Team set to debut in 2025-26 season, will play home games at Pacific Coliseum
NEW YORK AND TORONTO (April 23, 2025) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that it will expand to Vancouver, British Columbia, with the newest team set to begin play with the 2025-26 season.
The historic Pacific Coliseum, located on the property of the PNE, will serve as the Vancouver team’s home venue with the practice facility just steps away at PNE Agrodome. Ahead of the team’s debut, the Coliseum and Agrodome will undergo comprehensive upgrades to locker rooms and training facilities. The Coliseum will also receive enhanced technology and broadcast capabilities—all while preserving the venue’s charm and renowned hockey sightlines.
As part of today’s announcement, the team also revealed its primary colour, Pacific Blue, and secondary colour, Cream. The team will operate as PWHL Vancouver until the permanent brand identity is announced.
The addition of Vancouver to the PWHL’s founding six markets—Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto—marks a significant milestone as the league reaches the West Coast for the first time, in its third season. The Vancouver team will join the league’s single-entity ownership structure under The Walter Group. Details about a forthcoming Expansion Draft, and how Vancouver will be integrated into the 2025 PWHL Draft on June 24, will be announced in the coming weeks.
The decision to expand to Vancouver follows an extensive Request for Proposal (RFP) process and reflects the league’s long-term vision for strategic growth. Vancouver’s bid was led by PNE, with the city’s strong and flourishing hockey culture, the opportunity to create fully integrated facilities while serving as the PNE’s primary team tenant, and the enthusiastic response to the PWHL Takeover Tour—including a tour-high, sold-out crowd of 19,038 at Rogers Arena on January 8, 2025—reinforcing Vancouver as a natural fit for expansion. The PWHL will extend its grassroots efforts into the Vancouver community by hosting camps, clinics, and other events that grow the game and foster meaningful connections between the team and local fans.
The 2025–26 PWHL season will begin this fall, with the full schedule set to be released in late summer. Fans can place a time-stamped deposit here to secure priority access to season tickets for Vancouver’s historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. For the latest news and updates on PWHL Vancouver, fans can subscribe to the newsletter here and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram @pwhl__vancouver, X @pwhl__vancouver, TikTok @pwhl__vancouver, Threads @pwhl__vancouver and Bluesky @pwhl--vancouver.
SUPPORTING QUOTES
“This is a historic day for our league, our fans, our athletes, and our sport,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations. “Vancouver is a vibrant city with a deep love for the game—as we saw firsthand during the PWHL Takeover Tour earlier this season. Expanding to Vancouver reflects the growing momentum behind the league and the incredible passion of our fanbase since launching in January 2024. We’re proud to bring the PWHL to the West Coast and provide more fans with the opportunity to experience live the best women’s hockey players in the world.”
“This is a significant milestone for the PWHL and for the growth of women’s hockey,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. “Expansion creates new opportunities for more elite athletes to continue their professional careers at the highest level. It’s fitting that this next chapter features Vancouver—a city with a rich history in women’s hockey. With what’s expected to be another deep draft class this June, we’re excited to build a competitive, community-connected team that reflects the PWHL style our fans have come to embrace.”
“This is a great day for women’s sport in Vancouver, and a great day for professional hockey at the PNE,” says PNE President and CEO Shelley Frost. “We are honoured to have worked with the PWHL to be chosen host venue for this expansion franchise, and we are thrilled to support driving professional women’s sport in this city and at the Pacific Coliseum, a beloved venue continuing to deliver memorable player and guest experiences.”
“The expansion of the PWHL to Vancouver is fantastic news for hockey fans and a great score for women in sport,” said Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “B.C. is well known for being a welcoming and inclusive place for sports, and for being home to the best sports fans, who passionately celebrate and cheer on great athletes. We look forward to welcoming this new elite hockey team to their home at the PNE. I can’t wait to watch the puck drop and see the PWHL inspire young athletes all across our province.”
“This is an incredibly exciting moment for Vancouver and for the future of professional women’s sports in our city,” said Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver. “We’re proud to welcome the PWHL to the Pacific Coliseum and thrilled that Vancouver fans will get to cheer on some of the best female athletes in the world. The passion for women’s hockey is growing, and today’s announcement shows that Vancouver is ready to lead that charge on the West Coast.”
About Pacific Coliseum
Pacific Coliseum is located in northeast Vancouver on the grounds of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), which is owned by the City of Vancouver. Since opening in 1968, the venue has hosted iconic moments in hockey history, world-class concerts, cultural events, and Olympic competition—cementing its place as a cornerstone of Vancouver’s sports and entertainment legacy. The original home of the Vancouver Canucks and a proud venue during the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Coliseum continues to evolve and will serve as the home of the PWHL’s Vancouver team, launching with the 2025-26 season. As part of the PNE, all revenues generated at the Coliseum are reinvested into park space, community programs, and inclusive educational and entertainment experiences.
About the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprised of six teams in Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto, each with rosters featuring the best women’s hockey players in the world. Launched on Jan. 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women’s hockey game. In 2024, the PWHL was recognized by Sports Business Journal as the Sports Breakthrough of the Year and received the top position in the first-ever Canadian edition of the Harris Poll, which ranks companies’ reputations. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter to receive the latest league updates. Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial.
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