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Little Caesars Arena poised to be hosting another pro hockey team in the 2026-27 season
Photo credit: NHL.com
The Detroit Red Wings will soon share Little Caesars Arena with a PWHL franchise, the Vancouver Goldeneyes, when they host the "Takeover Tour" in 2026, but could a new PWHL franchise stake its place in Motor City?
The talk of expansion in the PWHL continues, as they welcome two new teams into the league this season, the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes.
But could Detroit be a target for the league in the future?
Little Caesars Arena holds a unique record for the highest attendance for a professional women's hockey game.
"Not only did the game cross the one million fan mark, it also set a new American professional women's hockey attendance record drawing a crowd of 14,288. One year ago to the day, Detroit broke the existing record with a crowd of 13,736."
With the LCA proving itself as a destination for professional hockey and a proving ground for the PWHL, they could consider Detroit the next area to expand the league.
Considering they have broken attendance records in the PWHL here twice now:
"But it's Detroit that again holds the record, and it's Detroit where the league hit a new all-time attendance of one million. In total the league has now welcomed 1,001,648 fans in just over 14 months."
The Detroit Red Wings Home Arena: Shared with the PWHL?
Not only would welcoming another franchise to Little Caesars Arena help grow the foot traffic, but it could also be another avenue for growing the sport of hockey.
While it wouldn't be the Red Wings doing so, the PWHL has proven itself a legitimate league that has grown steadily over the past two seasons.
The city is ripe for growth as they are hosting the Goldeneyes here in 2026.
With star-studded lineups in the PWHL, who wouldn't want to see Sarah Nurse or Marie-Philip Poulin? The league could find new fans in Detroit, and the Red Wings could benefit vicariously and later down the road.
The proposal hasn't happened, but with the popularity of women's sports growing across the nation, an Original Six city could be it.
Considering the league already has franchises in Montreal, Toronto, New York, and Boston, it'd only make sense to include the Motor City next.
The fanbase is passionate about the sport of hockey and could be just right for another franchise.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 20 | 253 ANSWERS Little Caesars Arena poised to be hosting another pro hockey team in the 2026-27 season Would you want the Detroit Red Wings to share Little Caesars Arena with a PWHL franchise? | ||
| Yes | 146 | 57.7 % |
| No | 107 | 42.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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