The PWHL is expected to announce Las Vegas as the league's 10th franchise as early as Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena.
The PWHL is soon to be a ten team league as it's expected the league will announce expansion to Las Vegas as early as Wednesday.
Similar to the PWHL Detroit announcement, Las Vegas has started by inviting local girls hockey organizations to attend an event scheduled for Wednesday at 12:30pm at T-Mobile Arena.
T-Mobile Arena is home to the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights.
Since the PWHL's inception, the Golden Knights have been vocally in support of bringing a PWHL team to the market. That hope was believed to be farther in the future as Vegas wanted, but did not receive a PWHL Takeover Tour game this season.
The market however, emerged as a darkhorse later in the expansion process alongside other non-Takeover Tour markets including San Jose.
Vegas this year brought WickFest, Hayley Wickenheiser's now famous girls hockey festival, to the United States for the first time. WickFest has already announced they'll be returning to Vegas in late 2026 for a second event. The December date of the event could coincide with the start of the 2026-27 PWHL season.
Vegas Golden Knights Director, Youth Hockey Programs & Fan Development, Sheri Hudspeth spoke to The Hockey News about the importance of growing visibility for girls hockey in Vegas referencing WickFest. With the organization set to help usher in a PWHL franchise however, the sentiment rings true.
“The more events VGK can bring to Nevada to showcase girls and women’s hockey, the better," Hudspeth said.
"Female visibility is so important for our parents and players to see high-end competition. Now with the PWHL and NCAA, this generation knows there is a viable path for them in women’s hockey to play in college and/or professionally.”
Las Vegas and Nevada itself have seen one of USA's most rapid accelerations in the participation of women and girls hockey in recent years. Since the Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL in 20217-18, girls and women's participation in hockey has grown by 600% in Nevada according to USA Hockey.
If Wednesday's announcement involves a PWHL team heading to Vegas, USA Hockey can expect that growth to be just the tip of the iceberg.