San Jose PWHL Team Revealed as the Sea Lions

San Jose’s new Professional Women’s Hockey League team will be called the Sea Lions, the league announced on November 10. The franchise is California’s first PWHL team and one of four new franchises entering the PWHL for its 2026-27 campaign. It will play home games at SAP Center, alongside the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.

The team’s colors are sunset orange, coastal blue, tidal navy and sea mist. Its logo was developed by women-led league design teams and draws on the Bay Area’s coastal character. Goaltender Tia Chan said players were eager to take the ice in the team’s colors and give local fans a team to support.

The name also recalls the San Francisco Sea Lions, a 1946 team in the West Coast Negro Baseball Association. That baseball team included Toni Stone, who became the first woman to play regularly in a men’s professional baseball league.

League executive Amy Scheer said the franchise’s identity was designed to connect with San Jose and the Bay Area’s varied communities. She also pointed to Northern California’s growing hockey community and support for women’s sports. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said women’s sports are experiencing a major moment.

The team’s home opener is scheduled for December 5 against the Minnesota Frost. The other three expansion teams introduced on November 10 are Detroit’s Clutch, Hamilton’s Havoc and Vegas’s Vanguards. Tickets for the Sea Lions’ inaugural season are on sale.