The PWHL experienced site issues in the first year in two of its three U.S. markets. They chose the biggest markets, but not necessarily the ones that fit them best. Boston is a great place for women’s hockey, but Lowell is a top destination for many fans. The league also faced problems by placing its New York franchise more than an hour from the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut.
There are dozens and dozens of suitable arenas in the United States, but the challenge in looking at American markets is finding a location that will host hockey. It might actually be beneficial for the league to avoid NHL markets in some cases, although the PWHL appears stuck, perhaps to its detriment, in relying on an NHL model that is less likely to work with women’s hockey fans.
While a market like Detroit is high on wish lists, site availability could doom a deal. Little Caesars Arena is already packed with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and a plethora of concerts. It’s doable, but the league has plenty of options in the United States.
Here’s a look at eight locations across the United States that could be viable expansion sites during this cycle, or a future PWHL expansion cycle.
Arenas in the United States
1. T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas – Vegas wants a PWHL team. From the mouth of the president of the Vegas Golden Knights, he declared: “We want to be part of this.“And in a city where there are a multitude of methods for distributing game tickets in a 17,500-seat stadium, where Canadians flock during the winter months and where getting a Golden Knights ticket is like winning the jackpot, don’t count out a westward expansion Almost every city in North America flies to Vegas regularly at affordable rates, meaning even visiting fans can fit it into their schedule.
2. Bridgestone Arena, Nashville – If the league wants to dive south and west simultaneously, why not Nashville. The NHL’s Nashville Predators are the primary tenant and have proven to be an organization supportive of growing opportunities for women and girls in hockey. The 17,159-seat venue would be an ideal location, and Nashville’s women’s hockey programs are on the rise.
3. Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee – There is no hockey tenant in downtown Milwaukee, and the PWHL could fix that. Milwaukee has a strong women’s hockey system, and just an hour west of Madison, you have the state’s two most populous cities, both women’s hockey-friendly, within easy reach. The Milwaukee Bucks are in the house, but as a city the NHL has seemingly never explored, and with 15,178 professional venues available, this could be a match made in heaven. It would be pretty easy to see a few games per season travel to Madison to play at the Kohl Center, another pro-ready venue, albeit one heavily used by the University of Wisconsin…where many of the LA’s prospects come from. PWHL. If the league wanted to get more creative, it could always look further north, to Green Bay.
4. PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh – Another single-tenant NHL building, and one that has been very open about its desire to have a PWHL team. Will the city host a professional women’s hockey team like it does the NHL’s Penguins? The response in the neutral-site game in Pittsburgh wasn’t a slam dunk, but the Pens Elite women’s program is also behind any bid, and that’s another plus.
5. Allstate Arena, Rosemont – Rosemont. He is the number one detractor of this place. If the address said “Chicago,” it would be obvious. The 16,692-seat venue is home to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, who are one of the busiest teams in the league. Still, it takes an hour by public transit to Rosemont and 30 minutes if traffic behaves well from downtown. The PWHL has shown a willingness to look outside the city limits, but that has also posed a problem in the two U.S. markets using this strategy.
6. Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis – Another major U.S. city that could help bridge the east-west divide may be overlooked in discussions of expansion: Indianapolis. Gainbridge Fieldhouse seats 17,294 spectators and does not have a hockey tenant. Additionally, the city has shown a feverish passion for women’s sports this season with the arrival of Caitlin Clark. Could this translate to hockey? The Fishers Event Center is another option in town, and the Indy Junior Fuel women’s teams are there to support you.
7. Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland – We might as well have cited the Moda Center in Portland, but with the WNBA heading there soon and the NBA already there, sharing with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks at the 12,000-seat Veterans Memorial Coliseum could be more logical. Portland is a progressive city with strong support for women’s sports. If the PWHL wants to go west, this could be a spectacular game.
8. National Arena, Columbus – Columbus has a number of suitable sites, as does Ohio as a whole, whether it’s Cleveland, Toledo or Cincinnati. An “Ohio” team based in Columbus would be an easy sell for the league, and it would also be a popular location for prospects coming from the powerhouse Ohio State Buckeyes.
9. Enterprise Center, St. Louis – Located in downtown St. Louis, the 18,096-seat Enterprise Center has only one tenant, the NHL Blues. This means there would be significant availability, cross-promotional opportunities and space for PWHL to grow within the venue. Whether now or later, St. Louis could be on the list, and bringing the Dunne sisters home to perform for their home crowd could be a fun time.
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