For five years, one Seattle group has been pushing a clear message, "we are ready."
The group, dubbed "Women's Pro Hockey Seattle" formed and has advocated, rallied, cheered for, and supported girls and women's hockey not only in Seattle, but North America wide. Their ongoing support, led by founder Zoë Harris, was crucial to the city building support and inevitably, being selected for a PWHL expansion team.
Harris penned a letter on the Women's Pro Hockey Seattle website following the announcement to recognize the achievement.
"This campaign to get a PWHL team and rally a fan base didn’t happen overnight," Harris wrote. "It’s the result of 5+ years of passion, persistence, and belief from those who have always known that Seattle deserves a women’s pro hockey team."
The PWHL formalized Seattle as the eighth franchise in league history, adding to their previous announcement bringing Vancouver into the league. Both teams will join in time for the 2025-26 season with PWHL Seattle playing home games at Climate Pledge Arena.
"When we launched this campaign, it wasn’t just about hoping for a team—it was about proving that one belonged in Seattle," Harris wrote. "We threw watch parties, handed out stickers, sold jerseys and apparel, showed up at IIHF Rivalry Series and PWHL games when they came to town, and spread the word far and wide. And today, all that belief was rewarded. Seattle is officially part of the future of women’s hockey—and it’s only just beginning."
PWHL executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer acknowledged Zoë Harris and the Women's Pro Hockey Seattle group during the league's formal expansion announcement, saying the city might not have realized the goal of adding a professional women's hockey team without Harris' efforts. It was another piece to Seattle's sports scene, which Scheer referred to as the "capital of women's sports."
Next up for PWHL Seattle is hiring a coaching staff and general manager, and learning how their roster will be formed through a player dispersal process and entry draft.