San Jose Joins the Professional Women’s Hockey League Expansion Era
From left to right: Sharks Sports & Entertainment President Jonathan Beecher, Royce Cohen, Amy Scheer, Kristi Yamaguchi, Brandi Chastain ’91 and John Poch pose for a picture onstage at the SAP Center, holding the flag of the newly announced PWHL team in San Jose. (Courtesy of the PWHL)
The Professional Women’s Hockey League is bringing its game to Silicon Valley, and San Jose fans are already showing up in full force.
The league announced that San Jose would be one of four cities to receive an expansion team, alongside Hamilton, Detroit and Las Vegas. With these additions, the league will now be made up of 12 teams, double the number they started with in their inaugural 2023 season. The unnamed San Jose team is expected to debut for the 2026-2027 season, making it the third Pacific Coast-based franchise.
But why San Jose?
Since the arrival of the San Jose Sharks in 1991, the city has cultivated a passionate hockey culture. At the same time, women’s sports across the Bay Area have experienced a major surge in popularity, with fans enthusiastically showing up for teams such as the Golden State Valkyries and Bay FC.
“Between a deeply rooted hockey culture, rapidly booming women’s sports scene, and a community known for growth and innovation, San Jose offers a dynamic stage for the PWHL to expand its reach and build lasting momentum,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice president of business operations, when asked about the choice of San Jose.
That momentum has already become visible. Shortly after the expansion announcement, the league received several thousand season-ticket requests from fans before a roster, mascot, or even a team name had been revealed.
The team will play its home games at the SAP Center, with Tech CU Arena as its backup venue. Playing in the SAP Center will immediately place the new franchise on one of hockey’s biggest stages in the Bay Area while also giving the PWHL a space in the heart of San Jose’s active sports scene.
Although anticipations are high, many details still must be sorted before the puck drops this upcoming November.
The new PWHL team is still on the hunt for a general manager, with the PWHL Draft scheduled for June 17. Once the team chooses a GM, the franchise will begin to build its first roster and shape its team identity. Besides roster construction, the organization must also determine its mascot and branding in the next few months.
However, some elements of that identity are already beginning to emerge. The team’s colors, blue, orange and white, are said to be inspired by both the San Jose city flag and the surrounding landscape. The blue will represent the Pacific Ocean, and the orange gives a nod to the region’s historic orange groves. Although the color palette may feel familiar to Bay Area hockey fans, it signals the franchise’s intention to make a name for itself outside of the Sharks’ shadow.
While the franchise remains unnamed, the excitement surrounding San Jose’s entry into the PWHL is already unmistakable. With growing fan support, an iconic arena and the momentum of women’s sports on the rise in the Bay Area, San Jose appears to be ready to become one of the league’s newest hockey hubs.