Ahead of their debut, the new Bay Area franchise of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has revealed the team’s name.
The franchise, which will play home games at the SAP Center, will be known as the San Jose Sea Lions. Franchise colors consist of “sunset” orange, “coastal” blue, “tidal navy” blue and a shade of white known as “sea mist.”
“Sea Lions are proud guardians of the rugged Bay Area coastline, deeply connected to Pacific waters and the communities that define the region,” the team said in a statement.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/NArduGecsv— San Jose Sea Lions (@PWHL_SanJose) November 10, 2026
Team officials said the Sea Lions name has previous ties to Bay Area sports, notably the San Francisco Sea Lions of the West Coast Negro Baseball Association. The baseball Sea Lions featured Toni Stone, the first woman to regularly play baseball in a men’s professional baseball league.
“As we developed California’s first PWHL team, it was important to create a brand that would resonate across San Jose and the many distinct communities that make up the Bay Area,” said Amy Scheer, the league’s executive president of business operations.
“Northern California has built a passionate and growing hockey community while consistently championing women’s sports. Fueled by that pride and the bold, energetic characteristics of the sea lion, this team will embody that same spirit on and off the ice,” Scheer added.
The new franchise comes amid a boom in women’s sports in the Bay Area, with the Golden State Valkyries winning the WNBA championship in only their second season and with the Bay FC soccer team playing to large crowds.
The Sea Lions are among four PWHL expansion teams that were announced in May and beginning play this season.
On Tuesday, the league also unveiled the team names of the other expansion franchises: the Detroit Clutch, Hamilton Havoc and Vegas Vanguards.
The Sea Lions will make their debut against the Minnesota Frost at SAP Center on Dec. 5.