The Professional Women’s Hockey League’s takeover tour is in effect, and is taking talented players and teams to 11 North American cities as part of its “Takeover Tour.”
Question is, which of the tour cities most likely to receive an expansion team in the next few years? We’ll take these in alphabetical order:
CALGARY
Future PWHL potential: fair.
Calgary, being Calgary, has the market, has the players, the investors, and, importantly, the rinks. The Calgary Inferno is a former team in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, and its presence resulted in an expansion of the 1988 Athletic and Ice Complex at Canada Olympic Park. Its current renovations could yield a new home for a PWHL team.
CHICAGO
Future PWHL potential: a lock.
The city has a number of arenas that can support ice hockey; I can’t see them starting out at the United Center right away, but could play home games at the University of Illinois-Chicago, or at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. A future PWHL team could have a great leader: Cammi Granato, who is currently working with the Vancouver Canucks in the front office. She is a Downers Grove, Ill. native, and would be a definite champion of a new women’s team.
DALLAS
Future PWHL potential: poor.
Though there have been pro men’s teams in the Dallas Metroplex since 1941, there isn’t much of an infrastructure to host a women’s pro team except of the team was to use the Stars’ arena, which could be an expensive arrangement.
DENVER
Future PWHL potential: fair.
There are more than 40 rinks in the state of Colorado, but only a handful around Denver proper. I would not be surprised if a future PWSL side goes to Denver University’s Magness Arena. It is a fine place and could help build through ties to a growing youth hockey culture.
DETROIT
Future PWHL potential: a lock.
Suburban Detroit and Windsor, Ontario are hockey hotbeds. Question is, where will a future PWHL team play? I get the feeling that the main USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. will be the chosen site.
EDMONTON
Future PWHL potential: fair.
An Edmonton side would be an instant rival for Calgary, and the city boasts 100 community rinks. The main obstacle for a PWHL team would be choosing the right home arena, something maybe a tad smaller than the Rogers Center.
HALIFAX
Future PWHL potential: poor.
Halifax is so far east that it is in a time zone an hour ahead of New York. There have been attempts by some pro sports leagues to bring franchises to the Maritimes, including regular-season games in the CFL. The highest-level ice hockey played there is with the Quebec Major Junior League with the Halifax Mooseheads.
HAMILTON
Future PWHL potential: almost a lock.
Hamilton and Toronto have been hotbeds for girls’ and women’s hockey for decades. I think if an ownership group is organized, the fans will definitely come and players will want to play there.
QUEBEC CITY
Future PWHL potential: fair.
A potential Quebec franchise would be an instant rival for the Montreal Victoire. Also, Quebec had more than its share of players playing in the original National Women’s Hockey League and the Canadian Women’s Hockey League back in the 1990s through the early 2000s.
WASHINGTON
Future PWHL potential: poor.
Sunday’s loud crowd of more than 17,000 people aside, it will be difficult to get a PWHL team started in the D.C. metropolitan area. There are already two tenants in the Capital One arena during the winter months, and rinks like the Herbert Wells Ice Rink and the Capitals Iceplex measure their seating capacity in the hundreds.
WINNIPEG
Future PWHL potential: almost a lock.
The market for pro men’s hockey in the capital of Manitoba is pretty strong, and fans will really get behind a winning side. Winnipeg has historically had strong women’s hockey, as the Winnipeg Olympics were top competitors for the nation’s Lady Bessborough Cup. However, there have not been any Winnipeg pro teams in recent years.
