PWHL Adds Detroit Hockey Team for 2026-27 Season
Detroit hockey gets a PWHL team in the 2026-27 season, with the league setting PWHL Detroit’s home games at Little Caesars Arena. The move adds Detroit to the league’s eight current markets and gives the city a full-time team after three seasons of drawing big crowds for neutral-site games.
Little Caesars Arena Returns
The league announced the expansion to Detroit on May 6, 2026. PWHL Detroit will open play in the 2026-27 season, and its jerseys will carry an exclusive Ally patch on the chest, with Detroit-based Ally Financial serving as the team’s inaugural partner.
Marian Ilitch was connected to the Detroit bid through an initial investment with Mike Ilitch. The bid was led by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, the business arm tied to the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, and the operators of Little Caesars Arena.
Detroit Crowds Keep Growing
Detroit has already become one of the league’s strongest draw cities without a permanent team. It hosted the PWHL’s first-ever neutral-site game at Little Caesars Arena during the inaugural season in 2024, when 13,736 fans showed up.
Interest climbed from there. Detroit drew 14,288 fans on March 16, 2025, setting a then-U.S. arena attendance record for women’s hockey, then brought in 15,938 fans at its last Takeover Tour game at Little Caesars Arena on March 28, 2026. Across three seasons, Detroit has hosted four PWHL games.
June Events Before Puck Drop
Before PWHL Detroit takes the ice, the city will host the 2026 PWHL Awards Ceremony on June 16, 2026, and the 2026 PWHL Draft on June 17, 2026. The draft will be held at Fox Theatre as a ticketed event open to fans.
The team’s permanent name and logo will come later. For now, the expansion gives Detroit a franchise, a home building, and two league events before the first regular-season game arrives.
