PWHL Takeover Tour '25-26

felip_ars · #1 Posted **Nov 10, 2025, 9:41 PM**

2 PWHL games will be played at Scotiabank Centre

12/17: Montreal vs Toronto
01/11: Ottawa vs Boston

Tickets for the PWHL Takeover Tour™ will be available starting with presales beginning Thursday, Nov. 13, followed by the general on-sale on Friday, Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. local time.

It should be noted that Halifax and Edmonton are the only 2 Canadian cities to get 2 games this year. Possible expansion "test"?!?

q12 · #2 Posted **Dec 18, 2025, 12:13 PM**

https://twitter.com/kdonk/status/2001422795486400717

• Video Link

q12 · #3 Posted **Jan 14, 2026, 8:56 PM**

Halifax is looking like a strong possibility as one of the expansion teams that could be announced sometime this year after a 2nd PWHL game sell-out.

• Video Link

Quote:

Second successful PWHL game shows Halifax could support an expansion
team: Events East

By
Callum Smith

Published: January 12, 2026

After a second successful stop in Nova Scotia’s capital city as part of the PWHL Takeover Tour, Halifax could support a team, says the group that would be responsible for submitting an expansion bid.

“We do think Scotiabank Center is an ideal venue,” says Suzanne Fougere, the executive vice-president of Events East Group. “We also think Atlantic Canada is an ideal market for consideration.”

Sunday’s game between the Ottawa Charge and Boston Fleet went the distance, with Ottawa extending their winning streak to six games after taking a 2-1 victory in the shootout.

Much like December’s Takeover Tour game between Toronto and Montreal in Halifax, it was a sold-out Scotiabank Centre on Sunday with 10,452 people in attendance.

“The fan support was incredible,” says Jayna Hefford, a Canadian women’s hockey legend and the current executive vice-president of the league. “Typically, we get there a few hours before the game and people were lined up down the street. The merch lines were crazy.

“Just to see the signs in the stands to see all of the, the merch and the jerseys; clearly, there are a lot of people, fans in Atlantic Canada,” she says. “It’s definitely an area that we have a lot of fun when we get to bring the PWHL to.”

However, fan support isn’t everything.

There also needs to be corporate sponsorship, rink availability, airline access and adequate hotel space.

But, Events East believes those are non-issues.

“We feel very confident in Halifax and Nova Scotia’s capabilities to meet the requirements of the league,” says Fougere.

The Halifax Stanfield International Airport says it’s “well-equipped” to support flights for a team.

“We have non-stop, year-round service to the cities where the league’s Eastern teams are based, while teams travelling from Western North America can reach Halifax conveniently via a one-stop connection through Toronto or Montréal,” reads a statement from spokesperson Mikela Sani Routledge. “This level of connectivity supports both the professional requirements of a league team and fan travel to and from Halifax.”

And Discover Halifax says hotel space wouldn’t be a problem, either.

“When you get into those seasons – in the shoulder season and into the winter season – there’s lots of availability and it’s easy to find accommodations,” says Ross Jefferseon, the organization’s president and CEO.

Speaking to CTV News on Friday, Jayna Hefford said the Takeover Tour is a good chance to learn more about potential expansion cities.

“We have 16 games and there are some cities, like Halifax, that we are coming to more than once,” she said. “I believe we have 11 different markets in North America and we’re looking at all of those as potential areas that would make sense for the PWHL.”

Support from Halifax wouldn’t just come from Nova Scotia. Olivia Campbell and her daughter’s hockey team travelled from P.E.I. to take in Sunday’s game and the Boston Fleet open practice on Monday.

“We hope Halifax gets a team because we’d travel over from P.E.I. all the time,” she says. “I do think there’s a chance to expand more.

“There’s so much talent out there for female hockey.”

The thought of a team here isn’t slipping the mind of politicians.

“I think we showed the PWHL that Halifax is a fantastic city to consider expansion into,” said Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore in a year-end interview on Dec. 18, 2025. “I think it’s worth a good solid pitch to them.”

Even the prime minister’s wife is hopeful for what’s to come.

“I think it’s high time, high time for a PWHL team this side of the country,” said Diana Fox Carney during a stop at the Kehoe Forum on the CBU campus last week.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/nova...m-events-east/

felip_ars · #4 Posted **Jan 16, 2026, 2:10 PM**

I think the only obstacle for Halifax at the moment is the league wanting to expand in the West first.

Right now its 5 teams in the East, one in the "kinda middle" (Minnesota), and the two new teams out West (Vancouver & Seattle).

They're probably looking at Edmonton/Calgary and Denver as potential teams in the West so you can have 2 5-teams conferences.

Then once its done, Halifax and Detroit are definitely on the top of the queue for the next wave of expansions, or maybe a team transfer (Im looking at the New York who barely got an average crowd of 2500 people last year).

dtown · #5 Posted **Jan 16, 2026, 10:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by felip_ars

Then once its done, Halifax and Detroit are definitely on the top of the queue for the next wave of expansions, or maybe a team transfer (I'm looking at the New York who barely got an average crowd of 2500 people last year).

Do you think Halifax is that high on the list though? Quebec and Hamilton also had recent sell outs on the takeover tour and have bigger rinks than Halifax. Not to say Halifax couldn't support it, we have a strong history of sports and women's hockey previously hosting the worlds. I'm just a bit skeptical its a slam dunk the next time they look to expand east as everyone seems to be.

felip_ars · #6 Posted **Jan 18, 2026, 12:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtown

Do you think Halifax is that high on the list though? Quebec and Hamilton also had recent sell outs on the takeover tour and have bigger rinks than Halifax. Not to say Halifax couldn't support it, we have a strong history of sports and women's hockey previously hosting the worlds. I'm just a bit skeptical its a slam dunk the next time they look to expand east as everyone seems to be.

I wouldnt say a "slam dunk", but i feel like they have a pretty good chance. They didnt gave them 2 games in less than a month apart for nothing.

What could help Halifax compared to Quebec and Hamilton is the fact that they'll be by themselves when it comes to getting sponsors money, compared to Quebec having to fight with Montreal and Hamilton with Toronto.

A team in Halifax could attract company from all over the Maritimes

dtown · #7 Posted **Jan 24, 2026, 3:00 AM**

Yeah, I do agree that Halifax has a good shot. I’m not calling it a lock, but that Halifax seems to have an of upside over another team in the GTA. The Maritime-wide support piece is appealing, people are saying they would regularly travel in for a game from as far as Charlottetown. I would love to see it happen.