PWHL set to announce Vancouver as first expansion franchise

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Get ready for PWHL Vancouver, with the six-team women’s pro hockey league set to announce its first expansion franchise on Wednesday.

Without specifically mentioning where, the PWHL issued a news release saying it would hold an afternoon news conference to make an expansion announcement, with league executives being made available later.

On Friday, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that Vancouver will be the PWHL’s first expansion team. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league has not revealed its plans.

On hold for now is the league announcing a second expansion city, with Seattle being considered, the person said. The league has other candidates for expansion if discussions break down with officials in Seattle, the person added.

The new team is expected to be based out of the Pacific Coliseum, the former home of the NHL Canucks.

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The PWHL declined to verify any details by saying: “We’re continuing to finalize decisions related to expansion and look forward to sharing more details soon.”

The six-team league is in its second season and has spent the past six months evaluating more than 20 markets for the potential to expand by as many as two franchises.

The decision to select Vancouver meets several key criteria for the women’s pro league founded by Dodgers owner Mark Walter, who serves as the PWHL’s financial backer, and tennis icon Billie Jean King in June 2023.

Aside from being a large market, the region has a growing girls’ hockey base, which was evident in January, when a PWHL neutral-site game in Vancouver drew a sellout crowd of 19,038 — the fourth-largest turnout for a league game.

Geography also plays a factor with the league seeking to broaden its reach across North America. The league currently has five teams — New York, Boston, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto — based in the Northeast, and one in St. Paul, Minnesota.