Women's professional hockey is officially coming to Hockeytown. The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) announced Wednesday that Detroit will be the first of up to four expansion markets joining the league for next season—a major milestone for the sport and the city.

Detroit's selection is no coincidence. The PWHL has built a strong relationship with the Ilitch family, owners of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, and the league has already tested the waters with four neutral-site games at Little Caesars Arena. Those games drew a combined crowd of 53,626 fans, including 15,938 for a March matchup that became the PWHL's first nationally televised game in the U.S.

"From the get-go, we have really felt the passion that this city and state have for hockey and the PWHL," said Amy Scheer, the league's executive vice president of business operations. "I think it's the perfect place for us to grow."

Detroit's addition brings the PWHL to nine teams, following last season's expansion into Seattle and Vancouver. And there's more on the horizon: the league has already announced plans to add between two and four more markets this spring. While Scheer declined to name specific cities, Denver—where a Takeover Tour game in January 2025 drew 14,018 fans chanting "We want a team!"—is widely considered a front-runner. Las Vegas, backed by the NHL's Golden Knights, is also a strong contender.

As an added bonus, Detroit will host the PWHL's draft and awards ceremony in mid-June. The draft, set for June 17, features a deep class of prospects, including U.S. Olympians Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards—the first Black female player to represent Team USA on the international stage.

For fans in Hockeytown, this isn't just an expansion—it's a homecoming for the women's game. Little Caesars Arena will serve as the team's home rink, and the buzz is already building. Whether you're a longtime Red Wings fan or new to the PWHL, Detroit is about to become a must-watch destination for women's hockey.