Tag: PWHL

A goal song doesn’t make or break the in-game experience. When the home team scores, fans will get up and cheer no matter how good or bad the goal song is. That being said, a good one can set the home team’s in-game experience apart from the pack.

The Vegas Golden Knights got it right when they chose Panic! At The Disco’s Vegas Lights as their goal song. Now, PWHL Las Vegas must follow suit and choose an equally fitting goal song.

PWHL goal songs usually fit into one of three categories.

Some goal songs are a nod to their team’s city, like Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s Empire State of Mind for the New York Sirens. The Montreal Victoire also fall into this category, because they use several goal songs, all of which are in French.

Some teams use a high-energy song sung by an iconic frontwoman. The Boston Fleet use Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation, which perfectly describes that team and their fans. The Seattle Torrent use Misery Business by Paramore, which also fits into the city’s grunge vibe.

Finally, some teams go with a song that’s a real crowd pleaser. These songs are loud and designed to do nothing more than get fans out of their seats. For example, the Ottawa Charge use Gonna Celebrate by The Phantoms, which does that job very well.

Technically, there’s also a secret fourth option. Some teams use a fun pop song, like Chappell Roan’s Hot to Go for the Toronto Sceptres. This one was a real hit with the fans. However, the Sceptres later changed their goal song to an EDM remix of Oh, Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison, which sparked fan outrage and inspired several online petitions calling for the team to change it back.

So let’s have some fun with this. Here are my three suggestions— one for each category— for the PWHL Las Vegas goal song.

City Name Drop: Waking Up in Vegas by Katy Perry

Hear me out. This one ticks all the boxes: it’s an upbeat pop song, it name-drops Las Vegas, and while Katy Perry isn’t a classic rock icon, she’s a legend in her own right. And admit it, hearing that chorus– “Shut up and put your money where your mouth is / That’s what you get for waking up in Vegas!”– after watching Tessa Janecke score a goal would be fun.

Iconic Frontwoman: Call Me by Blondie

This song would work for several reasons. First of all, with a great bassline and an underrated guitar riff, Call Me would give fans the emotional release that only comes from celebrating a goal. And second, you can change the meaning of the song and choose to interpret the chorus as an homage to the goalscorer ‘answering the call.’

Crowd Pleaser: You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid by The Offspring

It’s actually a little wild that no professional team has ever used You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid as a goal song, because it’s great. It’s loud, energetic, and the type of goal song that would encourage the crowd to sing along. Furthermore, it’s punchy, snarky, and has an edge that fits a Las Vegas-based team.

You’re All Wrong, and the PWHL Las Vegas Jerseys Rock, Actually

By Hannah Kirkell

On October 8, 2026

In Uncategorized

Photo Credit: @PWHL_LasVegas on X/Twitter

The Las Vegas Strip is a hubbub of excitement. It’s all about glitz and glamour. To your left, hundreds of people push and shove for a better glimpse of the Bellagio fountain. To your right, there’s a Vegas showgirl you can pay to take a picture with. Up in front of you, cars honk and drivers shout obscenities as tourists fail to heed the red hand at the crosswalk.

Miles away, the real Las Vegas— the version of Las Vegas that so many locals have fallen in love with— is quiet and still. It’s all cacti, yucca trees, and wildflowers, surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges. If you drive out to the Red Rock Overlook Trailhead on a clear night, you can see the stars.

The Strip is what attracts so many tourists to Las Vegas. It’s exciting, it’s loud, and it can be a bit overwhelming.

But this city already has a team whose jersey pays homage to the glitter and gold that is Las Vegas. Now, they have one for the quieter, realer side of Vegas as well.

Las Vegas is so much more than losing several hundred dollars at the tables. The PWHL Las Vegas jerseys embrace that.

If you don’t like them, that’s okay. You probably also dislike other good things, like puppies, warm chocolate chip cookies, and the concept of world peace.

From the official press release: “PWHL Las Vegas’ color palette was inspired by the natural scenery of Southern Nevada. The primary green home jerseys reflect the beauty of the desert valley, while a custom gold accent color, created especially for PWHL Las Vegas, evokes the sparkle of the desert sun. Navy stripes provide a striking contrast and nod to the desert at night.”

On the home jersey, I don’t love the navy stripes the way I hoped I might. And the navy pants make it look a bit busy. PWHL Las Vegas had a great thing going with the olive and the green, and while the navy doesn’t ruin it, it does confuse and distract.

Photo Credit: @PWHL_LasVegas on X/Twitter

The away threads, however, are great. The white allows each color to pop without taking anything away from the others. The navy stripes do exactly what they were intended to and perfectly accentuate the olive and gold striping around the waist. The pants pop. And the navy gloves look pretty fantastic to me.

Photo Credit: @PWHL_LasVegas on X/Twitter

“I absolutely love the jerseys and feel like they perfectly encapsulate Vegas’ energy, especially with the pop of gold throughout,” said PWHL Las Vegas forward Hayley Scamurra. “I cannot wait to represent the Vegas community with these jerseys!”

PWHL Las Vegas Hits Jackpot With Hilary Knight Trade Gamble

By Hannah Kirkell

On June 19, 2026

In Analysis

Las Vegas makes its first selection at the PWHL Entry Draft

PWHL Las Vegas general manager Dominique DiDia has previously spoken about her desire to build a team that is both competitive from the start and set up for the future. She backed this promise up during the Expansion Draft; five of the eight signed players are 26 or younger.

In an attempt to bring a veteran presence into the locker room, she also tried to sign Hilary Knight to an EFO. The problem? Knight didn’t want to come to Vegas, and allegedly only wanted to play for one particular team.

So, DiDia took her lemons and made some Grade-A lemonade. She organized a sign-and-trade with PWHL Detroit; Detroit would get Knight, and in return, Las Vegas would get Detroit’s first-round pick in the upcoming PWHL Entry Draft—although, because of the roster freeze, it took a few days until the trade was official.

Now, the draft order for the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft wasn’t revealed until the 15th—two days before the Draft—and the general managers only found out ten minutes before the public did. So until then, all DiDia could do was pray that her Knight gamble would pay off.

The hockey gods must have heard her plea, because Las Vegas lucked into two high draft picks. They ended up with the 5th overall pick… and also the 3rd, which would have belonged to PWHL Detroit.

At 3rd overall, PWHL Las Vegas selected forward Tessa Janecke. Janecke leaves Penn State as its all-time leading scorer after spending the last four years of her life turning the women’s hockey program into a powerhouse. She is eager to do the same in Vegas.

To get to build a program, get to build a franchise, is something that’s not new to me. I’m so excited to do that in Las Vegas as well… I had the opportunity to go to a Golden Knights game a few years ago with Penn State, so I’ve seen the environment, and I can’t wait to have them rally around us as a team. -Tessa Janecke

At 5th overall, PWHL Las Vegas selected Lacey Eden, who played six seasons at Wisconsin due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eden broke out as a senior, scoring 29 goals and 77 points in 41 games, and also becoming the only player in program history to win four national championships.

When Eden spoke about the opportunity to be a cornerstone player for an expansion franchise, her passion was palpable.

I want to be a player that helps build this franchise and helps put Vegas on the map as a contender when it comes to the end of the season. When it comes to the PWHL playoffs, I want to be there and want to be a big reason why Vegas is there. [The Golden Knights] had a lot of success this season and came up just short. I’m hoping to continue that on the women’s side of things as well. [I want us to] be competitive and be one of those teams that other teams are looking at, and be in that conversation at the end of the season. -Lacy Eden

DiDia spoke following the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft, and she reiterated her plan of attack when it came to building her roster.

We really wanted to build a team that competed from the very beginning, and our goal is to win a Walter Cup. But also, a growth mindset is one of the pillars of our team. Planning for the future and development is really key for us. -Dominique DiDia

When asked, she confirmed that Janecke and Eden’s evident desire to help build something in Las Vegas was a big reason why she selected them.

With Tessa and Lisa, you can feel the passion of wanting to be a part of, not only a new franchise, but Vegas, specifically… For us to have players that we can trust, to take leadership roles and be a part of something new, like Lacey and Tessa, was really exciting. -DiDia

Hilary Knight is a legend of the game. She would have been an excellent leader in the locker room, and her name would have helped drive ticket sales. However, Knight will be 37 when the 2026-27 season rolls around.

DiDia took a big swing at Knight, and unfortunately, it didn’t land. Instead, her team got the chance to double-dip from a pool of elite young talent, and both of those picks are chomping at the bit for the opportunity to help build a franchise in Las Vegas.

I’d say that gamble paid off.

Former Player Agent Dominique DiDia Brings Unique Perspective to PWHL Las Vegas GM Role

By Hannah Kirkell

On May 28, 2026

In Analysis

(Photo Credit: @dominiquedidia on Instagram)

The newly appointed general manager of PWHL Las Vegas, Dominique DiDia, has never held a management position. She’s never been tasked with building a roster of professional athletes or been involved with a team’s front office.

And yet, she might be the perfect person for the job.

DiDia is a first-time general manager, but she has been involved with the Professional Women’s Hockey League since the beginning. When the league formed in 2023, she was part of CAA Sports, one of the largest sports agencies in the world. That summer, DiDia served as the founding co-head of the Women’s Hockey Department and worked as an agent

DiDia knows this league. Because of her time as an agent, she knows the players. She knows how they want to be treated by their teams, and she knows just how important that is in order to establish Las Vegas as an attractive player destination.

Being an agent the last few years has given me a great insight into the players’ perspective of being a player in this league… Being a part of the expansion, and from the first draft until now, working with great players has really given me the perspective to see the things that we need to do on our team, on our side, to make a great franchise. I think knowing the players’ perspective will give me a unique opportunity to build our roster from the ground up. -DiDia

Earlier this week, the PWHLPA made player salaries public for the first time in order to promote league-wide transparency. During her media availability on Thursday, DiDia admitted to being a staunch supporter of public salaries.

I was a proponent of the players knowing their salaries and each other’s salaries from the beginning. It’s something that, on the NHL side, is visible, and it helps players and agents make comparisons in order to know what they should be paid and make sure they’re on the same playing field as their peers. I think it’s something that is beneficial for both sides. It allows us to have clarity and makes sure that players are being paid what they deserve. -DiDia

In just a few short days, the PWHL will begin a complex six-phase Expansion Roster Distribution Process. It’s certainly more complicated than the 2025 Expansion Draft, but it also provides DiDia the opportunity to have conversations with players and identify which ones will be the right fit for the environment she’s looking to foster.

There’s a great opportunity for us to have discussions with players and make sure that the players we have on our team want to be part of our team from the beginning… There’s an opportunity to bring players to Vegas who want to come, who want to be part of something new and be a part of the culture that we’re building. The way that the expansion draft works, there’s an opportunity for us to discuss with them and make sure we’re all on the same page. -DiDia

If PWHL Las Vegas is to be a contender for the Walter Cup from day one as DiDia promised, it won’t be because of her brains alone. She certainly has them— she knows the game inside and out, and it’s obvious that she has a clear vision for how to go about building a team.

However, I would argue that it isn’t DiDia’s mind that’s her superpower. Rather, it’s her unique perspective that gives her the ability to empathize with the players. She’s a double threat— her humanity will establish Las Vegas as an attractive destination to PWHL players, and her ability to construct a winning team will keep them there.

PWHL For Dummies: Explaining the 2026 Expansion Process

By Hannah Kirkell

On May 27, 2026

In News

Photo Credit: @thePWHLofficial on X/Twitter

On Wednesday, the Professional Women’s Hockey League announced the framework and timeline for its 2026 Expansion Roster Distribution Process.

The league intended to support roster construction for the four expansion teams— Las Vegas, Detroit, Hamilton, and San Jose— while maintaining competitive balance and roster continuity for the existing teams— Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, and Toronto— and this six-phase process does just that. No existing team will be devastated by loss, but all eight will lose key players.

Everything officially begins on May 28th at noon PT, when teams must submit a list of 10 players they’d like to enter contract negotiations with. For existing teams, this includes the players currently under contract that they plan to protect.

On June 1st at noon PT, all 12 teams may begin speaking with the 10 players on their respective lists. However, contracts may not be signed until Phase 1 officially begins.

Phase 1: June 2-3

Beginning in Phase 1, an Expansion Roster Freeze takes effect and runs until the end of Phase 4. During this time, existing teams may not make trades, sign players outside of the expansion process, or negotiate contract extensions outside of the permitted phases.

In Phase 1, existing teams may protect three players under contract for the 2026-27 season. They may also sign free agents— but if they do, the newly signed player will automatically count as one of their three protected players.

Existing teams may lose only one UFA to another existing team.

Phase 2: June 5-8

Finally, the expansion teams are allowed to join in on the fun. Phase 2 is where PWHL Las Vegas, along with Detroit, Hamilton, and San Jose, will acquire five players through signings.

Prior to the start of Phase 2, PWHL Las Vegas and the other expansion teams must submit an Exclusive Negotiation Target List identifying the 20 players they wish to pursue. All unprotected players from 2025-26 rosters are eligible for inclusion. Expansion teams cannot sign any player not included in their Exclusive Negotiation Target List during Phase 2.

Each expansion team will receive one Expansion Foundational Offer (EFO). An EFO allows expansion teams to “pursue a cornerstone player through a premium multi-year contract opportunity.” The EFO salary must be no less than $100,000, with a minimum 3% raise on multi-year contracts.

Expansion teams may also issue Foundational Player Offers (FPOs) to eligible players on expiring contracts. The FPO deals must be for a minimum of two years, with a minimum salary of $80,000 the first year and $82,500 in the following year.

If an expansion team fails to sign five players, a selection process will be used to complete its five-player roster. They may then select players to fill the remaining available spots, provided those players were included in their Exclusive Negotiation Target Lists.

Existing teams may lose no more than three players under contract for the 2026-27 season during Phase 2.

Phase 3: June 10-12

In Phase 3, unsigned players and unprotected players on expiring contracts become available to negotiate with all 12 teams.

Expansion teams may sign up to three additional players, bringing their total of signed players to eight by the end of Phase 3.

Existing teams will add three additional protections, increasing their total of protected players from three to six. These protections may consist of players already under contract for the 2026-27 season, as well as players on expiring contracts signed during Phase 3.

Players who received a Foundational Player Offer (FPO) and remained unsigned after Phase 2 must sign during Phase 3.

Phase 4: June 14-15

In Phase 4, expansion teams will continue building their roster. They’ll add two more players, bringing their total to 10.

All players who were left unprotected by their teams in Phases 1-3 are eligible to sign with expansion teams. This includes players under contract for 2026-27 as well as UFAs.

If expansion teams have not signed 10 players by the end of Phase 4, an additional player selection process will be used to complete their roster (see Phase 2).

Existing teams can lose a maximum of four players between Phases 2-4.

Phase 5: June 16 & 18 (Break for PWHL Draft on June 17)

Existing teams may negotiate with and sign their own remaining players who were not signed during Phases 1-4. Those players may choose to re-sign with their existing team or wait until the Open Signing Period to sign elsewhere.

During Phase 5, existing teams must extend qualifying offers to players selected in the 2025 PWHL Entry Draft to retain their rights. If the teams fail to do so, those players become UFAs after the 2026 draft.

All 12 teams are allowed to trade draft picks on June 16th.

2026 PWHL Entry Draft: June 17

All 12 teams will participate in a six-round draft. The Vancouver Goldeneyes secured the first overall pick through the league’s Gold Plan; the remaining draft order has not yet been announced.

Phase 6: Beginning June 19

All remaining eligible players on expiring contracts may sign with any of the 12 teams in the league. Teams will also be allowed to sign any undrafted players.

PWHL rosters consist of 23 active players and up to three reserve players.

Las Vegas Is Ready To ‘Help Write The Next Great Chapter Of Women’s Hockey’

By Hannah Kirkell

On May 19, 2026

In Fans

Photo Credit: @PWHL_LasVegas on X/Twitter

When the Vegas Golden Knights entered the National Hockey League, no one thought they would be any good. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Everyone, from fans to writers to analysts, took one look at the roster and said, ‘Now this is going to be a lottery team.’ There is a very real chance that the Las Vegas PWHL team will prompt similar reactions— although, without knowing what that roster looks like, it’s impossible to say for certain.

Awarding Las Vegas a PWHL expansion team is a gamble worthy of… well, Las Vegas, and that has nothing to do with the roster composition. Sin City and San Jose will become the first two markets to gain a PWHL expansion team without first hosting a neutral-site ‘Takeover Tour’ game. That’s a big deal.

Both of the 2025-26 expansion teams— Seattle and Vancouver— hosted PWHL ‘Takeover Tour’ games that were heavily attended and wildly successful. Detroit has hosted four, including the first ‘Takeover Tour’ game, with a combined attendance of 53,586. Even Hamilton had the opportunity to host a ‘Takeover Tour’ game and did so in front of a whopping 16,012 fans.

If you think that placing an expansion team in a market that thrives on tourism is a risk, your concerns are valid. But the fact of the matter is that over 3 million people call the Las Vegas metropolitan area home. Yes, transplants make up a large majority of that population, but this is a city bursting with pride for its sports teams.

When the Golden Knights came to Vegas back in 2017, outside expectations did nothing to deter the fans from showing up and showing out. Now, nearly a decade later, the city has the opportunity to rally around the soon-to-be-named Vegas PWHL team in a similar fashion.

I don’t see any reason to believe that they won’t. Because, like it or not, Las Vegas is a sports town.

Some people balk at that notion, citing the Las Vegas Raiders as proof of factual inaccuracy. And, sure, no one really cares about the Raiders— but in their defense, the Raiders are terrible, and were terrible long before they relocated to Vegas. In the past 23 years, the Raiders have gone 131-242, been at .500 just five times, and lost in the Wild Card round both times they squeaked into the playoffs. And the Raiders didn’t exactly turn the ship around once they moved to Vegas ahead of the 2020 season; in those six seasons, they’ve gone 39-62.

My point is this: in a town funded by the despair and misplaced hopes of gamblers, it makes sense for the fans to adopt a ‘Show Me’ attitude, and the Raiders simply haven’t shown them.

But some teams have shown them.

Look at the Las Vegas Aces. They’re the reigning WNBA champs, back-to-back and back again. And because of that success, thousands of fans flock to Michelob ULTRA Arena every night, paying a premium price for parking and braving the ‘thick tobacco smoke’ that hangs around the casino in Mandalay Bay. Not even Vadim Shipachyov can say that much.

And, speaking of Vadim Shipachyov– if you need another example of Vegas being a sports town, look no further than the aforementioned Golden Knights. Despite icing a roster that experts thought would compete for nothing more than the first overall pick, the 2017-18 Golden Knights ended up being a team of destiny. As it was, they came up just short— their miraculous run ended in a five-game loss to the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final— but to strip the Golden Knights of their ‘team of destiny’ label because of the result would be madness.

T-Mobile Arena has a seating capacity of 17,500 for hockey games. The Golden Knights sold far more than 17,500 seats in their first home game, which was due in no small part to the horrific acts that took place on October 1st, 2017. The community needed a distraction from the world, and hockey offered that in spades. After falling in love with the way the team rallied around them, the fans, in turn, rallied around the team. Now, nine years later, no one pays PA announcer Bruce Cusick any mind when he announces the attendance. That’s not because they don’t like him— it’s because they already know that whatever number he says will surpass 17,500 and be recorded as a sell out.

The Golden Knights continue to sell out because they are a good team with a history of success. But back in 2017, they weren’t supposed to be, and they still filled the arena. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is because people cared, and still do.

Now, they are being asked to care again. And if the past has taught us anything, it’s that Las Vegas will rise to the occasion.

Jamie Hersch said it best:

Women’s hockey is growing, thriving, and finding new homes in communities that are ready to embrace it. And there is no question that Las Vegas is ready… We are ready to help write the next great chapter of women’s hockey. -Hersch

Covering PWHL Las Vegas

Tag: PWHL

Three Suggestions for the PWHL Las Vegas Goal Song

You’re All Wrong, and the PWHL Las Vegas Jerseys Rock, Actually

PWHL Las Vegas Hits Jackpot With Hilary Knight Trade Gamble

Former Player Agent Dominique DiDia Brings Unique Perspective to PWHL Las Vegas GM Role

PWHL For Dummies: Explaining the 2026 Expansion Process

Las Vegas Is Ready To ‘Help Write The Next Great Chapter Of Women’s Hockey’

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