The PWHL is adding a franchise in Detroit, and it’s the first new team the league is making public as part of a larger expansion plan ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The league made the announcement Wednesday morning at Little Caesars Arena, where PWHL Detroit will play its home games.
“Wow — we’re officially here, Detroit,” said a grinning Jayna Hefford, the Hall of Famer and executive vice president of hockey operations, during an announcement in front of fans, players and coaches, where a band played and a PWHL Detroit logo was unveiled on a sports car.
More expansion news is still to come, with rumours that four teams will be added to the league that began in 2024 with six franchises and now looks like it’ll double in time for next season.
To see the PWHL expand to Hockey Town isn’t a big surprise: Detroit hosted four Takeover Tour games over the last three seasons, and broke league attendance records in the process.
“Detroit, I think you know — you had us at Game 1,” said Amy Scheer, the PWHL's senior vice president of business operations. “So here we are, PWHL Detroit, and we couldn’t be happier. You are a city that lives and breathes hockey.”
“This team is now yours,” Hefford added of the league's ninth franchise. “We’re proud to be here and we can’t wait to watch this city bring PWHL Detroit to life.”
According to the news release following the announcement, PWHL Detroit will feature black and silver as its primary colours, white as a secondary colour, and red — a nod to the NHL's Red Wings — as an accent. The logo and team name will be announced at a later date.
The league is partnering with Ilitch Sports and Entertainment to bring the franchise to Detroit, and as of today, fans can put down deposits on season’s tickets. The city will also play host to the PWHL’s Entry Draft on June 17 at Fox Theatre.
Detroit joins Boston, Minnesota, New York, Seattle, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto to make up the PWHL, and it’s the third expansion team announced in the last two years.
Detroit’s first-ever female mayor, Mary Sheffield, called the new franchise "a slap shot and a one-timer win for our city and for women’s sports.”