VANCOUVER, BC - The PWHL is expanding to Vancouver. That news had leaked over the past few weeks after ongoing rumors, but was officially announced by the league, representatives from the non-profit that bid for the franchise and local and national government officials at a press conference Wednesday
The yet-to-be-named PWHL Vancouver franchise is set to hit the ice for the upcoming 2025-2026 season where they will play at The Pacific Coliseum and the practice at the neighboring PNE Agrodome. Vancouver becomes the seventh team in the PWHL alongside teams in Boston, New York, Toronto, Montreal, and Minnesota.
Vancouver has long been a market on the radar of PWHL Senior Vice President of Business Operations, Amy Scheer. The PWHL takeover in Vancouver on January 8, 2025 was an overwhelming success. A crowd of 19,038 packed Rogers Arena. Among the cities that had a PWHL takeover game this season, Vancouver had the highest social media engagement.
Adding Vancouver was a no-brainer for Scheer.
“We talked of how we had certain criteria that the markets had to meet,” Scheer said. “Vancouver really met all of them. Whether it was the infrastructure, size of the market, fan engagement, they just checked off every box. It seemed an easy and perfect fit for us to come here.”
Being able to play at The Pacific Coliseum as the primary tenant is a huge plus for Vice President of Hockey Operations, Jayna Hefford. PWHL Vancouver has an opportunity to build something special that they can truly call their own at the Rink on Renfrew.
“There’s a lot of things we looked at,” Hefford said. “We wanted to find media, market reach was important, infrastructure, and facilities. You look at grassroots hockey, the economic and partnership opportunities that exist in Canada’s third biggest city, it’s something we’re really excited about the opportunities for this team.”
Having one franchise west of Minnesota could present some scheduling challenges. The PWHL is considering several options that could make travel easier for teams and that includes potentially having double headers when a team travels out west.
“We looked at a lot of different factors and we understand there could be some challenges. I think we’re going to solve that through our scheduling, takeover tour, and we’ve got a team in Minnesota. There's a way to alleviate the fatigue from travel for our athletes," Hefford said.
Adding another team on the west coast could also help scheduling, Hefford was asked about the possibility of Seattle as a PWHL expansion team.
“Yet to be determined, if and when we have another expansion team,” Hefford said.
There’s a lot to do before the first PWHL Vancouver game in November. A coaching staff, general manager, roster, team name, and jersey all have to be set in place. The 2025 PWHL Draft, scheduled for June 24 in Ottawa plus an as-yet unscheduled expansion draft will provide an opportunity for roster building.
The refurbishment and construction improvements that are set to happen at The Pacific Coliseum and PNE Agrodome are extensive. Both venues need investing in dressing rooms, back of house areas, officials rooms, new rink boards, and equipment to make sure the ice is in perfect shape. A new score clock will also be needed for The Pacific Coliseum.
Shelley Frost, the President and CEO of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), the non-profit that manages the arenas PWHL Vancouver will use and holds events in adjoining Hastings Park, expects phase one of the project to be complete by the middle of October. The capital to start the project is already in place. Seating capacity will be determined following the completion of construction upgrades.
Who will pay the costs for the upgrades?
“The PNE is,” Frost told The Victory Press. “The PNE is investing in the capital.”
The primary colour scheme for PWHL Vancouver will be Pacific Blue, with the secondary colour being Cream.