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PWHL announces Seattle as second expansion franchise, bringing league total to eight teams
“It’s exciting for our game to add another team, and this game is growing.”
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The Professional Women’s Hockey League announced Wednesday it will expand to Seattle beginning with the 2025-26 season, bringing the league’s total to eight teams after its second year.
The league announced last Wednesday that Vancouver would be its first expansion market, also set to begin play in 2025-26, after a six-month evaluation process. Both expansion teams will be owned by the Walter Group, as the league plans to maintain its single-entity ownership structure.
The expansion announcements mark the league’s first move westward, as the original six teams include five in the Northeast — Boston, New York, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto — and one in Minnesota.
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“Growing its presence in the Pacific Northwest not only broadens the league’s national reach, but also strengthens regional rivalries, with Seattle’s proximity to Vancouver creating natural competitive energy,” the league said in a statement.
Details about the expansion draft will be announced at a later date. This year’s PWHL entry draft will take place on June 24 in Ottawa.
The Seattle team will play at Climate Pledge Arena, home of the Seattle Kraken, and will practice at the Kraken’s practice facility. Climate Pledge Arena was home to the first Takeover Tour game of this season, when 12,608 fans watched the Boston Fleet beat Montreal, 3-2, in a shootout.
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Seattle will wear emerald green, and Vancouver’s primary color will be blue. Details about each team’s branding, logo, and name will be released at a later date.
“It’s exciting for our game to add another team, and this game is growing,” Fleet coach Courtney Kessel said on Thursday following the announcement of the Vancouver expansion. “This league is tremendous.”
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