It would not be surprising to see Las Vegas among the next wave of expansion markets for the PWHL. The city is teeming with support for girls and women's hockey, including from the NHL's Vegas Golden Knight who have openly stated they'd like the city to be involved with the PWHL [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/pwhl-vegas-we-want-to-be-a-part-of-that]. Before the PWHL gets to Vegas however, the city and Golden Kngihts will host WickFest 2026, one of the longest running and most respected girls' hockey festivals in the world. From February 5-8 2026, Vegas will be the first American market ever to host WickFest, which will be held at City National Arena, America First Center, and Hylo Park Arena. Hockey Hall of Famer and four-time Olympic gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser launched WickFest in 2010 to bring girls and women to the game of hockey. “When WickFest was founded, the vision was to create a space where girls could discover and fulfill their potential through hockey,” said Wickenheiser in a news release [https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/news/vegas-golden-knights-announce-wickfest-2026-february-girls-hockey-festival-at-city-national-arena-america-first-center-hylo-park-arena]. “Sixteen years later, seeing the enormous impact we’ve had fills me with incredible pride. Bringing WickFest to Las Vegas and partnering with the Golden Knights represents an exciting new chapter for us. I believe the passionate, growing hockey community and incredible facilities will make WickFest 2026 truly unforgettable.” Las Vegas is expecting approximately 50 teams and 750 participants from the 10U to 16U level to participate. Since the Vegas Golden Knight joined the NHL, girls and women's hockey participation has skyrocketed by 600% in Nevada. “We are honored and excited that Hayley and her team have chosen Las Vegas as the first U.S. hosts of WickFest,” said Golden Knights President and CEO Kerry Bubolz. “We’ve seen the great impact that opportunities like this make on the growth of girls in hockey, and we look forward to providing first-class venues for the participants and their families in February 2026.” WickFest is an example of the many ways the Golden Knights have promoted female participation in hockey, which has increased by 600% in Nevada since the team joined the NHL, according to USA Hockey.
