Hockey fans in the Motor City, get ready to cheer—Detroit is officially getting a Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) expansion team for the 2026-27 season! The league made the exciting announcement on Wednesday, May 6, confirming that home games will be played at the iconic Little Caesars Arena.
"Detroit fits the bill in every imaginable way," said Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice president of business operations. "When you look at the Takeover Tour over the course of our three seasons, we've averaged well over 13,000 fans a game—over 25,000 fans just this year alone over two games. So we love the fanbase here. Our fans have told us they want a team here, and you have to listen to your fans in sports, and we did."
This expansion marks a huge milestone for women's hockey in a city that already bleeds red and white for the Red Wings. The PWHL's Takeover Tour had already made waves in Detroit, drawing massive crowds and proving the demand for a permanent team. Now, with the backing of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment—the same powerhouse behind the Red Wings and Tigers—the new squad is set to make a splash.
"Our partnership with Ilitch Sports + Entertainment is just wonderful," Scheer added. "From Day 1, they have very much appreciated what the PWHL is and what we bring to the table and how we could work together to grow the sport of hockey. Little Caesars Arena is just a beautiful venue that we fit into perfectly."
But the excitement doesn't stop there. Detroit will also host the 2026 PWHL awards ceremony on June 16, followed by the 2026 PWHL Draft on June 17 at the historic Fox Theatre—a ticketed event open to fans. It's a full weekend of celebration for a city that lives and breathes the game.
As for the team's look, expect a sleek nod to hockey tradition. The primary colors will be black and silver, with white as a secondary and red as an accent. In its first year, the jerseys will likely feature a simple "DETROIT" running diagonally down the crest—a style that echoes the league's original uniforms and mirrors expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver. Clean, classic, and ready for the ice.
"I couldn't be more excited," said Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. "We've been talking about this partnership for a long time, and the PWHL and their group has done such a tremendous job in a short period of growing the league and the interest in the women's game."
Since launching on January 1, 2024, with an abbreviated first season in spring 2024, the PWHL has quickly become a powerhouse of talent and passion. Detroit's new team is the latest chapter in that story—and for fans in the Motor City, the countdown to 2026 has just begun.