Montreal claimed the Walter Cup on Wednesday night, defeating Ottawa in an all-Canadian final that capped the PWHL's second season. But the trophy heading north masks a deeper story: women's hockey in America is experiencing explosive growth, and the league is betting big on the US market.
Just hours before the Victoire hoisted the championship, the PWHL announced a fourth expansion franchise in three weeks. San Jose joined Detroit, Las Vegas, and Hamilton, Ontario, as the newest members of the circuit. When the 2026-27 season begins, the league will field seven US teams and five Canadian ones, marking the first time American franchises outnumber their northern counterparts.
The expansion strategy reflects hard numbers. PWHL venues across the US have posted record attendance figures. Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena sold out, as did Boston's TD Garden and Madison Square Garden, where 18,006 fans set a new US professional women's hockey attendance record. League-wide, growth has been brisk. Seattle's expansion team led the circuit, averaging 12,875 fans per game. But even established markets surged: Minnesota's attendance climbed from 6,524 to 8,143 year-over-year, Boston rose from 4,587 to 5,991, and New York nearly doubled from 2,764 to 5,095.
Television and streaming have amplified the momentum. ION, a Scripps Sports network, televised a PWHL game nationally for the first time in March and subsequently added playoff games to its lineup. YouTube viewership jumped 77% season-over-season, even before the linear TV push. The league is negotiating a comprehensive national broadcasting deal in the US.
Off the ice, the business metrics are equally striking. Corporate partnerships expanded 35% to 81 total, in-arena merchandise sales doubled, and online sales climbed more than 50%.
International competition has fueled the American surge. Team USA won gold at the U-18 world championships, IIHF world championships, Para Ice Hockey world championships, and the Milano Cortina Olympics within the past year. Following the Olympic triumph, USA Hockey reported hitting a historic milestone: 100,000 women and girls registered to play ice hockey for the first time.
Pockets of the country are experiencing hockey booms that foreshadow the PWHL's expansion footprint. Nevada has seen girls' hockey registrations spike 600% since the Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL in 2017. The arrival of a PWHL franchise in Las Vegas will likely accelerate that trend. California, where the San Jose expansion team will play at the SAP Center alongside the Sharks, boasts a growing pipeline of female talent. The San Jose Jr Sharks program has produced alumnae competing in the NCAA and professional leagues. Rachel Llanes, a San Jose native who served as strength and conditioning coach for the AHL's San Jose Barracudas, stands among potential Bay Area players eyeing PWHL opportunities.
The Walter Group, which owns all 12 PWHL franchises under a single-entity model, has deep California roots. Mark Walter owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lakers, and the WNBA's Sparks. Several PWHL advisory board members operate through California as well: Stan Kasten holds part-ownership and the presidency of the Dodgers and part-ownership of the Sparks, Billie Jean King invests in the NWSL's Angel City, and Royce Cohen serves as senior vice-president of business strategy for the Dodgers.
Author James Rodriguez: "The PWHL is riding genuine momentum in the US, and the expansion strategy signals confidence that American markets can sustain and grow the sport at scale."
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