Detroit has been one of the United States' front runners for PWHL expansion since day one. The city has set back-to-back American attendance records for a professional women's hockey game. This year the new standard Detroit set was 14,288 fans on their stop at the PWHL Takeover Tour.
While Detroit has everything from local support, to proximity to a large Canadian fan base working in their favour. Despite the fact the city has a state-of-the-art facility, Little Caesars Arena, which opened in 2017, it's actually the facility that is the main issue in Detroit, and that issue was exasperated this week by the announced future expansion of the WNBA to Detroit.
With the announcement of the WNBA coming to Detroit, it was also announced that the new Detroit franchise would play their 22 home games, which is likely to increase by the time the team hits the court, at Little Caesars Arena.
The WNBA team will be owned by Tom Gores, who is also the owner of the NBA's Detroit Pistons who play their home games at Little Caesars Arena. The facility is also the home venue for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings.
While pro sports teams are the primary tenants for Little Caesars Arena, the facility is also Detroit's main concert venue for large events hosting close to two dozen additional shows at the venue each year.
The NBA and NHL schedules directly overlap with the PWHL's current schedule.
This season, the WNBA launched their preseason schedule on the same weekend as the final games of the PWHL's regular season. The PWHL playoffs however, are in direct conflict with the WNBA preseason and opening weeks of the regular season.
For the PWHL, this is not a good situation as it means the team could be facing not only the NHL and NBA, but also the WNBA in the same venue during playoffs.
A Possible Death Blow To PWHL Detroit
With three professional sports teams already calling Little Caesars Arena home, it could be the final blow to any hope the PWHL had of coming to Detroit.
Seattle could have been in the same situation with the NHL and WNBA already playing out of Climate Pledge Arena, but the city has yet to secure a new NBA team, and even if they do, there are other options for the PWHL to play in an alternate venue at the nearby accesso ShoWare Center, home of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.
Detroit has no such alternative. The team could potentially play a handful of games across the border in Windsor, Ontario where the beautiful WFCU Center would be an ideal home location, but to stay in the United States, the only other option would be the 4,000 seat USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, which like the PWHL's other ventures into places like Lowell and Bridgeport while masquerading as Boston and New York respectively, have come with varying levels of success. In a city that's drawn consecutive American attendance records, the 6,450 seat WFCU Centre in Windsor is likely the better option, but is decidedly not Detroit.
PWHL Expanding As Quickly As Possible
The PWHL this year announced expansion to Vancouver and Seattle after only two years of operation, and the plan is to continue expanding rapidly over the next five years. The league wants to quickly get to 10 teams, and then to 12 teams before the expiration of their current collective agreement in 2031. Beyond that, the sky is the limit for the PWHL, but the main target is 12 teams in the next six years.
This year however, seeing the PWHL find the perfect venue in the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver as the league's first primary venue, was a paramount moment. It's unlikely the league will begin building their own facilities, but should city be looking to renovate or build for multiple teams, the PWHL would likely be interested in a partnership.
The PWHL has stated on multiple occasions that facilities are a primary consideration in all expansion conversations. With that in mind, the WNBA's Detroit announced could be the final nail in the coffin for PWHL expansion to Detroit for the foreseeable future until another venue can be imagined in the market.
