Man, imagine what having one successful NHL franchise right out of the shoot can do for you. The Vegas Golden Knights know that and the latest PWHL news shows that they kick-started that trend. All it took was one big inaugural season, where Vegas went on a magical run.
The PWHL is expanding into Detroit and Las Vegas.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 12, 2026
The league is adding franchises in both markets, bringing its total to 10 teams, with play expected to begin in the 2026–27 season as expansion momentum continues to build.
Detroit is also getting a PWHL franchise, which makes sense considering the NHL brethren's Original Six roots. Plus, Michigan is a prominent hockey state with big names such as Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin. Therefore, it was long overdue for Detroit to get a women's hockey franchise.
But this story isn't about the Motor City and how its citizens will tell you 100 times that they're on the comeback. Instead, this is about Las Vegas and how they've grown as a hockey market. After all, we don't report on Detroit sports a lot.
When you have a Silver Knights team that had a good playoff run (shocking), along with UNLV men's hockey winning a national championship, it's easy to see how the growth is happening. That's especially true when nobody expected you to be a prominent hockey market despite teams like the Wranglers and the Thunder having some history.
Therefore, the latest news is a testament to how far Las Vegas has come as a hockey franchise. There are plenty of reasons why a PWHL team in Las Vegas will be successful, and these reasons show why that's the case.
Why the new PWHL team in Las Vegas will be successful
Look at the Golden Knights' attendance capacity for a second. You'll notice that Vegas is second in this category with a capacity of 102.6% during the playoffs. Of course, the Minnesota Wild ran away with this statistic at 107.1.
Still, it's a testament to how much Las Vegas has grown as a market. Vegas led the regular season stat at 102.5%, sitting comfortably ahead of other surprising teams like the Florida Panthers and the Nashville Predators (both at 100.7%). The trend shows that hockey is growing across all markets, making it a popular game in more areas.
But that's especially true with a successful team like Las Vegas. The Golden Knights have only missed the postseason once in their nine seasons, adding five Pacific Division titles, two Stanley Cup Final appearances, and a Stanley Cup. That's an impressive resume that'll bring in plenty of fans to the arena.
Now, imagine if the PWHL team in Las Vegas has that same type of success. Of course, it'll be impossible to duplicate what the Golden Knights did in their inaugural season. But it'll still have a similar effect in the community, especially when it comes to hockey.
Therefore, I'm high on the PWHL team being a smashing sensation in Las Vegas. Fans in Sin City always gravitate towards a winner, which is true with the Golden Knights and the Las Vegas Aces. That should be no different with the PWHL team, especially if they have a strong season right out of the gate.
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