It's likely Edmonton is the leading contender for PWHL expansion given the league's continued look toward the West. With new teams in Vancouver and Seattle, the league will undoubtedly hope to also plant a team in the mountain time zone, a space held by Edmonton in Canada, and Denver in the United States.

But given the PWHL's list of factors, headlined by logistical considerations, namely facilities, two other Canadian cities are perhaps better suited for the league.

Those cities are Quebec City, Quebec and Hamilton, Ontario.

“Over the past year, we have achieved many gains for the development of women’s hockey culture in Québec City," said councillor Jackie Smith, reopening her push for a PWHL franchise in the city. "Our professional team will be the jewel of this expanding league, a source of pride for local residents, and it will allow us to shine as a sports tourism destination."

Last season Quebec City drew a sold out crowd of 18,259 fans to a PWHL Takeover Tour game. And the city doesn't want to simply be a stopover. 

The Videotron Centre in Quebec City was built with the intent of bringing an NHL team back to the city, something that hasn't existed since the Quebec Nordiques relocated to Colorado in 1995.

Right now the facility is home to only one tenant, the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts. It means scheduling for the PWHL, dressing room, training space, and practice times would all be accessible to a professional women's hockey team. With the push the city has put on to lure a pro team back to the market, a PWHL team would undoubtedly jump to the front of the line and be given primary tenant status, meaning they'd be able to place their branding in the venue.

The second city that seemingly checks all the boxes for the PWHL is Hamilton. 

TD Coliseum in Hamilton is in the final stages of a full scale renovation to bring the building up to date as a state-of-the-art facility. At the moment, the renewed venue doesn't have a primary tenant and would create a natural rival with the Toronto Sceptres, as well as bring the league closer to the massive base in Southwestern Ontario where millions of potential fans live in a corridor including London, Kitchener, Waterloo, Niagara Falls, and Hamilton itself. Hamilton is also only one hour from Buffalo, New York. 

Hamilton's TD Coliseum is set to seat 17,383 fans. The city is home to the CFL's Hamilton Tiger Cats, and links to Toronto through Burlington, Oakville, and Mississauga, a trio of cities where more than a million total people live. 

Many cities in professional sport feature multiple teams including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Last season the Toronto Sceptres led the PWHL in average attendance drawing 9,059, a number bolstered by a home game at Scotiabank Arena, and strong showings at Coca-Cola Coliseum, the Sceptres' home rink.