PWHL San Jose is an upcoming professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, that will compete in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They are the league's sixth announced expansion franchise, concluding the league's second round of expansions alongside Detroit, Hamilton, and Las Vegas for the 2026–27 season. The team will play home games at SAP Center.
History Founding Despite San Jose not having hosted a PWHL Takeover Tour game (making them the second PWHL expansion city to not have previously hosted one), the success of the National Hockey League's San Jose Sharks, the San Francisco Bay Area's strong support of women's sports in general (with the Women's National Basketball Association's Golden State Valkyries and the National Women's Soccer League's Bay FC in particular setting attendance records since beginning play in the last two years as well as the creation of the Women's Pro Baseball League's San Francisco Firebells) and California's strong support of women's hockey in particular (ranking sixth in the United States in women's hockey participation behind five colder-climate states) led the PWHL to place an expansion team there.
The team's founding and entry into the league was announced on May 19, 2026. They will begin playing in the PWHL during the 2026–27 season.
The team is the league's twelfth franchise overall and its sixth expansion team, part of the second round of expansion. The team will play its games at SAP Center, which is also the home of the San Jose Sharks.
On May 22, 2026, PWHL San Jose announced former Toronto Sceptres and current Canada women's national ice hockey team head coach Troy Ryan as the team's inaugural head coach and general manager, making him the first person to hold both roles simultaneously for a PWHL team.
Team identity As part of the expansion announcement, the team's colors were revealed to be orange, blue and white. The color scheme is inspired by the San Jose city flag and represents the Bay Area's optimistic energy. The individual colors hold additional significance: orange is an homage to the Sharks' secondary color and the area's orange groves, and blue is a nod to the Pacific Ocean coastline and sky above. Like all previous teams, the team will temporarily operate as PWHL San Jose until a permanent team identity is decided. Current San Jose mayor Matt Mahan pitched the name "Hammerheads" in honor of former San Jose mayor Susan Hammer, who helped bring the Sharks to San Jose during her tenure. PWHL Senior Vice President of Business Operations Amy Scheer confirmed in an interview that Hammerheads is on the short list of names.
Players and personnel
Current roster
First-round draft picks
2026: Laila Edwards (4th overall)
References