Hamilton Is Not Toronto, And Offers Unique Opportunities For The PWHL Say Supporters

When Hamilton was announced as the PWHL's 11th franchise, there were questions about the market's proximity to Toronto, and the need for a third team in Ontario.

At Thursday's PWHL Hamilton announcement ceremony, the topic was addressed several times, perhaps no more fittingly than when a quartet of teenage hockey players from the Hamilton Hawks, Ancaster Avalanche, Flamborough Falcons, and Stoney Creek Sabres girls hockey organizations stepped to the microphone saying "we knew rivalries are part of what makes hockey fun and Hamilton is ready to bring that energy to the PWHL. And to Toronto, game on."

The message was clear, Hamilton is not Toronto, and from this moment on when it comes to professional women's hockey, while the cities are neighbours, they are also now rival.

Hamilton is commonly lumped with Toronto, but the city is not part of the Greater Toronto Area. Rather, Hamilton is part of the Golden Horseshoe region, and is the league's gateway to now only the Golden Horseshoe and Buffalo, but also to a massive potential fan base in Southwestern Ontario.

"We're excited about this market in the Golden Horseshoe," said PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford. "The data that we've seen suggests that there's a huge fan base in this area that doesn't necessarily cut into Toronto, but we know our fans are passionate, they're loyal, they're all over the place, and so we're excited to and believe this is going to be a really successful team in our league."

There are geographic rivalries already in the PWHL. Ottawa and Montreal are one, with the teams facing off for the 2026 Walter Cup, and the newly formed Seattle and Vancouver rivalry took hold this year in the Pacific Northwest. Hamilton and Toronto will build on that.

"We love rivalries in this league, and this is going to be a great one for us," Hefford said.

More Accessible Option For Fans

Hamilton not only has a population of roughly 800,000 in their metropolitan area, but it also connects to nearly a million people in the Buffalo and Niagara Falls regions, as well as more than 2.5 million people in Southwestern Ontario in cities like Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Brantford, and London.

For that population, getting a PWHL game in Hamilton is significantly easier than getting into Toronto.

"It's a lot easier to get in and out of Hamilton, at least right now," said Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath referencing what sets Hamilton apart from Toronto.