Where will the PHF expand to next? Canada is still a focus, but the Midwest and DC are other noted contenders.

Last offseason, the PHF waited until mid-summer to announce expansion. The location, Montreal, was long known as the league’s next stop. The late announcement, however, wasn’t ideal. Still, the league had pledged to grow, and they stuck to that commitment.

This time around however, instead of the PHF reaching out to markets, prospective owners and investors are now coming to the league, knowing the product is there and seeing the value in women’s professional hockey. With that interest, the league is having more in depth meetings, where they’re in charge of the destiny of the PHF’s next franchise. While many cities have been rumored, and fans have begged for clubs across North America, three cities are emerging as the rightful favorites for the next PHF expansion. Although unconfirmed, sources suggest expansion is unlikely to come in time for next season, but will soon be back on the docket.

Where will the PHF expand to next?

The frontrunners appear to be Ottawa, Washington, and Chicago. Conversations are well down the pathway in these markets, although the league has not ruled out other communities showing interest in the league.

As PHF commissioner Reagan Carey told the Line Change Podcast, “We have to be responsible but also continue to move quickly, and we did that with Montreal. It all comes down to the right people, and the right time, and getting that community in the right place.”

“It’s really encouraging, if we were to have this conversation at the same time last year, I would have been making calls to see who was interested in supporting and investing in a serious way…but there wasn’t a flood of calls coming our way of how can we get in the game, but thanks to the backdrop of women’s pro sports in general along with the advancements that we’ve been able to make in a short period of time, this whole enthusiasm and interest in people coming our way and expressing they want to be a part of this, they want to get on board, is really just encouraging and exciting.”

One factor Carey said the league examines heavily is the grassroots women’s hockey support in a community that can grow alongside the league. With those investors and franchise ownership groups coming to the PHF more regularly, the league continues examining the best possible locations and fits.

“We have a lot of due diligence to do, there’s a lot of great options out there the more we explore,” said Carey.

While Carey did not confirm specific cities aside from Washington, DC, sources confirmed that Ottawa and Chicago are frontrunners in those discussions.

“I have a lot of great meetings and conversations that are very far down the line…Canada is strongly in that category…the midwest as well,” said Carey. “DC is always on our radar, just a lot of great energy and a lot of great opportunities for us to grow.”

What happens with the PWHPA and PHF?

Should the PWHPA announce the discussed six team league, it could impact the PHF’s expansion plans. Although it won’t stop the PHF’s expansion, it may impact locations and timelines.

As John Boynton, the PHF’s chair of the board told The Hockey News at the PHF All-Star weekend, he knows the ongoing “bifurcation” is a consideration.

“One of the things that is going to facilitate accelerated expansion is being able to unify the world of women’s hockey. We know we want to have one league,” Boynton said. “Today, we are the only league, and we hope it will remain that way. We know there’s this bifurcation, and until that bifurcation is resolved, I think expansion will be delayed. I’m not saying we won’t add another team or two next year or the year after, but we really would like to resolve that issue of the bifurcation so that the whole enterprise can move faster.”

According to Boynton, whether the league moves to eight teams now, or next season, expansion is not over for the PHF.

“Obviously, there is more growth for us in the future,” said Boynton. “In three to five years, I could very easily see 12 to 15 teams in the league, but we’re not there yet.”

Looking at recent locations visited by the PWHPA, it would appear locations including Pittsburgh and Washington could also be on their list of potential destinations. The PWHPA has operated under a tour format, playing in the Secret Dream Gap Tour in recent seasons. Other locations linked to PWHPA discussions include Philadelphia, Montreal, Toronto, and London, Ontario. This year was the first season the PWHPA abandoned geographically based teams and mixed competitors from all regions together. In a presentation given to NCAA players, European players, and current PWHPA members obtained by The Hockey News, the group listed 12 potential market cities. The PWHPA stated in the Zoom call that they would be announcing the final six cities during the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

Team Harvey’s was the top team in the league from start to finish, winning the Secret Deodorant Cup defeating Team Scotiabank 5-4.

Listen to the full conversation here: