REPORT: PWHL Expanding To San Jose?

According to Ice Warriors Magazine, San Jose will be getting a Professional Women’s Hockey League team next season.

On May 6, the PWHL announced expansion to Detroit. Following that, reports surfaced that the league could be adding even more clubs. Detroit is the league’s 9th team. San Jose, Hamilton, Ontario, and potentially Las Vegas are reported as other additions. The PWHL is well on its way to becoming a major women’s sport.

According to IW, Hamilton and San Jose’s deals for a new team haven’t been finalized.

“As IW reported early Thursday morning, Hamilton is next in line to receive a franchise. IW has now learned that San Jose will also be entering the PWHL with its own team, which would bring the league up to 11 clubs, once their deal is complete,” IW wrote.

Per Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News, officials in the PWHL and San Jose are in constant communication. The two sides are working on a deal to bring an expansion franchise to the Bay Area.

“While there are hurdles to be crossed, the PWHL and San Jose are set to continue negotiations early next week, when a deal could formally be struck. As it stands right now however, the two sides each want to work together, but each have items that need to be ironed out before any deal is signed,” Kennedy writes.

Women’s sports have exploded in the Bay Area with the arrival of Bay FC and the Golden State Valkyries. During their inaugural season in 2025, the Valkyries set a WNBA record for attendance in a single season. The final number was 397,408, and the team sold out all 22 home games at the Chase Center. The Golden State Warriors also play out of the Chase Center in San Francisco.

The San Jose Sharks have proven that hockey can work in the Bay Area. The team’s attendance dipped due to a lack of success and the COVID-19 pandemic, but a strong hockey market exists. Regardless of success, Bay Area sports fans have routinely shown up for professional women’s sports.

IW reports that if San Jose is going to get a PWHL team, they will play out of the SAP Center. If, for some reason, SAP Center isn’t an option, Tech CU Arena is nearby, but the hope is for the NHL building.

If San Jose is awarded a team, the expectation is that an announcement will happen at the end of May.