game in Toronto this year, which quickly sold out, making most believe Toronto is atop future expansion lists for the WNBA as well.
When the new professional women's hockey league launches with three Canadian teams, it will be testing the markets by fire. In the United States however, there are cities that have welcomed professional women's sport, and rabidly supported women's NCAA sport for years.
Here's a look at some of the top markets out there for professional women's sport.
Chicago
This city was a target for everyone. Whether it was a PWHPA league, PHF league, or the new combined league, Chicago is a hot destination. The city has available venues, a huge sporting scene, a successful girls hockey system, and a proud history of supporting professional women's sport. In 2022, the NWSL's Chicago Red Stars averaged 5,863. It was a bottom half of the league average, especially compared to the California teams drawing 20,000 fans per game, but the team has been a stable component of Chicago's pro sports lineup. At the WNBA level, the Chicago Sky average 7180 fans last season. This year they were also part of the WNBA's top attended game playing in front of more than 14,000 fans in Phoenix. While these are the main teams in the city, Chicago also supports the Chicago North Shore Rugby team, a professional women's rugby organization.
Washington
Facility could be more difficult in Washington, but the city loves women's sport. It's been a frequent stop for the PWHPA in recent years, and the NWSL's Washington Spirit and WNBA's Washington Mystics are both well supported. The Spirit averaged 5,955 fans in 2022, while the Mystics averaged close to 4000. While they're lower numbers, the x-factor exists that hockey has been a beloved sport in Washington for decades, and it's likely the city would rally around another pro offering.
Seattle
It's unlikely the West coast will get teams, but Seattle, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas are all prominent women's sports communities. When the Canada-USA Rivalry Series visited Seattle in this season, the game drew 14,551 fans, the most ever to view a national women's team game in America. In 2022, the Seattle Storm were the top drawing WNBA team averaging 10,631 fans per game, while the NWSL's OL Reign brought in 6,844. There's also already online groups organized supporting a future of professional women's hockey in Seattle. It's a prime city for future west coast expansion.
Los Angeles
Similar to Seattle, Los Angeles and neighboring Anaheim have been prime women's sports markets. In 2020, Anaheim drew 13,320 fans to a Rivarly Series game, while Angel City FC brought in an average of 19,105 fans last season for NWSL action. In 2022 the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks average 5653 fans, all positive signs that Los Angeles could host a franchise. The PWHPA also hosted their championship weekend in Southern California this season.
Minnesota
The WNBA's Minnesota Lynx (Minneapolis) averaged 7444 fans last season, and the state of Minnesota is the epicentre of women's hockey in America. NCAA teams including Minnesota (2022 fans) and Minnesota-Duluth (1138 fans) averaged in the thousands for their women's hockey games. Minnesota also hosts the Twin Cities Amazons, a professional women's rugby team.
Boston
The Boston Pride in the PHF regularly filled the 1000ish seat Warrior Ice Arena in Boston. If they'd played in a bigger venue, who knows the growth they could have seen. While Boston does not host any professional women's sports now that the Pride are gone, there is a regional depth of women's hockey history from the youth Beantown tournament, to the annual Beanpot event for NCAA teams. The city has a tremendously large youth girls hockey system, and with NCAA teams including Boston University, Boston College, Harvard, and Northeastern in the city, and others including Brown, Providence, UConn, and New Hampshire all a short drive from the city, it's a hub that cannot be overlooked. The long standing belief is a venue doesn't exist, but they do. Boston is as synonymous with women's hockey as it comes in America.