For the first time, the PWHL Takeover Tour will make multiple stops in the same market during the same season. In the United States, Denver, Detroit, and Chicago will get a pair of PWHL Takeover Tour games, while Edmonton and Halifax will get a pair each in Canada.

The PWHL stated recently that after expanding to Vancouver and Seattle this season, the league intends to add 2-4 teams again ahead of next season. 

The league has already visited Denver, Edmonton, Quebec City, and Detroit, with Detroit the only non-PWHL market to now have four PWHL games to their name.

Are The Dual Date Markets PWHL Expansion Front Runners?

There are two arguments to be had with the PWHL's five dual date markets. First, the league is likely anticipating strong attendance numbers yet again in Denver, Detroit, and Edmonton. Halifax is a proven market for women's hockey that should be able to fill their 11,093 seat venue for both games as well.

While Chicago is unproven to the league, it might be the market getting the biggest "prove it" moment. Allstate Arena in Rosemont is roughly 30 minutes from downtown Chicago, but logistically, would provide the PWHL with almost everything on their wish list. The AHL's Chicago Wolves are the primary tenant at the venue. Also in Rosemont are a large collection of girls hockey programs including the Chicago Mission who will be playing out of the recently opened Rosemont Ice Arena, which will also be the Chicago Wolves' new practice facility, and could serve the same function for the PWHL. 

With the PWHL's recent expansion West, many believe Edmonton and Denver will be next on the league's list, with Detroit another prime candidate. 

The limiting factor for several markets, including Detroit, is facility availability. Detroit's Little Caesars Arena is home to the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and NBA's Detroit Pistons, which would place a PWHL franchise squarely in third in their own venue. The league could also look at nearby Windsor for a handful of home games. Dallas and Washington would face the same limiting factors in their market.

An even more complex situation exists in Calgary, Winnipeg where there are already several established teams playing in the only pro-ready venues in the market.

Don't Rule Out The Other Markets

There could be fear following the recent issues in Ottawa about planting another PWHL franchise in a smaller Canadian market like Halifax. Halifax's Scotiabank Arena would be a fantastic venue for the league, but the arena itself is nearly 50 years old.

In Hamilton, Hamilton Arena received a top to bottom renovation this year, and without a primary tenant, the league could see an opportunity to plant a team in the market creating a new geographic rivalry with Toronto and tapping into a huge fan base in Southwestern Ontario that spans from the GTA to Kitchener-Waterloo, London, and the Niagara region.

Quebec City has made their intentions clear although the city saw one of their biggest advocates, Jackie Smith, lose her seat on council this Fall. The Videotron Centre in Quebec City would be another feather in the league's cap of locating venues where the league could more formally showcase their product.

More Cities Have Interest

The PWHL has no shortage of interest from markets to become stops on the PWHL Takeover Tour. The Hockey News was able to confirm that several NHL markets, including Las Vegas, expressed interest in bringing the league to their market this year, unsuccessfully. 

While the interest is vast, the 2025-26 PWHL Takeover Tour has an air of strategy to it. With the league remaining aggressive in their expansion plans looking to grow again next season, giving multiple looks to the same market will allow the league to see if interest can be sustained beyond a single date. 

Expect the league to announce their next wave of expansion immediately following the PWHL Takeover Tour's 2025-26 conclusion as they did last year. In 2024-25 the PWHL Takeover Tour concluded on March 29 with the league making formal expansion announcements less than a month later. 

This year the 16 game tour will wrap up on April 7 in Edmonton, Alberta.