The Professional Women's Hockey League is officially coming to Hockeytown, and the celebration was nothing short of electric. With dozens of young female players cheering in the stands, the PWHL announced Detroit as its ninth expansion team, set to hit the ice at Little Caesars Arena this December. The event, held on the concourse Wednesday, May 6, was a full-circle moment for a city that has long been a powerhouse in the sport.
Marian Ilitch, the matriarch of Detroit's sports dynasty, was on hand to welcome the new squad. For now, the team remains unnamed, sporting a simple but bold logo—a red, white, and black circle reading "Detroit" above crossed hockey sticks, with "PWHL" along the bottom. But the lack of a name hasn't dampened the excitement.
"Why Detroit? First of all, look at today, the turnout," said Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice president of business operations. "Detroit just checked off every possible mark on why we would expand here. And it's been about the warmest welcome we could have ever envisioned."
The PWHL operates as a single-entity league, with Mark Walter—majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers, and Sparks—owning all teams. The Detroit franchise is a partnership with Ilitch Sports and Entertainment, which will house the team at LCA. Plans are already underway to convert one of the practice facility's locker rooms into a permanent home for the squad.
"This is more than a business announcement," said Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Companies and owner of the Tigers and Red Wings. "This is something Detroit is achieving that's been building for a very, very long time. Detroit has been a part of the PWHL story since day one. When the league played its first-ever neutral site game right here at Little Caesars Arena in 2024, 13,700 fans showed up for a brand new league in its inaugural season. That says everything right there."
And the momentum didn't stop there. Detroit hosted more PWHL games than any other neutral site, proving that the city's passion for women's hockey runs deep. From grassroots programs to packed arenas, Detroit is ready to build something special—and this expansion is just the beginning.