Women's hockey in Seattle: PWHL announces expansion team
SEATTLE - Seattle will be getting a second professional hockey team as the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) will be bringing franchises to the Pacific Northwest.
The PWHL announced on Wednesday they will expand the league ahead of its third season of play. The league announced Seattle would be joining Vancouver, B.C. in joining the six-team league.
PWHL expanding to Seattle
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The PWHL launched in 2023 with teams in major hockey markets primarily on the East Coast. Boston, Minnesota and New York made up the three U.S. based teams with Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa as the three Canadian entries.
Unlike other North American sports leagues, the PWHL itself owns the franchises. In its first season, none of the six teams had team names as they developed their brand ideas before launching in the second season.
PWHL Minnesota won the first championship last year and became the Minnesota Frost ahead of year two. The Boston Fleet, Montréal Victoire, Toronto Sceptres, New York Sirens, and Ottawa Charge followed.
Local perspective:
The league took its game on the road this season with games hosted in nine separate North American cities. The Boston Fleet earned a 3-2 victory over the Montréal Victoire in a shootout in front of 12,608 fans at Climate Pledge Arena in early January in the league’s stop in Seattle.
Boston beats Montreal 3-2 in shootout in PWHL Takeover Tour at Climate Pledge Arena
Aerin Frankel allowed just one goal in a shootout and the Boston Fleet rallied to beat the Montreal Victoire 3-2 as the Professional Women's Hockey League took its Takeover Tour to Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday.
Vancouver, Denver, Québec City, Edmonton, Buffalo, Raleigh, Detroit and St. Louis also hosted games on the "PWHL Takeover Tour."
Climate Pledge Arena also hosted a game during the 2022-23 Rivalry Series between the women’s national teams of the United States and Canada, which both field many of the players that make up PWHL rosters now. The U.S. earned a 4-2 victory in front of 14,551 fans in Seattle.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Professional Women's Hockey League and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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