The PWHL is testing markets across North America ahead of adding two to four teams next season, and Detroit is coming up as a strong contender. However, they face tough competition from Canadian cities drawing larger crowds.

Earlier this month, over 9,600 fans packed Little Caesars Arena to watch the Vancouver Goldeneyes defeat the Boston Fleet 4–3. Throughout the game, the crowd made their desires clear with repeated chants of “We want a team!”

Detroit is making its case to become a permanent home for a PWHL team. But drawing enthusiastic crowds is just the beginning, as the city must prove it can sustain a franchise long-term while competing against markets that have already set attendance records.

How Detroit fits into the league’s expansion plans

The PWHL’s ambitious 11-city, 16-game roadshow serves a dual purpose in building the sport’s audience while simultaneously conducting what amounts to a continent-wide audition for expansion franchises.

Detroit has delivered impressive performances in this extended tryout. The Motor City has twice shattered U.S. attendance records for professional women’s hockey during previous Takeover Tour visits, and its latest showing kept the momentum alive. Young hockey players sporting PWHL gear crowded the concourses, their families filling sections throughout the NHL-calibre venue that could become a permanent home for women’s professional hockey.

Yet the numbers show something of a complex picture. While Detroit’s 9,624 fans represent strong support, Canadian markets have demonstrated overwhelming demand, such as Vancouver’s 19,038 and Quebec City’s 18,259, both of which sold out smaller venues entirely. 

Amy Scheer, the league’s executive vice president of business operations, pointed out that attendance figures represent just one piece of a multifaceted evaluation. The PWHL’s expansion calculus incorporates merchandise revenue, social media traction, corporate partnerships, venue quality and travel logistics.

“Detroit is Hockeytown,” Scheer acknowledged during her January visit praising both the arena and the collaborative relationship with Ilitch Sports and the Red Wings organization. “We feel like home here.”

That institutional support matters enormously. A PWHL franchise requires corporate backing, media partnerships and operational infrastructure alongside the fans. Detroit’s established hockey ecosystem, built over decades around the Red Wings, provides ready-made advantages that newer markets would need years to develop.

The league’s methodology in scheduling both weekday and weekend games in markets like Chicago, Edmonton and Halifax has been to enable officials assess whether fan support withstands the test of less convenient timing.

Player perspectives in expansion talks

For some players, these tour stops carry emotional weight beyond professional considerations. Mellissa Channell-Watkins, a Michigan native playing defence for Vancouver, acknowledged her bias openly: “Personally, I would like Detroit, just because [of my] home ties to here.”

The atmosphere at Little Caesars Arena suggested Detroit could provide fertile ground. From downtown streets to the QLine cars rattling through the city, PWHL merchandise was visible in beanies, jerseys, and scarves.

Inside the arena, the demographic diversity also stood out in families with young players, older fans who’ve followed hockey for decades, and newcomers discovering the sport through its professional women’s league.

Expansion plans move toward a spring resolution

When the Takeover Tour concludes in early April, league officials will compile their findings for board review. Franchise announcements are expected between March and April, though Scheer maintains careful neutrality about which cities lead the race.

The league’s long-term vision extends beyond immediate expansion. With plans to cap growth at twelve teams “for quite a while,” these upcoming additions will be important. Yet Scheer indicated the Takeover Tour concept will continue regardless, with discussions already underway for next season’s stops.

“The No. one reason for the Takeover Tour is building audience,” she explained. “It doesn’t have to be about expansion to do these.”

For Detroit, the waiting game continues. The city offers undeniable assets in a world-class arena, established hockey culture, strong organizational partnerships and fans literally demanding a team.

Detroit has made its case for its own PWHL team. Now comes the harder part in waiting to see if the numbers and the infrastructure add up to a franchise.