With the PWHL actively pursuing expansion, and with the success the league experienced in their three inaugural Canadian markets, here's a look at the best available venues in Canada for PWHL expansion.
With the PWHL actively pursuing expansion, and with the success the league experienced in their three inaugural Canadian markets, here's a look at the best available venues in Canada for PWHL expansion.
There are many factors that will go into PWHL expansion. One of the main considerations will be the availability of a suitable venue. In year one, this became an issue in various markets. The league quickly proved itself too popular for Mattamy Athletic Center Centre in Toronto and Verdun Auditorium in Montreal forcing moves to bigger venues for year two.
But venues are difficult in most cities. Most sizeable markets already have multiple professional franchises sharing a venue. In Calgary where the Scotiabank Saddledome is already home to the NHL's Flames, AHL's Wranglers, and WHL's Hitmen, it's hard to see a fourth team entering the mix. And WinSport, albeit a great facility for training, is not a PWHL venue.
Looking across Canada, the plethora of established teams and smaller number of venues in sizeable markets will make the decision of where to place a team more challenging. The arenas are there in OHL, QMJHL, and WHL cities, but the markets themselves in many cases are smaller.
Considering size, location, and current tenants, here's a look at some of the best Canadian venues that could be available for PWHL expansion.
Best Arenas In Canada For PWHL Expansion
1. Canada Life Place, London - Canada Life Place has been packed with 9,000 fans per game for a decade with the OHL's London Knights calling the arena home. It's in the heart of Downtown London, a city of close to 450,000 people. When you add in surrounding Municipal populations, there are close to 1.5 million people within roughly an hour of London including population centres such as Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Brantford, Chatham-Kent, and Sarnia-Lambton. The bulk of their fan base would need to come from London and surrounding communities, but there's also a strong girls hockey system in the area, not only with the London Devilettes, but also the Bluewater Hawks and B.A.D. Blazers. If the PWHL is willing to look outside the box, this is a market ripe for growth.
2. Scotiabank Centre, Halifax - With only the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads using the venue, the 10,500 seat facility could be an incredible match for a PWHL team. The city is also getting a professional women's soccer team in the Halifax Tides, so the culture of the city has already been identified as a match for pro women's sports. The city itself has 423,000, and there is not only a strong girls hockey community in the area, but Nova Scotia has a vibrant senior women's hockey loop as well. The Metro East and Metro West girls programs would provide the minor support. The other feature, is if the team were branded as an Atlantic Canada / Maritimes team, there are 6,000+ seat arenas in Summerside, Sydney, St. John's, Saint John, and Moncton where games could be played to help grow a regional fan base.
3. Videotron Centre, Quebec City - The 18,259 seat venue has no professional tenant, and the city has already claimed their interest in a PWHL team. We'll see in January what the citizens think. There are challenges for Quebec City. A lack of direct flights from Boston and Minnesota, and the language barrier for players in the league are two. In a league where there may only be five players from Quebec, three of whom are locked into the Montreal Victoire, and the challenge is greater. But the market is strong for hockey, and the city seems motivated.
4. Rogers Arena, Vancouver - With only the NHL's Vancouver Canucks to share the 19,700 arena with, and the fact there are several other arenas in the area where the team could play in a pinch, Vancouver looks like a perfect destination. The only question for the PWHL will be...when do they want to go West. For the league to survive long team, western expansion will certainly be in the plans. A Vancouver and Seattle rivalry would be logical, and Portland is a city perfect for women's hockey, making the northwest in particular a region to examine. Los Angeles and Las Vegas could also become excellent fits, and Vegas has already expressed interest in joining the PWHL. The number of girls and women's hockey programs in the greater Vancouver area are numerous, and support would certainly be there.
5. FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton - The idea of two teams in the Toronto area, including Hamilton, has been toyed with by the NHL for years. Given the fact the Toronto Sceptres have a hard time keeping tickets available, the fact a 17,383 seat facility is sitting without a hockey tenant, seems opportune. There are 570,000 people in Hamilton, but the metropolitan areas encompasses 785,000 people. The city is also only a short drive from Kitchener, Waterloo, Brantford, Woodstock, Cambridge, Niagara Falls, and yes, Toronto. Historically, the Hamilton Golden Hawks were the first ever Team Canada in 1987. Today the Hamilton Hawks remains a strong girls hockey community.