One of the bigger success stories in the hockey world last season was the inaugural PWHL season. After years of battling leagues that split players, lack of a consistent product on the ice, and off-ice legal battles it was a breath of fresh air to have the PWHL finally succeed.
Fans across all six of the initial franchises supported their teams in waves, setting attendance records consistently and selling out NHL arenas when given the opportunity to play there. With the recent rebrand of all six franchises, and the 2024–25 season about to get under way at the end of November, momentum is building for the PWHL to reach new heights.
It should come as no surprise that the league doesn’t want to stop at six franchises, and reports show that Calgary could be one of the cities targeted for expansion.
Calgary is a no-brainer destination
On Tuesday morning, Hailey Salvian of The Athletic reported that the PWHL is looking to add two expansion teams as early as the 2025–26 season. Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s senior vice president of business operations, formally announced the plan at the espnW summit.
The league will issue a request for proposals to explore potential locations for new teams across the US and Canada. It is likely to add one in both to match the current equal split. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period threw out some initial suggestions like Detroit, Pittsburgh, and of course Calgary.
Calgary, if selected, would be the most “western” franchise (no pun intended) as right now the reigning Walter Cup champions, the Minnesota Frost, are the team that is the furthest west. Would the league want to add that much additional travel in just its third season or aim to keep things centered on the East Coast for now?
The reason for a Calgary franchise is quite simple; professional women’s hockey has worked here in the past. The Calgary Inferno were a part of the CWHL for eight season seasons, winning two championships in 2016 and 2019. The team was stacked throughout its tenure with notable legends like Brianne Jenner, Brianna Decker, Rebecca Johnston, Kacey Bellamy, and of course Sportsnet 960 The Fan’s own Meaghan Mikkelson. The team lasted until 2019 when the CWHL ceased operations, meaning technically the Calgary Inferno are still reigning champs.
When the franchise was playing, games were played out of WinSport, which would still be an appropriate place to play. With the demand for women’s hockey in Calgary being at an all-time high after seeing the success of last season, there is no doubt that games could be held in the Saddledome and Scotia Place when available.
It would be wise for Calgary Sports and Entertainment to look into a potential bid for a franchise, but regardless the PWHL in Calgary makes a wealth of sense.
