(WXYZ) — Detroit is a frontrunner to get a new Professional Women's Hockey League team when the league announces its next expansion, according to multiple reports.
The city just hosted its fourth PWHL Takeover Tour game in three seasons, and set a new Little Caesars Arena record for the PWHL with 15,938 fans attending the game between the Montreal Victoire and New York Sirens.
Also, last week, University of Michigan Regent Denise Ilitch said on her podcast, "I believe we'll be getting a team in Detroit soon, which really excites me."
According to The Athletic, PWHL Advisory Board Member Stan Kasten said that the league was going to have news about expansion "in the next few weeks."
The Athletic said that Detroit is the leader in the clubhouse for a new team after the four games in the city. The latest game was also the first nationally televised game on ION, which is owned by WXYZ's parent company, E.W. Scripps, and sponsored by Ally Financial, which is based in Detroit.
"At this point, it would be shocking if Detroit weren’t one of the league’s newest teams by next season," The Athletic wrote.
During the latest Takeover Tour game, there was a segment where signs were showcased from fans, all of which expressed the passion of fans wanting to bring a team to Hockeytown.
The league, which now consists of eight teams, expanded last season to the West Coast by adding teams in Seattle and Vancouver. The teams are in Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Toronto, Seattle and Vancouver.
