Detroit is officially getting its own Professional Women's Hockey League team, and the Motor City is ready to hit the ice. The PWHL announced on Wednesday, May 6, that an expansion franchise will join the league for the 2026-27 season, with home games set to take place 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 fan base 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 major milestone for the league, which launched on January 1, 2024, with an abbreviated inaugural season that spring. Detroit joins Seattle and Vancouver as the latest cities to earn a PWHL franchise, building on the momentum of the league's original six teams: Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and Toronto Sceptres.
Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, echoed the excitement. "I couldn't be more excited. 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."
Detroit will also play host to major league events in 2026, with the PWHL awards ceremony scheduled for June 16 and the PWHL Draft taking place on June 17 at the historic Fox Theatre. The draft will be a ticketed event open to fans, giving the city a front-row seat to the league's future stars.
As for the team's look, expect a clean and classic design. The primary colors will be black and silver, complemented by white as a secondary color and red as an accent. In its first year, the jersey is likely to feature a bold "DETROIT" running diagonally down the crest—a nod to the league's original uniforms and the same style used by expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver.
"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."
For hockey fans in Detroit, the wait is almost over. The Motor City is getting its own PWHL team, and the future of women's hockey has never looked brighter.