San Jose is now “on the clock” to land a PWHL expansion franchise, and though a deal there “still remains to be officially signed,” a notable date to watch for more updates could be “May 19,” according to Ian Kennedy of THE HOCKEY NEWS (X/13). In San Jose, Curtis Pashelka wrote the city would give the 3-year-old league 12 teams, including four in the Pacific Time Zone. An official announcement in San Jose, if it happens on Tuesday, “would come between Game 3 and, if necessary, Game 4.” The team is “expected to play at the 17,435-seat SAP Center,” the Sharks’ home. San Jose would be the first California-based team in the league, which is adding teams in Detroit, Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ont. (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 5/13).

VIVA LAS VEGAS: PWHL EVP/Business Operations Amy Scheer said that she was “contacted via LinkedIn last year” by Golden Knights Dir/Youth Hockey Programs & Fan Engagement Sheri Hudspeth to “hold a PWHL Takeover — a neutral site game in a city without a team — in Las Vegas.” Scheer noted that while the event never transpired, the initial contact “got the ball rolling toward expanding to Southern Nevada.” Scheer said after initial conversations, the PWHL met several months ago with Golden Knights President of Business Operations John Penhollow, so expansion “happened fast.” Scheer: “We both wanted to make it happen, and here we are.” Penhollow said that the Las Vegas PWHL team will “play its home games at T-Mobile Arena,” with “chances that select games could be played at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson,” should the Golden Knights schedule or a special event at T-Mobile create a scheduling conflict. In Las Vegas, Mick Akers noted renovations will “need to occur at America First Center in Henderson,” where the AHL’s Silver Knights practice and train, to “meet all the requests the PWHL had for the expansion team’s headquarters” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/13).

NODS TO THE PAST: In Hamilton, Scott Radley noted the PWHL expansion team in Hamilton will be playing in the colors “gold, maroon and cream.” The gold is “a nod to the Tiger-Cats” and the 1920s Hamilton Tigers of the early NHL. Maroon is the color of aged steel, which “ties in to Steeltown.” And cream “because, well, you need a base and it was probably that or white.” The “big question is … why Hamilton” was chosen as an expansion city. That will “likely be answered on Thursday.” But we already “have a few hints.” Though Hamilton is close to Toronto, saturation “isn’t a bad thing.” Southern Ontario is the world’s largest hockey market, and it “doesn’t appear to be tapped out.” The league points to the fact that the Golden Horseshoe is one of the “top regions on the planet for participation in women’s and girls’ hockey.” More than 15% of the league’s players “come from this part of the world” (HAMILTON SPECTATOR, 5/13).