PWHL expansion is in motion, as the league’s eight existing teams locked in players this week before Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose start their roster builds.
Phase 1 of the six-part process saw clubs shield players already under contract for 2026/27, while they had until Wednesday afternoon to sign three free agents each.
A new three-day signing window opens Friday, when the four incoming teams can select five players from the remaining pool — but no more than three from any one existing team.
Veterans headlined the protected list, as Montréal’s Marie-Philip Poulin, Minnesota’s Taylor Heise, New York’s Sarah Fillier, Vancouver’s Sarah Nurse, and Seattle’s Alex Carpenter all inked new deals.
But not everyone’s safe, with Seattle’s Olympic gold medalists Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka, Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Montréal’s Walter Cup hero Abby Roque left unprotected.
Five more phases are still to come, as the pro women’s hockey league’s aggressive growth strategy becomes a reality.
