The PWHL will add their 11th franchise in Hamilton, Ontario the league announced this morning. Hamilton has long been rumoured a PWHL destination, and joins alongside Las Vegas and Detroit as expansion teams announced for next season.
The PWHL is expanding to Hamilton, Ontario the league announced on Wednesday, May 13.
The announcement came alongside the expansion of PWHL Las Vegas.
“Hamilton and its surrounding communities have long been central to the growth of girls’ and women’s hockey, producing generations of talented players and passionate fans,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. “This is a region with deep hockey roots, and the response we saw during our Takeover Tour game at TD Coliseum made it clear that fans in the region are ready to rally around a team of their own. Thank you to Oak View Group and the City of Hamilton for your partnership in bringing the highest level of women’s hockey home to one of the sport’s most dedicated communities.”
Hamilton will play at TD Coliseum and is expected to train in nearby Ancaster.
"The Greater Hamilton Area ranks among the largest cities in Canada and is within commuting distance from other highly populated areas such as the Waterloo Region, St. Catharines-Niagara, and London," the PWHL wrote in their announcement. "The Greater Golden Horseshoe features one of the strongest regions in the world for girls and women’s hockey participation and development, exemplified by more than 15% of PWHL players hailing from the area. PWHL Hamilton’s expansion effort is supported in partnership with Oak View Group, operator of TD Coliseum, and the City of Hamilton."
Hamilton welcomed 16,012 fans to their stop on the 2025-26 PWHL Takeover Tour. While many pointed to the fact that game was supported by Toronto Sceptres' fans, the league announced that 70% of attendees at that game were in fact purchasing their first PWHL game tickets, "underscoring the league’s opportunity to reach a distinct audience, even with the presence of Ontario’s two other PWHL teams."
Along with the expansion announcement, the PWHL unveiled Hamilton's color scheme.
"As part of today’s announcement, the league also revealed Hamilton’s official team colors: gold, maroon, and cream," the PWHL wrote. "Gold is a hat tip to the uniforms worn by the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the former NHL Hamilton Tigers, while maroon pays homage to Steeltown by representing the color of aged steel. The permanent brand identity, including the team’s name and logo, will be announced at a later date."
It's a major announcement for the City of Hamilton to add their own major professional team.
“Hamilton is proud to welcome women’s professional hockey to our city,” said Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath. “This is an exciting moment for Hamiltonians and another major step forward for our growing sports and entertainment sector. Bringing a PWHL team to Hamilton will inspire young women and girls, bring new energy to our downtown, and create incredible experiences for fans and families across our community.”
With the additions of Detroit, Las Vegas, and Hamilton, the PWHL now sits at 11 teams.
A 12th team is expected to be added in San Jose with that announcement coming next week.
