The PWHL had specific wants and needs for this round of PWHL expansion. While Quebec City met many, as a smaller market in Canada, it didn't meet all the league's needs. Quebec City is a strong market, but for the PWHL it wasn't the right market.
Although the Montreal Victoire have won the Walter Cup captivating all of Quebec, the city of Quebec City will likely remember 2026 more as the year four other markets passed it in the race for expansion in the PWHL.
And yet, the two PWHL games Quebec City has held at Videotron Centre drew impressive crowds. The enthusiasm was clearly there, and many fans genuinely believed a franchise announcement for Quebec City was only a matter of time.
So, what happened? What issue did the PWHL leadership have with Quebec City’s bid?
Martin Tremblay, Chief Operating Officer of Quebecor’s Sports and Entertainment division, confirmed to that the PWHL reconnected with the market and Quebecor in recent weeks.
“We received a call from league management before the expansion process concluded to let us know Quebec City’s bid would not be selected. The league was extremely complimentary about the quality of the bid, the infrastructure, and the reception we gave them,” Tremblay explained.
“However, the league had a desire to move westward as part of its growth strategy, while the other selected markets were major metropolitan areas that were important to them,” he added.
In the end, the decision appears to have come down primarily to geography and market size.
And unfortunately, there isn’t much Quebec City can do about either.
Because I was told a few weeks ago that Quebec City’s bid came with no strings attached. Quebecor didn’t ask to own the team, and there was no request to obtain the television rights next season.
Clearly, the PWHL had a strong interest in Detroit and its “Hockeytown” image. It is, after all, a massive sports market with franchises in the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA, and soon the WNBA in 2029.
The league also wanted to extend its footprint to the west. Early in the season, cities like Denver and Edmonton were already being discussed internally as strategic western expansion targets.
But when discussions with those cities did not materialize, the league ultimately decided to go all in on Las Vegas and San Jose.
Several factors contributed to that decision.
First, the league wanted to allow Vancouver and Seattle to play road games without constantly having to travel across the continent.
But perhaps more importantly, the PWHL did not want to project the image of a league that was too regional — or worse, too Canadian.
That helps explain why the league added three American teams and only one Canadian franchise, breaking the balance that had existed since the inaugural season.
Because ultimately, if you add Quebec City and Washington instead of Las Vegas and San Jose, you suddenly end up with 10 of 12 teams in the Eastern Time Zone and six Canadian franchises.
The Money Is in the United States
For league executives, choosing Quebec City over a major American market risked reinforcing the perception of a league too geographically concentrated and too dependent on the Canadian market — a challenge when trying to attract major American broadcasters and sponsors.
Because at the end of the day, that’s where the money is.
Mark Walter is an extremely savvy businessman. He is not investing hundreds of millions of dollars purely out of passion. He is doing it because he sees long-term growth and profitability potential.
Back in 2012, he purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers for a then-record $2.15 billion. Today, according to Forbes, the franchise is reportedly valued at nearly $7.8 billion.
Walter has already poured hundreds of millions into the PWHL. Even if franchise values are currently estimated between $50 million and $100 million, they have not yet reached their full potential — and Walter certainly will not want to leave money on the table.
In the short term, the objective is to grow the league. But over the longer term, the real goal appears to be securing a major U.S. national television or streaming rights deal.
That is where the true financial engine of professional sports lies — and women’s professional sports are no exception anymore.
Two years ago, the WNBA announced a historic $2.2 billion, 11-year media rights agreement with partners such as Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBCUniversal, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Global (CBS), Scripps (ION), and USA Network. A deal now worth $3.1 billion according to Front Office Sports.
A transaction of that magnitude for the PWHL would dramatically increase franchise values and allow Walter to further monetize his investment.
The Reality of a Smaller Market
It is fair to wonder whether Quebec City would already have an NHL team — and now a PWHL franchise — if the city had another million residents.
The answer is probably "yes."
And that is unfortunate, because Quebec City is no longer the same city it was 20 or 30 years ago. Its unemployment rate is among the lowest of any major Canadian market. The city has become a major hub for technology, particularly in the video game, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity sectors. Quebec City is no longer simply a government town, despite how some people perceive it.
But despite all of that, the size of the market continues to raise concerns.
Even with sustained demographic growth, the city itself has roughly 600,000 residents, and just over 900,000 when including the greater metropolitan area.
By contrast, Hamilton may have a population of around 640,000, but it sits at the centre of a population base of nearly 8.8 million people within an hour’s drive.
Meanwhile, the Greater Toronto Area surpasses seven million residents, while Ottawa and Gatineau combined represent approximately 1.5 million people. On the other side of the country, the Metro Vancouver area has over 3.1 million people.
And when people criticize the decision to place three teams in Ontario, another important factor also has to be considered: according to the most recent numbers, Ontario has roughly five times more registered girls and women's hockey players than Quebec.
Had Halifax received a franchise before Quebec City, there probably would have been legitimate reason for outrage. Halifax after all, has only 530,000 people in their metropolitan area. But in the current context, losing out to Hamilton, Detroit, San Jose, and Las Vegas is not exactly cause for panic.
The Takeover Tour Was Never A Promise
Many fans have expressed frustration after learning Quebec City would not be among the expansion markets. Many felt misled after enthusiastically supporting two PWHL games, especially considering that no games were ever played in Las Vegas or San Jose.
But some perspective is necessary here.
The PWHL never promised Quebec City a franchise.
In fact, that statement can go further: the league’s “Takeover Tour” games were never primarily intended to prepare for expansion.
“It's the ability for our fans outside of our markets to be able to experience it live, but also to bring new fans into our ecosystem, which are all the things that surround the live property, like social, digital, TV, watching clips on YouTube, buying merch,” explained Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice-president of business operations, back in April.
“The stops are just one way to grow our fan base and bring people into the PWHL ecosphere.”
Did the tour also serve as a way to evaluate potential markets?
Obviously.
But as Scheer herself pointed out, that was only one factor among many.
“It's one metric of all the things that we look at," she explained. "It kind of tells us a little bit of what the appetite is in the market. How is the NHL team and or venue to work with? How has the city embraced us? There's so many other things that weigh into our consideration set. But for sure, it's certainly been one of the reasons we've done the Takeover Tour absolutely,” she said, adding that the league would continue to do TakeOver Tour games.
Can Quebec City Still Hope?
The PWHL now wants stability.
That is one of the reasons the league accelerated its expansion process by adding six new teams in just two years. After all, the NHL did something even more drastic back in 1967 when it added six franchises all at once.
The goal now is to allow organizations to build for the long term and provide greater stability for players, who have experienced constant change since the league’s launch.
That said, it is entirely possible a third wave of expansion could occur before the current collective bargaining agreement expires in July 2031.
A 14-16 team league — similar in size to the WNBA or the NWSL — remains very plausible.
And if that happens, could Quebec City re-enter the conversation?
Maybe.
Within five years, Quebec City will not suddenly gain another million residents. But the PWHL may then be looking to add another Canadian market or strengthen its presence in eastern North America.
Beyond geography and demographics, Quebec City’s bid still has several major strengths.
With only the Quebec Remparts as permanent tenants, the Videotron Centre is large enough for a PWHL team to have dedicated facilities, locker rooms, and operational space — an important criterion for the league.
Because Quebecor owns TVA Sports, Quebec City could also bring an extremely attractive television opportunity.
The PWHL would likely benefit from diversifying its broadcast partners in Quebec, much like the English-language market where Sportsnet and TSN share rights and league visibility.
Nothing Against Quebec City
Even though the Montreal Victoire currently represents the entire province of Quebec, there's no sign the organization is opposed, whatsoever, to the eventual arrival of a franchise in Quebec City.
Everyone understands that a Montreal–Quebec City rivalry would instantly boost interest in the league and quickly become a marketing goldmine.
Despite those arguments, the PWHL already understood that reality — and still chose to go elsewhere.
So, when asking the question, “What exactly did the PWHL leadership have against Quebec City’s bid?”
The answer is probably very simple.
Nothing.
Quebec City simply did not fit what the league was looking for at this particular moment.