CHICAGO HOCKEY INSIDER | NHL TEAM | CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Another pro hockey team officially arrives to the City of Chicago

PUBLICATION

Sam Walker
December 17, 2025 (6:05 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Chicago is finally getting a taste of another professional hockey world with the Professional Women's Hockey League on display at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, and it might be the first real step toward a full-blown franchise here. The PWHL's growing neutral-site circuit dropped its Takeover Tour stop into town Sunday, giving local fans their first live look at a league that could someday bring a second major hockey team to the area.

The Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge faced off in front of an eager crowd, with Olympic gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield of the Frost leading the push to show Chicago's potential as a future home market. Coyne Schofield grew up nearby and didn't mince words about what this means for women's hockey here.

Chicago isn't just another tour stop, it's one of only a handful of cities hosting more than one Takeover Tour game this season, underlining the league's confidence in the market's appetite for pro hockey beyond the Blackhawks.

PWHL games showcase Chicago's potential

Fans sensed something different in the stands, a feeling that this wasn't a one-off exhibition but the start of something bigger. Sunday's neutral-site crowd turned heads and sparked conversations about what Chicago could bring to the PWHL fold down the road.

There was plenty of local pride in the building as Joliet native Taylor House skated for the Charge, adding a homegrown angle to the neutral-site matchup.

This stop is part of a 16-game PWHL Takeover Tour that spreads across 11 North American cities this season, giving non-franchise markets like Chicago a chance to show they're serious contenders for future expansion.

The league began play in 2024 with six charter teams and expanded to eight this season with the additions in Seattle and Vancouver, proving the model works and there's room for more growth.

Local organizers have lined up a second tour date in March, giving fans another look and giving the league data to measure demand here.

Most important for fans is that this isn't a sideshow event, it's pro hockey played at the highest level outside the NHL, and Chicago supporters turned up in force. The buzz on the concourse matched the buzz in the seats, and that is the kind of energy that could turn neutral-site games into a permanent home team down the road.

Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider

Original Six trade brewing between the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs

Chicago Blackhawks prospect leaves rrganization for good after being buried in the AHL

Joe Veleno circles the Chicago Blackhawks with revenge on his mind

POLL
DECEMBRE 17 \| 39 ANSWERS Another pro hockey team officially arrives to the City of Chicago Do you think Chicago should get a full-time PWHL team after the Takeover Tour?
Yes	27	69.2 %
No	9	23.1 %
Maybe	2	5.1 %
Unsure	1	2.6 %
List of polls

Another pro hockey team officially arrives to the City of Chicago

PWHL games showcase Chicago's potential

Do you think Chicago should get a full-time PWHL team after the Takeover Tour?