Women's pro hockey is coming to Hockeytown with PWHL adding expansion franchise in Detroit

Motor City meets PWHL criteria

Detroit meets several key PWHL expansion criteria, with the arena having a training facility attached to it, while the city’s location helps fill the travel gap between Toronto and Minnesota. The Motor City is home to a large corporate base, including current league partners Ally Financial and the Meijer grocery store chain. Detroit also has a rich history of girls developmental hockey programs. Among U.S. states, Michigan ranks second behind Minnesota in producing PWHL talent. The PWHL can boast beating the state’s colleges in adding women’s hockey. The state does not have a Division I women’s hockey team, though the University of Michigan is in discussions to establish one. “I hope it follows, right? I hope we can be a catalyst to continue to grow the game here,” PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said. “We’re excited about the impact we’re going to be able to have here in Detroit on hockey in general, but certainly on women’s hockey.” The yet-to-be named team’s primary colors will be black and silver, with a red accent in a nod to the Red Wings. The jerseys will also feature an Ally Financial patch. “Bringing a PWHL team to Little Caesars Arena is an exciting next step for our city and for the continued momentum of women’s hockey,” said Chris Ilitch, CEO of Ilitch Companies, which also owns baseball’s Detroit Tigers. “This moment also reflects our broader vision of using sports as a catalyst for Detroit’s revitalization.”

Post-Olympic surge

The latest round of expansion comes during the Walter Cup playoffs and the league enjoying a major boost following the Milan Cortina Olympics. The PWHL’s 120-game regular-season schedule attracted more than 1.1 million fans, representing a 28% jump over last year and marked the first time the league topped 1 million in one season. Online merchandise sales surged by more than 50% over last season, including a 190% jump following the Olympics as compared to the same period a year ago. The league’s YouTube channel’s viewership increased by 77% this year, and now reaches 154 countries. Adding three U.S. markets to its four existing American cities — rounded out by Newark, New Jersey, and Boston — would better position the PWHL to land a U.S. national broadcast partnership. This season, Scripps Sports agreed to broadcast various games, including the playoffs, on ION, which is accessible to 126 million American households. League and Scripps officials have expressed interest in establishing a more permanent partnership for next season. The PWHL is centrally controlled and privately backed by Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and wife Kimbra, who have invested hundreds of millions of dollars. Scheer said this round of expansion before Season 4 meets the Walters’ vision in building a sustainable league. “While it might be fast in terms of the way other leagues have done things, for us it’s measured and calculated,” Scheer said. “So we feel good at the pace that we’re moving, and feel confident in the way we’re growing. We’ll be here for a while.” \\\_ AP women’s hockey: