The PWHL is going new places for the 2026-27 season. The cost to get there however, is continuing to soar.

Now spanning from coast to coast in the United States and Canada, the PWHL has rapidly grown to a 12-team loop with teams in Seattle, San Jose, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Minnesota, Detroit, Boston, New York, Montreal, Hamilton, Toronto, and Ottawa.

With the USA's war attack against Iran, and the subsequent issues with transportation in the Middle East, oil and fuel prices have skyrocketed. Those costs are set to impact all consumers. League's like the PWHL however, can't choose to stay home like many travellers have; instead, they need to continue to get from coast to coast for games, and also to new locations as part of next season's PWHL Takeover Tour. 

There's no hiding the fact that costs will not be carried by airlines, and instead will get passed to consumers including the PWHL, who is set to feel the financial pinch after adding four new franchises, including San Jose and Nevada on the west coast, this season.

"Ballooning jet fuel prices are driving the recent surge, with airlines passing on some of the cost to passengers. Those prices aren’t poised to descend any time soon," one analyst noted.

The PWHL travels economy class, without use of private or chartered flights. Those tickets have skyrocketed this year up an estimated 21% to an average of $570 per ticket, and airlines "expect customers to cover the higher jet fuel costs by early 2027, if not the end of this year."

At $570 per ticket for a 23-player roster, and several staff, if could cost teams more than $20,000 in airline tickets alone per game before extra baggage feels for hockey equipment, accommodations and more. 

It's still a minor cost compared to what many professional teams play since the PWHL chooses to travel commercially in economy class.

According to the PWHL however, it's business as usual.

"There are no material changes planned to our teams’ travel approach for the upcoming season. As always, we aim to balance travel efficiency and player experience with overall cost considerations, while also operating within the framework of the CBA."

"With the addition of expansion markets, there will naturally be some route adjustments. However, we anticipate that the schedule creation process will help optimize travel where possible."

According to the PWHL's CBA, "Team travel longer than six (6) hours or four hundred (400) miles shall be by air on regular commercial carriers in economy/coach class. A determination of whether a trip exceeds four hundred (400) miles shall be measured by the distance between the point of origin and destination. When traveling by air on commercial flights, Teams shall make reasonable efforts to fly without connecting flights, if available, and shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that all Player seats on such flights are aisle or window seats, if available. In the event that total travel time is less by ground transportation than air travel (e.g., due to connections or layovers), such Team travel may exceed six (6) hours or four hundred (400) miles by ground transportation with the agreement of a PWHLPA representative. For international travel (which shall not include travel between the United States and Canada), Players shall travel in business class. Where travel is by bus, Players shall not be required to carry equipment in the seating areas." 

In the PWHL, it means that many games can be travelled to by bus. With expansion to Detroit and Hamilton, the league will be able to drive between Toronto, Hamilton, and Detroit. It could result in some long bus rides in the opposite direction as Hamilton sits just on the cusp of the 6-hour and 400-mile limit to Montreal, meaning that Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Hamilton could all be driven between via bus. 

Still, as costs of airfare increase, and the PWHL's footprint expands, the league's costs will rise. The hope is that a larger footprint, more games, and new markets will boost revenue to a point where travel is an afterthought.