The PWHL had venue issues in year one in two of their three American markets. They chose the biggest markets, but not necessarily the best fit. Boston is a perfect place for women’s hockey, but Lowell is a trek for many fans. The league also found issues with placing their New York franchise over an hour outside the city in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Across the United States, there are dozens and dozens of adequate arenas, but the challenge examining American markets is finding a place that will embrace hockey. It may actually benefit the league to avoid NHL markets in some cases, although the PWHL seems stuck, perhaps to their detriment, on leaning on an NHL model that is less likely to work with women’s hockey fans.
While a market like Detroit sits high on wish lists venue availability could doom a bid. Little Caesars Arena is already packed with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, 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 venues in the USA that could be viable expansion locations during this round, or a future round of PWHL expansion.
Arenas In The United States
1. T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas – Vegas wants a PWHL team. From the mouth of the Vegas Golden Knights’ president, he stated “we want to be a part of that.” And in a city where there are a plethora of methods to distribute tickets for games at the 17,500 seat venue, where Canadians flock in the winter months, and where getting a Golden Knights’ ticket is like hitting the jackpot, don’t count out a western expansion. Almost every city in North America flies regularly to Vegas at affordable rates, meaning even visiting fans could build it into their schedule.
2. Bridgestone Arena, Nashville – If the league wants to dip south and west simultaneously, why not Nashville. The Nashville Predators of the NHL are the primary tenant, and have shown themselves as a supportive organization to growing opportunities for women and girls in hockey. The 17,159 seat venue would be an ideal location, and Nashville’s girls hockey programs are on the rise.
3. Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee – There is no hockey tenant in Downtown Milwaukee, and the PWHL could rectify that. Milwaukee has a solid girls hockey system, and sitting only an hour west of Madison, you’ve got the two most populous cities in the state, both supportive of women’s hockey, within striking distance. The Milwaukee Bucks are in the house, but as a city the NHL has never…