PWHL Names San Jose 12th Team, Adopts Orange, Blue and White
Updated
Updated · The Mercury News · May 19
PWHL Names San Jose 12th Team, Adopts Orange, Blue and White
10 articles · Updated · The Mercury News · May 19
San Jose will join the PWHL for the 2026-27 season as the league’s 12th franchise, with home games at SAP Center and training based at Sharks Ice.
Orange, blue and white were unveiled as the club’s first official colors, matching San Jose’s city flag and tying the brand to the Sharks, California coastline and the region’s orange-grove history.
The expansion bid was led by Sharks Sports & Entertainment and the City of San Jose, which the league said offered an established hockey base and a fast-growing women’s sports market.
San Jose completes a four-team expansion wave with Detroit, Las Vegas and Hamilton, lifting the PWHL from eight to 12 teams and leaving league officials to sort out schedule length and possible divisional alignment.
How will doubling its size affect the PWHL's on-ice quality and its ambitious path to profitability?
Will the PWHL's single-owner model prove a genius move or a barrier to the league's ultimate potential?
Professional Women’s Hockey League Announces San Jose as 12th Team in Historic 2026 Expansion
Overview
On May 19, 2026, the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) announced a major expansion, confirming San Jose as its 12th franchise. This move doubles the league's size since its 2024 debut and marks a pivotal moment for women's hockey. The expansion brings four new teams—Detroit, Las Vegas, Hamilton, and San Jose—broadening the league's reach beyond its original Northeastern base and strengthening its presence in the West and Midwest. With San Jose, the PWHL now has four teams in the Pacific time zone, creating better balance for scheduling and travel while firmly establishing itself in a key West Coast market.