Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) expanding to Detroit strengthens its ‘identity as one of the great sports cities in the world’

DETROIT – Marking the start of an exciting new chapter in a city that truly lives and breathes hockey, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and Ilitch Sports + Entertainment (IS+E) held a special press conference on the Via Concourse at Little Caesars Arena last Wednesday morning to announce that Detroit will serve as the home for the newest expansion team.

“For a lot of young girls and women, there wasn’t a professional league to dream about,” Chris Ilitch, President and CEO of Ilitch Companies, said. “Now there is, and they’re going to have a hometown team right here in this building. We’ve always believed that sports can be a catalyst for this city, not just for fans on game nights but for real long-term growth, economic investment, community engagement, a sense of pride and momentum that carries beyond the arena. Bringing a PWHL team to Detroit is part of that same vision — it brings jobs, investment and events. The Draft at the Fox Theatre in June is a great example, and it strengthens Detroit’s identity as one of the great sports cities in the world and we are proud to be part of that. To the players who will wear the PWHL Detroit colors, we cannot wait to welcome you to Hockeytown.”

With Detroit-based Ally Financial as its inaugural partner, PWHL Detroit will begin play in the upcoming 2026-27 season, hosting home games at Little Caesars Arena and practicing at BELFOR Training Center. It was also officially announced that the Fox Theatre will host this year’s PWHL Draft on June 17.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, who was also in attendance last Wednesday, highlighted the significance of what the PWHL’s arrival means not only for the city but also aspiring local girls hockey players.

“It’s about opportunity, access, visibility and young girls being able to see themselves in the league,” Sheffield said. “I’m just proud of the forward movement that women’s sports is making in general. And again, Detroit is not celebrating it – we’re actually leading and investing in it. I’m just very honored, as the woman mayor of this city, to bring this league here to Detroit.”

According to Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations, Detroit checked off “every possible mark on why we would want to expand here.”

“From the day that we’ve gotten here, we came here three years ago, we’ve just felt very welcomed by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment,” Scheer said. “The fans have showed up. When we think about expansion, we look at facilities to make sure our players have the best facilities. Little Caesars Arena, premier facility in the United States. The players will be housed here for practice as well. Takeover Tour, you look at attendance. You look at the corporate community. Geography, allows us to expand a little bit after the Midwest.”

Little Caesars Arena has hosted four PWHL Takeover Tour Games over the past three seasons – the most of any neutral-site city. In total, nearly 54,000 combined fans attended those contests.

“The PWHL didn’t have to guess whether Detroit was ready,” Ilitch said. “Detroit made it obvious. For our family and organization, this goes back a long way. The Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club has been developing players, girls and boys, since 1968, for nearly 60 years now. Generation after generation of kids who grew up skating, competing and dreaming of playing at the highest level.”

Although IS+E led Detroit’s bid, PWHL Detroit will also be part of the league’s single-entity ownership model under The Walter Group. The PWHL now consists of nine clubs: the Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, Seattle Torrent, Toronto Sceptres, Vancouver Goldeneyes and Detroit.

“The bid process itself was just a partnership,” Ryan Gustafson, President and CEO of IS+E, said. “The PWHL made it very clear to us that they wanted to be in Detroit and our fans made it very clear that they wanted it here, so I want to thank Chris Ilitch for his support of this and the entire Ilitch Sports + Entertainment team just for all the hard work that goes into making this happen.”

The hard work is only just getting started, with plenty still to do on and off the ice. That includes finalizing the franchise’s Hockey Operations department, a process that Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, said is already well underway.

“Nothing to share yet, but we’re getting there,” Hefford said. “It’ll be a top priority for us to ensure that the hockey operations leadership is in place as soon as we’re ready.”

There’s also ironing out PWHL Detroit’s permanent name and logo. Its colors are set though, with black and silver as the primary palette, complemented by white as a secondary and red used as an accent. Team jerseys will also feature an Ally Financial logo on the chest.

“When we go to a city, we want to have a nod to the history of the city,” Scheer said. “We want it to feel like the name belongs here, so a lot of thought goes into it. We make sure we learn the history of the city. We’re very thorough. And not just the history in terms of facts, but also capturing sort of the mood, soul and passion of the city. We have red in here because we wanted a nod to the Red Wings, to Hockeytown and our partners. So, a lot of thought and consideration goes into it. Then when you think about intellectual property, it has to work across both countries with different IP laws. It’s a very thorough, in-depth and fun process.”

More information about last Wednesday's historic announcement, including details on how to secure tickets for PWHL Detroit’s inaugural campaign and new merchandise, can be found here.

“There will definitely be some doubleheaders coming off Red Wings game either before or after, but there’ll be some single games as well,” Gustafson said. “We’re going to be great partners and making sure the schedule aligns with the needs of the PWHL as well as our partners at the Pistons and everything else that goes on in this arena. It’ll be a challenge, but one we’re excited for.”