PWHL expansion to Hamilton marks "a major moment" for the city as it continues to establish itself as a premier market for sport and entertainment, and places a team directly into a hotbed for professional women's hockey talent.
Hamilton is now officially the 11th member of the PWHL, and the moment was equally important to both the PWHL, and the City of Hamilton itself.
"Today, Hamilton proudly joins the next chapter of one of the fastest growing leagues in professional sports," Mayor Andrea Horwath proclaimed at the announcement. "I'm incredibly excited to welcome women's professional hockey to Hamilton as we officially announced that the PWHL is coming to our city for the 2026-27 season. This is a major moment. Not only for sports in Hamilton, but for our downtown, our economy, and our entire community."
The team will play at TD Coliseum in downtown Hamilton, and practice and train in nearby Ancaster at Morgan Firestone Arena.
With a $300 million renovation to TD Coliseum completed in late 2025, the addition of a PWHL franchise, and AHL franchise to Hamilton is a boost for the City.
It's a sign of the incredible momentum we are building here in the City of Hamilton," Horwath said.
"Our city continues to strengthen its reputation as a premier destination for sports, tourism, and entertainment. This is great news for Hamiltonians, for local businesses, restaurants, hotels, shops, as I mentioned, as well, and for visitors, who will come to Hamilton to experience games and events in our city. Today's announcement continues, Hamilton's proud hockey tradition, while helping grow the future of women's sport in Canada. Hamilton is proud...we are proud to welcome the PWHL."
Hamilton won out in the competition for a PWHL franchise over market including Halifax, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton who were all considered Canadian contenders for a team to join the Toronto Sceptres, Vancouver Goldeneyes, and the two teams currently vying for a Walter Cup title, the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge.
Ontario Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden, who is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame after a long CFL career, including time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, also spoke of the importance of bringing a PWHL team to Hamilton, and a third PWHL team to Ontario.
"We talk about our plan on sport tourism, is that Ontario is where the world comes to compete, and what we have in the PWHL is the best in the world competing here... now on three teams in Ontario," said Lumsden.
In attendance were local girls hockey players from the Flamborough Falcons, Hamilton Hawks, Ancaster Avalanche, and Stoney Creek Sabres, including members of their U-18 team that recently came home as silver medalists from the 2026 Esso Cup, Canada's U-18 club national championship.
As PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said, a significant portion of the PWHL's talent has come through the Golden Horseshoe region, and the city and people of Hamilton reflect many of the same attributes of the league itself.
"Hamilton, you're not just a city that loves hockey. You're a city that lives it, For generations, this community, and the greater Golden Horseshoe, have been a cornerstone of girls and women's hockey, home to perhaps the greatest concentration of girls' hockey, talent in the world," said Hefford, "In fact, 15% of PWHL players have come from the Golden Horseshoe. That's an incredible reflection of just how deeply the game is rooted here."
:And it's not just about talent. It's about character. Hamilton is a community that works hard. A community that has fought for what it is earned. A community built on resilience, pride, and heart. In many ways, that journey mirrors the way we've built the PWHL. This league was built through belief, persistence, and a commitment to creating something that generations of women's hockey players deserved. That's why this moment feels so right."
PWHL Hamilton's official name and logo will be unveiled in the coming weeks. They join the PWHL's 2026-27 expansion class alongside Detroit and Las Vegas, with one more expansion location still to come.