PWHL Detroit

Lore & Background

Detroit had been rumored to be getting a potential expansion team ever since it hosted the PWHL's very first neutral site game during their inaugural 2024 season, drawing 13,736 fans. In the subsequent two seasons, Detroit became the most frequent host city on the PWHL Takeover Tour, hosting three more games, including a then-American professional women's hockey attendance record of 14,288 on March 16, 2025. The fourth and final game culminated in a record professional women's hockey attendance at Little Caesars Arena of 15,938 on March 28, 2026.

The team's founding and entry into the league was announced on May 6. They will begin playing in the PWHL during the 2026–27 season. The team is the league's ninth franchise overall and its third expansion team, part of the second round of expansion. The team will play its games at Little Caesars Arena, which is also the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

On May 15, it was announced that Manon Rhéaume would be the general manager for the team. On May 28, it was announced that Josh Sciba was hired as head coach. As part of the expansion announcement, the team's colors were revealed to be black and silver, with white as a tertiary color and red as an accent color. Like all previous teams, the team will temporarily operate as PWHL Detroit until a permanent team identity is decided.

Reader's Guide

PWHL Detroit is notable as the league's third expansion franchise, part of the second round of expansion alongside Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose for the 2026–27 season. The team's founding was preceded by strong fan interest in Detroit, which hosted the PWHL's first neutral site game in the inaugural 2024 season with 13,736 fans, and later became the most frequent host city on the PWHL Takeover Tour. Detroit set a then-American professional women's hockey attendance record of 14,288 on March 16, 2025, and later a record professional women's hockey attendance of 15,938 at Little Caesars Arena on March 28, 2026. The team will play at Little Caesars Arena, sharing the venue with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and the NBA's Detroit Pistons. The general manager is Manon Rhéaume, and the head coach is Josh Sciba. The team's colors are black and silver, with white as a tertiary and red as an accent, and it will operate under the temporary name PWHL Detroit until a permanent identity is decided.

Did You Know?

• A then-American professional women's hockey attendance record of 14,288 was set in Detroit on March 16, 2025.
• Manon Rhéaume was announced as general manager on May 15, and Josh Sciba as head coach on May 28.