San Jose looks poised to land a franchise in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, with multiple reports saying the club would play at the SAP Center. If the deal gets across the goal line, it would bring top-level women’s professional hockey to downtown San Jose and cap a rapid stretch of league expansion this spring.
According to The Mercury News, San Jose is expected to receive a PWHL expansion team that, if finalized, would play at the 17,435-seat SAP Center at San Jose. Hockey outlet Ice Warriors reports that Hamilton is being finalized for another franchise and that Las Vegas is a frontrunner for one of the remaining spots.
Why San Jose Is In Play
San Jose already has pro hockey infrastructure and a built-in fan base that make the market appealing. The San Jose Barracuda relocated from Worcester in 2015 and now play at the 4,200-seat Tech CU Arena, which opened in 2022.
Where The League Is Headed
The PWHL officially announced expansion to Detroit for the 2026-27 season in Wednesday's release, signaling that the league is lining up multiple new markets. The PWHL set out Detroit as its next market, and The Washington Post reported the league and the players’ association have agreed to eliminate an expansion draft and begin expansion roster building on May 28.
The league operates under a single-entity model tied to TWG Global, and TWG’s chairman, Mark Walter, has major holdings across pro sports, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and a reported majority stake in the Lakers, according to Business Wire. That corporate setup centralizes expansion decisions and roster rules under the league’s ownership group.
The PWHL has not yet posted a formal San Jose announcement, but its public timeline calls for expansion roster-building to begin May 28 and for the league draft and awards ceremony to be held June 16-17 in Detroit. The league is also accepting season-ticket deposits for Detroit, per the PWHL. Expect city and arena details to be finalized in the coming weeks as the league turns rumor into schedules, travel plans and full-on marketing pushes.
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