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04/30 16:55 CDT PWHL announces Seattle for 2nd expansion franchise, plans to
add 2 more by 2026-27, AP source says
PWHL announces Seattle for 2nd expansion franchise, plans to add 2 more by
2026-27, AP source says
By JOHN WAWROW
AP Hockey Writer
The PWHL is expanding to eight teams next season by adding Seattle as its
second new franchise alongside Vancouver, and The Associated Press has learned
that plans already are in the works to add two more in a year's time.
Seattle's addition, announced Wednesday, gives the PWHL a strong foothold in
the Pacific Northwest and comes a week after the unveiling of the new team in
Vancouver for the 2025-26 season. The westward move broadens the league's reach
across North America, pairs two markets separated by a three-hour drive and
captures Seattle's history of supporting women's sports.
Seattle will now be home to three women's pro sports leagues, with the PWHL
team joining the WNBA's Storm and NWSL's Reign. And it was fitting for Storm
star Skylar Diggins to open the news conference and formally welcome women's
hockey.
"This city takes incredible pride in its women's sports teams. We show up for
one another. We support each other and we help build this community together,"
Diggins said. "I know Seattle fans will embrace you guys with the same passion
and pride as they've done for us. So welcome to the family, PWHL. Let's get it."
Amy Scheer, the PWHL's executive vice president of business operations,
referred to Seattle as the "capital of women's sports," and recognized the
numerous female owners and executives of the Storm, Reign and NHL's Kraken in
attendance.
"We're here because of you, and you've made this possible for us, so thank you
for paving the way," Scheer said.
As for pairing Seattle and Vancouver, Scheer told the AP earlier that the
geography "made a ton of sense," and the league hoped the two would establish a
natural rivalry. "But most importantly is they met all the criteria in terms of
what we were looking for," she added.
The two-team expansion for Season 3 is only the beginning for a league that
launched in January 2024 with five Eastern franchises --- Boston, New York,
Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto --- and one in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The PWHL plans to grow to 10 teams for its 2026-27 season, a person with
knowledge of discussions told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity
because the talks were to remain private. The person said the league is
accelerating its plans based on the strength of responses and feedback received
during its eight-month expansion search in which the PWHL considered more than
20 markets.
Scheer didn't entirely dispute the plan, without providing an exact timetable.
"I think we've been pretty clear from the outset that this is the first year of
a multiyear process," Scheer said as the PWHL closes the final week of the
regular season. "It could come in Year 4. It could come Year 5. I think that
those conversations are still being had."
Neutral-site stops this season in Denver, Detroit, Quebec City and Edmonton
each topped 14,000 fans.
The new team initially will go by PWHL Seattle and its colors will be emerald
green and cream. The team will play in the Kraken's Climate Pledge Arena and
practice at the Kraken Community Iceplex.
Though all PWHL teams are centrally controlled by the league, Seattle's
expansion bid was led by the Kraken and the Oak View Group, which developed and
operates Climate Pledge Arena.
Oak View has longtime ties to women's hockey and expressed interest in landing
an original six franchise when the league was established in June 2023 by Los
Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, his wife, Kimbra, and tennis icon Billie
Jean King.
Seattle features a growing youth hockey program and previously showed support
for women's hockey. In November 2022, Seattle drew a U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series
record crowd of 14,551. In January, the PWHL drew a crowd of 12,608 in Seattle
when kicking off its nine-game Takeover Tour of neutral-site games.
"Seattle is an incredible sports city and we've seen firsthand the passion for
the women's game," Kraken owner Samantha Holloway said. "We're also proud to
grow the game of hockey ... and together we'll continue to inspire the next
generation of hockey players and fans alike."
Jayna Hefford, the PWHL's executive vice president of hockey operations, noted
women's hockey in the region dates to 1921, when the Seattle Vamps and
Vancouver Amazons competed in what's believed to be women's hockey's first
international tournament.
"A new chapter of this Pacific Northwest rivalry begins now," Hefford said.
"We're not just honoring that history. We are reigniting it."
The PWHL plans to announce later the date of an expansion draft and how
Vancouver and Seattle will be integrated into its entry draft on June 24. The
league also has yet to determine if it will expand its playoff field from four
and whether to adopt a divisional format of four teams each.
The PWHL's accelerated expansion plans coincide with a deep pool of college
talent anticipated to enter the league over the next two years. The league's
growth also is expected to lure more Europeans to North America.
"Upon launch, you've got six teams and maybe if you're not North American, you
don't know really what to expect," Hefford said. "Now I think these players are
seeing that this league is here, it's thriving, it's growing, and they are
going to want to be a part of it."
Scheer was impressed by the response when overseeing the expansion search.
"I feel more encouraged than ever about what our business looks like and what
our business can be," she said. "As we look to expand and move beyond Year 3,
we'll have plenty of suitors along the way as we look to grow."
___
AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin in Seattle contributed to this report.
___
AP Women's Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
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