The PWHL is officially expanding to Las Vegas. Beyond the obvious excitement, of course, there are many questions to be answered about Sin City’s newest team. Luckily, we’re here to answer them all.
*If you have a question that is unanswered in this FAQ, feel free to post it in the comments and we will find the answer and add it to this article.*
What is the PWHL?
The Professional Women’s Hockey League is the premier top-level female hockey organization in North America. Last season was played with eight teams (Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver) and expansion, including Las Vegas, Hamilton, and Detroit have been announced. The league is currently finishing its third season.
Where will the Las Vegas team play and practice?
The Las Vegas team will play games at T-Mobile Arena, the home of the Golden Knights and UFC. They will practice at America First Center on Water St. in Henderson.
What is the team’s name and colors?
The PWHL unveiled the team colors as green and gold, “inspired by the natural tones of Southern Nevada.” The team has not been named at this time. The last two expansion teams (Seattle and Vancouver) were announced in April and had their name and jerseys released in early November.
What does the schedule look like?
The PWHL played a 30-game regular season in 2025-26 from November until April, culminating in the Walter Cup Playoffs in May. A full schedule for 2026-27 is expected to be released around September.
How much are tickets and can I buy them now?
PWHL Las Vegas is currently accepting deposits for season tickets for $50 per seat. Full season ticket prices have not yet been announced. Other American cities have seen prices range from around $16-$70 per game. Click this link to place a deposit.
How will the team get its players?
This Expansion Roster Building Process for the newest franchises will begin on May 28th.
Here’s how it worked last season when the league added two expansion teams, Seattle and Vancouver. Each of the six existing teams were allowed to protect three players (and a fourth if they lost two) from their rosters. Then, the expansion teams could sign up to five players who would agree to come to the new team. Finally, the teams participated in an Expansion Draft to add seven more players, bringing their rosters to 12. The rest of the 23-woman roster is filled via free agency and the Entry Draft on June 17th. The process for Las Vegas, Detroit, and Hamilton is expected to be similar.
Even though there isn’t a name yet, can I buy gear?
You sure can. PWHL Las Vegas has a collection of shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and pucks available now on the PWHL Shop.
What is the PWHL’s equivalent to the Stanley Cup?
The championship trophy in the PWHL is the Walter Cup, named after the co-founders of the league Mark and Kimbra Walter. It has been awarded twice to this point, both times to the Minnesota Frost. The current Walter Cup Final will begin today, May 14th, between the Ottawa Charge and Montreal Victoire.
Does Bill Foley own the team?
He does not. While the Vegas Golden Knights are considered partners, the league operates under a single-ownership model. All teams are fully owned by Mark and Kimbra Walter, who also co-own the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers. The league currently does not have plans to sell individual franchises to local owners.
Who televises the games?
In the United States, each team’s games are broadcast on a regional sports network, similar to the NHL. Scripps Sports, the home of the Golden Knights, will likely become the home for PWHL Las Vegas. In addition, all games are streamed free on the PWHL YouTube channel.
Are there any significant differences in the rules between the PWHL and the NHL?
There actually are quite a few, including the most noteworthy, the 3-2-1-0 point system. In the PWHL a regulation win is worth three points, an overtime or shootout win is worth two, an overtime or shootout loss is worth one, and a regulation loss is worth zero.
Also, there are two significant rules that differ from the NHL. First, the “jailbreak” rule. If a team scores a shorthanded goal, the penalty ends, allowing the offending player to “break out” of the box. Second is the “no escape rule.” Similar to icing in the NHL, when a team commits a penalty, the players currently on the ice must remain on the ice for the ensuing faceoff.
Oh, and one more thing. The league has two unique systems in place for the playoffs and the draft. For the playoffs, the team with the most points in the standings is allowed to select its opponent in the first round (which was the semi-final this season) from other qualified teams. The other is the “gold plan” for selecting the team to pick first overall in the Entry Draft. Once a team is mathematically eliminated, they begin earning standings points towards the race for the first pick. The team with the most, not the least, points in the “gold plan” selects first.
DruBlu
These are fantastic differences in the rules. I love all of them.
Always preferred the 3-2-1-0 points methodology. It just makes a ton of sense.
Jailbreak is exciting, and seems reasonable to reward the offending team for a shorty to break out their convict.
No-escape is a bit scary, but fun as well, as the PK has to find a way to change before they can get their preferred killers on the ice.
The #1 seed picking their opponent is an earned advantage to be sure, and the points race to selection is a really cool way to keep spoiler teams on their game! I’m quite impressed with that one.
DruBlu
One more thing about the points race to draft selection. I’ve wondered before what the best way is to incentivize eliminated teams not to deliberately tank for ideal draft position. The draft lottery does a little to achieve that, but perhaps not enough.
The PWHL may have figured out the best way, although it’s not perfect. I suppose a team who is near elimination and is practically guaranteed to be done for within a few games could tank those games needed to use more of their remaining games to get a head start on earning points for the draft selection. IF they can then win games after that point, and perhaps have weak opponents scheduled. But other than that very particular situation, I think it appears to be a solid system.