PWHL Ready for Expansion, Updates Coming Soon

PWHL Advisory Board member and president of the Los Angeles Dodgers Stan Kasten said the Professional Women's Hockey League is ready for an expansion.

Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten watches batting practice before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Professional Women's Hockey League Advisory Board member and president of the Los Angeles Dodgers Stan Kasten told the media that the PWHL is nearing an expansion.

April 4 saw the PWHL sell out Madison Square Garden, with the New York Sirens taking on the Seattle Torrent. Following the success of USA Hockey in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which included the U.S. women's hockey team defeating Canada by a score of 2-1 in an overtime thriller, the PWHL has seen rapid growth and success. The official capacity at MSG for ice hockey games is 18,006 — with the game being sold out for the PWHL, this means that the game also set a new arena attendance record for women’s hockey history in the United State.

In the pregame press conference, Kasten said that all signs are pointing towards an expansion for the PWHL.

“We’re ready to expand. There is a line of cities eager to have us there, whether it's for a couple takeover tour games or for a full time team. We're going to have news about that in the next few weeks,” Kasten said.

Cities Lining Up For Claiming PWHL Teams

Kasten's comment is also significant in that it indicates multiple cities are chomping at the bit to get involved in the hype surrounding the PWHL.

Torrent captain Hilary Knight — who was on the MSG ice following a recent stint on long term injured reserve — is a big part of the excitement. A pioneer of the sport, Knight became the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Feb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Hilary Knight (21) of the United States on the ice in the women's ice hockey gold medal game against Canada during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

There are currently eight PWHL teams: The Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montréal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, Seattle Torrent, Toronto Sceptres and Vancouver Goldeneyes make

The PWHL last expanded in April of 2025, expanding to Seattle, Washington which allowed the Torrent to host home games at Climate Pledge Arena alongside the NHL's Seattle Kraken.

Seattle joined Vancouver as the PWHL's first two expansion teams. Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto were the inaugural six markets. The league was originally launched on Jan. 1, 2024.

The atmosphere at MSG has been electric for the PWHL; many celebrities are in attendance in addition to the crowd regularly putting up extremely loud cheers and standings ovations.

“We really could not be prouder to play here tonight," Kasten also said.

The PWHL is governed by "The Board" which includes Billie Jean King, Ilana Kloss, Kasten, and Royce Cohen. They are the ruling and governing body of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Incoming PWHL player Caroline Harvey — who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft was also in attendance at the MSG game between the Sirens and Torrent. The gold medalist and 2026 Patty Kazmaier winner said the upcoming expansion will mean big things for the future of the league.

"This expansion that will happen with the new teams, [for] little girls, it's cool [for them] to hear that," Harvey said,

Per Kasten, there will be news regarding expansion expected in the next few weeks.

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