PWHL Expansion Explained: Everything You Need to Know About the League's New Six-Phase Process
The landscape of women's professional hockey is changing in a big way.
The PWHL is officially expanding from eight teams to twelve, adding four new franchises:
PWHL Detroit
PWHL Hamilton
PWHL Las Vegas
PWHL San Jose
But unlike most professional sports leagues, the PWHL isn't using a traditional expansion draft. Instead, the league created a six-phase roster distribution process that allows expansion teams to build their rosters by signing players directly from existing teams and free agency.
Confused? You're not alone.
Here's a simplified breakdown of exactly how the process works.
Why Is the PWHL Doing This?
Expansion is a sign that women's hockey is growing.
More teams means:
More roster spots
More opportunities for players
New fan bases and markets
Increased visibility for the sport
Continued investment in professional women's hockey
Rather than holding a one-day expansion draft, the league designed a process that gives both expansion teams and existing teams more flexibility in how they build and protect their rosters.
The Key Dates
The expansion process is broken into six phases leading up to the:
2026 PWHL Draft
📅 June 17 at 5:00 p.m. ET
The six phases occur throughout June and culminate with the draft and open signing period.
Phase 1: Existing Teams Protect Their Stars
Every existing PWHL team is allowed to protect three players.
However, there are a few important rules:
Players must already be signed for the 2026-27 season to be protected.
Unsigned players are free to sign with any team.
Any new signing counts as one of a team's protected players.
Existing teams may lose only one player during this phase.
This phase forces organizations to make difficult decisions about which players they view as their foundational pieces moving forward.
Phase 2: Expansion Teams Build Their Foundation
Each expansion team creates a list of 20 target players.
From that list, they can sign five players to begin building their roster.
Eligible players include:
Unprotected players
Players on expiring contracts
This is essentially the foundation-building phase, allowing expansion franchises to secure key players before the rest of the player pool opens up.
Phase 3: More Signings and More Protections
This phase works both ways.
Expansion teams can:
Sign up to three additional unprotected players on expiring contracts.
Existing teams can:
Protect or sign three more players.
Those protections must consist of:
Players already under contract for 2026-27, or
Players on expiring contracts who sign during this phase.
By the end of Phase 3, many of the league's biggest names will likely already have their futures determined.
Phase 4: Expansion Team Signing Period
The player pool now expands significantly.
Eligible players include:
Unprotected players under contract
Unsigned players
Players on expiring contracts
This phase allows expansion teams to continue filling out their rosters and address positional needs.
Phase 5: Existing Teams Get One More Chance
During this phase, existing teams may re-sign their own players on expiring contracts.
Importantly:
Players are not required to sign during this period.
This gives original teams one final opportunity to retain players before the market fully opens.
Phase 6: The Market Opens
The final phase is essentially an open signing period.
At this point:
All remaining players on expiring contracts can sign with any team.
Undrafted players are eligible to sign league-wide.
Remaining draft order information is finalized.
This phase completes the roster distribution process and sets the stage for the upcoming season.
The 2026 PWHL Draft
The expansion process ultimately leads to the:
📅 2026 PWHL Draft – June 17 at 5:00 p.m. ET
Key details:
Six rounds
All 12 teams participate
First overall pick determined by the Gold Plan
The draft will help the expansion teams continue building their organizations while also providing another opportunity for incoming talent to enter the league.
Why This Matters for Women's Hockey
This expansion process is about much more than roster transactions.
It's about growth.
More teams means:
🏒 More professional opportunities for players.
🏒 More cities invested in women's hockey.
🏒 More fans discovering the game.
🏒 More opportunities for young girls to see a future in professional hockey.
The PWHL's rapid growth is proof that women's hockey is thriving, and this expansion marks another major step forward for the sport.
The next few weeks will be filled with player movement, difficult roster decisions, and plenty of surprises—but one thing is certain:
Women's hockey is entering an exciting new era.
