The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is expanding to San Jose, California and the new team will play its home games at SAP Center.
The PWHL said the PWHL San Jose expansion team will round out the league’s four new teams set to debut for the 2026-27 season.
The PWHL San Jose expansion team will train at Sharks Ice at San Jose.
San Jose and the Bay Area represent a compelling next step for the future of the PWHL, featuring a unique combination of established professional and youth hockey culture, record-setting support for women’s sports, continued opportunity for league geographic diversity, and a strong corporate base.
Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President, Business Operations, said, “Between a deeply rooted hockey culture, rapidly booming women’s sports scene, and a community known for growth and innovation, San Jose offers a dynamic stage for the PWHL to expand its reach and build lasting momentum.
“Thanks to the San Jose Sharks and City of San Jose’s incredible support systems already in place to grow our sport across the Bay Area, and their enthusiasm for embracing the future of women’s hockey, we have the foundation to establish a lasting and impactful new home for the PWHL in San Jose.
“Together, we’re excited to inspire and excite fans and grow hockey together on the West Coast.”
While Northern California is a new market for pro women’s hockey, the San Jose Sharks have helped build a strong local hockey community in the Bay Area, which boasts one of the largest ice facilities in the Western United States, while California ranks sixth in the country in girls’ hockey participation behind five colder-climate regions.
Off the ice, after welcoming the NWSL’s Bay FC and the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries in 2024 and 2025 respectively, fans have propelled both teams to league attendance records.
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, US. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference and are owned by the San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises.
The 17,562-capacity SAP Center at San Jose is an indoor arena located in San Jose, California, US. Its primary tenant is the San Jose Sharks of the NHL, for which the arena has earned the nickname ‘The Shark Tank’.
San Jose’s location places four PWHL teams in the Pacific Time Zone, expanding the league’s footprint and offering more balance for scheduling and travel.
The PWHL San Jose expansion team follows Detroit, Hamilton, and Las Vegas as the PWHL’s 2026-27 expansion markets, joining the league’s eight current markets — Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Jonathan Becher, Sharks Sports & Entertainment President, said, “We are honored the PWHL has chosen San José as the site of its latest expansion team, joining the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.
“From its humble beginnings with an NHL expansion team in 1991, San José is now truly a ‘hockey city.’ Boasting three professional hockey teams and Sharks Ice, a six-sheet public recreational ice facility, San José hosts one of the largest collection of boys, girls, and adult hockey players in the U.S. Personally, I can’t wait until opening night of PWHL San Jose later this year.”
San José Mayor Matt Mahan said, “San José is cementing its reputation as the premier destination for women’s sports in our region — and today’s announcement is another major win for our city,”
“From cheering on Bay FC at PayPal Park, to hosting the Golden State Valkyries during their championship game, and now PWHL San José, our community has shown up again and again to support women athletes at the highest level.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the Professional Women’s Hockey League to San José and look forward to helping grow the game for fans and young athletes across our city.”
Continue following Coliseum for the latest updates on sports venues, stadiums and arena business news worldwide.
Coliseum is dedicated to building a global community of sports and entertainment venue professionals helping create better and more profitable venues.
Become a member of the Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and industry experts from around the world. Apply for membership through the Global Sports Venue Alliance and access the 365Coliseum Business platform.