Women’s hockey league expands to Seattle

Article posted by Coliseum, May 13^th, 2025

Image: Climate Pledge Arena, Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0

The US Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is getting bigger and better with expansion to Seattle, Washington.

PWHL said the new team, which is set to face off in the 2025-26 season, will play its home games at Climate Pledge Arena and train at the Kraken Community Iceplex.

The team will operate as PWHL Seattle until the permanent brand identity is announced.

Seattle joins Vancouver as the PWHL’s first two expansion teams alongside the inaugural six markets (Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto), extending the league’s footprint to the Pacific Northwest ahead of its third season.

The new team will join the league’s single-entity ownership structure under The Walter Group.

The Toronto (Canada)-based Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a women’s professional ice hockey league in North America. It is comprised of eight teams: Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.

The teams play a regular season to earn one of four places in a post-season tournament that determines the winner of the Walter Cup (the championship trophy awarded annually to the PWHL playoff champion).

Details regarding an Expansion Draft, and how Seattle and Vancouver will be integrated into the 2025 PWHL Draft on June 24, will be announced in the coming weeks.

The decision to expand to Seattle follows an extensive Request for Proposal (RFP) process and reflects the initial stages of the league’s long-term vision for strategic growth.

Seattle’s bid was led by Oak View Group, the developers and operators of Climate Pledge Arena, alongside the Seattle Kraken.

Climate Pledge Arena, located at Seattle Center, is the complete redevelopment of an historic landmark, originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. The arena is home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, WNBA’s Seattle Storm, PWHL Seattle, and the world’s biggest performers of live music and events.

Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations, said, “We are looking forward to returning the love, energy and excitement the Seattle sports community shared with us during the PWHL Takeover Tour.

“The opportunity to start a new chapter of women’s hockey in the Pacific Northwest, combined with calling the world-class Climate Pledge Arena home has so much meaning for our league. The Kraken already have been unbelievably supportive, and it’s a joy to have PWHL Seattle join the WNBA’s Storm and the NWSL’s Reign, who are skyscrapers in the city’s towering sports landscape.”

Seattle emerged as a natural fit for PWHL expansion for several reasons, including its best-in-class facilities, a growing youth hockey community, and passionate women’s sports fanbase.

The city delivered an enthusiastic response to the launch of the PWHL Takeover Tour, drawing a crowd of 12,608 at Climate Pledge Arena on January 5.

PWHL said growing its presence in the Pacific Northwest not only broadens the league’s national reach, but also strengthens regional rivalries, with Seattle’s proximity to Vancouver creating natural competitive energy.

Partnering with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken further solidifies a strong foundation for success in this vibrant sports market. The PWHL will build on this momentum by extending grassroots efforts across the Seattle area through camps, clinics, and community events designed to grow the game and foster deep local connections.

The 2025–26 PWHL season, which includes 30 games per team, will begin this fall, with the full schedule set to be released in late summer.

Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations said, “There is so much passion from women’s and girls’ hockey organizations in Seattle, and our players thrived on that energy during their Takeover Tour visit.

“Women’s teams from Seattle and Vancouver played against each other as early as 1921 and, given the proximity of our two newest cities – Vancouver is barely 140 miles away – I cannot wait for the first game in what I’m sure will be one of our fiercest rivalries.

“We also look forward to making an impact in Seattle off the ice––from grassroots hockey to community initiatives, we’re committed to building meaningful connections throughout our newest home city.”

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