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The PWHL is bringing women’s hockey to the Bay Area by choosing San Jose, California, as its fourth and final market during the league’s latest round of expansion, two people with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on Friday.
The people spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the league had not made an announcement. The Hockey News first reported the development earlier in the day.
With the addition of San Jose, the PWHL increases to 12 teams, doubling the league’s size since it started in 2024 and broadening its geographical reach.
The city is home to the NHL’s Sharks and gives the league a four-team foothold in the West. Las Vegas is another expansion market, and Seattle and Vancouver, joined the league last year. The team would likely play at the Sharks’ arena, the SAP Center.
The PWHL also added franchises in Detroit and Hamilton over the past two weeks.
Executive vice-president of business operations Amy Scheer previously told the AP that the league’s priorities include geographic diversity and reducing travel time between markets.
Scheer also said the PWHL has been exploring splitting into two conferences or divisions.
The PWHL’s original six franchises are Boston, New York, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Minnesota.
The PWHL is expanding next season, adding teams in Hamilton and Las Vegas. The league is also changing its rules around expansion, eliminating an expansion draft that some players had criticized.
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