The Professional Women’s Hockey League is expanding to Michigan with the PWHL Detroit expansion team set to face off for the 2026-27 season.
The PWHL said PWHL Detroit will play its home games at Little Caesars Arena.
In celebration of the PWHL’s newest market, Detroit will host the 2026 PWHL Awards Ceremony on June 16, and the 2026 PWHL Draft on June 17.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that features the best women’s players in the world.
As of the 2025-26 season, it is comprised of eight teams — Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver — with Detroit added as the ninth team ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Bringing professional women’s hockey to Hockeytown is an undeniable next step for the PWHL and the storied hockey market.
Detroit has welcomed the PWHL from the very beginning, starting with hosting the league’s first-ever neutral-site game at Little Caesars Arena during the league’s inaugural season in 2024, drawing 13,736 fans.
Since then, local support has only grown, with Detroit hosting four PWHL games over three seasons — the most of any neutral-site city.
Among those games were crowds of 14,288 fans, setting a then-U.S. arena attendance record for women’s hockey on March 16, 2025, and a Little Caesars Arena women’s hockey attendance high of 15,938 at the city’s last Takeover Tour™ game on March 28, 2026, cementing Detroit fans’ demand for a PWHL team to call their own.
The 20,332-capacity Little Caesars Arena is a multipurpose arena in Midtown Detroit (US). Opening on September 5th, 2017, the arena, which cost $862.9 million to construct, currently serves as the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), respectively.
The team’s practice home will be BELFOR Training Center, which is part of the arena’s complex.
The decision to add the PWHL Detroit expansion team reflects the league’s long-term vision for strategic growth.
Detroit’s bid was led by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, the business arm of the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, and operators of Little Caesars Arena.
Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President, Business Operations, said, “Detroit has been part of PWHL history since the beginning; from the support shown at our first-ever neutral site game at Little Caesars Arena, the city and fans have helped lead the way for the future of pro women’s hockey.
“Led by our incredible partner Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, Detroit proved time and time again they are ready for a team of their own. We are so proud to permanently join Hockeytown with the introduction of PWHL Detroit.”
Chris Ilitch, President and CEO, Ilitch Companies, said, “Detroit is one of the great hockey cities, shaped by generations of players, teams, and fans who have helped grow the game at every level. Bringing a PWHL team to Little Caesars Arena is an exciting next step for our city and for the continued momentum of women’s hockey.
“This moment also reflects our broader vision of using sports as a catalyst for Detroit’s continued revitalization — strengthening community engagement, supporting economic growth, and contributing to the city’s long-term development.
“We’re proud to support the PWHL’s growth, welcome these athletes to our city, and inspire the next generation of women and girls to pursue the game at the highest level.”
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