Minnesota Frost forward Taylor Heise called the 2026 PWHL playoffs scheduling "inappropriate" this week, as her team prepares for back-to-back games against Montréal Victoire in this year's semifinal series.
The two-time defending Walter Cup champions face an unprecedented challenge Friday night, when they play Game 4 less than 24 hours after Thursday's Game 3. The slate marks the first back-to-back games in PWHL playoffs history, as Minnesota and Montréal gear up to play three games in four days while traveling more than 2,000 kilometers between cities.
"That simply wasn't what the league wanted," Heise said after Game 3, criticizing the compressed schedule.
The scheduling creates a stark disparity between the two semifinal series matchups. Boston and Ottawa receive a six-day break between their Game 2 and Game 3, while the Frost and Victoire are forced to squeeze their series into a tighter window.
Both venues face scheduling conflicts with other playoff commitments. The NHL's Minnesota Wild are using Grand Casino Arena for their Stanley Cup playoffs match on Saturday. And up north, Montréal's Laval Rocket need Place Bell.
However, the sizeable gap between series conditions raises competitive fairness concerns.
Montréal captain Marie-Philip Poulin appears far from full health heading into Game 4, after playing through the grueling schedule. Poulin scored in triple overtime to win Game 2, but the physical toll is beginning to take hold as fatigue sets in.
Taylor Heise leads all PWHL playoffs scorers with 17 career points, as Minnesota chases its third consecutive Walter Cup title.
The Victoire is off to a 2-1 semifinal lead, sitting one win away from punching a first-ever PWHL finals ticket. Conversely, the Frost are facing PWHL playoffs elimination for the first time since 2024.
Where to Watch Montréal vs. Minnesota in the PWHL Playoffs
The Victoire visits the Frost for Friday's Game 4 showdown at 8:30 PM ET, live on YouTube.
If necessary, the teams will return to Montréal on Monday for Game 5.
Marie-Philip Poulin scored her first career PWHL playoffs goal in dramatic fashion on Tuesday, securing Montréal's 1-0 triple-overtime win over Minnesota to take Game 2 of the Frost vs. Victoire semifinal series.
After three scoreless regulation periods and two additional overtime periods, Poulin finally broke through a little more than four minutes into the game's third overtime.
"Captain Clutch" drifted to one knee and hammered home the game-winner off a cross-ice feed from Abby Roque, following a setup pass from Poulin's fellow Canadian international — and wife — Laura Stacey.
"It was truly a team effort," Poulin said after the Game 2 win. "We had that intensity, that drive to win. It was shift after shift, and we stayed confident. We're rolling up our sleeves and getting to work."
The game lasted 104:02, making it the fourth-longest match in PWHL history.
It proved to be a defensive showdown, as goaltenders on both sides registered exceptional performances.
Montréal's Ann-Renee Desbiens made 38 saves in the shutout — the third most in her post season career. Minnesota's Maddie Rooney stopped 51 shots, surpassing her previous 37-save career high.
"It was a tight game," said Frost head coach Ken Klee. "Both goalies played well, and both teams played very hard. Certainly proud of our group and how hard they battled. They had to play almost two games — six periods of hockey is a lot."
Poulin's goal evened the best-of-five series at 1-1 after defending champion Minnesota took Game 1 5-4 in overtime.
Now, the series shifts to Minnesota for the next two games, with little turnaround time after Tuesday's marathon matchup.
Where to Watch Frost vs. Victoire PWHL Playoffs Game 3
The Frost vs. Victoire series returns for Thursday's Game 3 at 7 PM ET, live on PWHL YouTube.
Game 4 will follow on Friday night.
The 2026 PWHL playoffs brought the heat over the weekend, while the league also announced plans to add four teams via a new process that scraps the traditional PWHL expansion draft.
Two-time Walter Cup winner Minnesota took a 1-0 series lead over top-seeded Montréal with Saturday's 5-4 overtime victory. Jincy Roese scored the game-winner after Laura Stacey recorded the first hat trick in PWHL playoffs history for the Victoire.
Elsewhere, Ottawa evened its series against Boston 1-1 behind goalie Gwyneth Philips's 30-save performance.
The PWHL playoffs opened with intense physicality, as officials called 29 penalties through three games — including two majors and at least one suspension. Boston's Rylind MacKinnon subsequently served a one-game suspension for head contact against Ottawa's Gabbie Hughes.
"This series will be so tight," Ottawa coach Carla MacLeod said after Game 2's 3-1 finish. "We've seen it and we've said after last game, it's going to be hard-fought."
"Our players battle hard," Frost manager Ken Klee said after Game 1's 5-4 overtime win. "Sometimes it's us making mistakes, or other times it's just them making great plays."
PWHL Looks to Add Four Teams Without Expansion Draft
According to documents obtained by The Athletic, the PWHL expansion process will begin May 28th with multiple signing windows instead of an expansion draft. The league aims to give players more autonomy while adding four teams ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Expansion teams can now issue Expansion Franchise Offers — guaranteed contracts worth at least $100,000 with player-determined length up to four years. Teams may also hand out Foundational Player Offers worth $80,000 minimum over two years, with players free to decline the offers.
Unlike the previous expansion draft, existing teams can protect three players initially, then three more for a total of six throughout the five-phase process. However, teams can't lose more than four contracted players.
"Our approach has been thoughtful and player-focused, and we'll share more details at the appropriate time," the PWHL said in a statement.
Vancouver won the No. 1 pick in the June 17th PWHL entry draft, with Wisconsin and Team USA star defender Caroline Harvey expected to go first.
The 2026 PWHL postseason field is set, as Ottawa joined No. 1 Montréal, No. 2 Boston, and two-time defending champion No. 3 Minnesota with Saturday’s 3-0 win over Toronto.
The Victoire earned the No. 1 overall seed after a six-round 2-1 shootout win over Seattle on Saturday, opting to face Minnesota in this week’s best-of-five semifinal series.
“[Results] going all the way to the very end on the last day, I think it speaks to the quality of every single team in this league,” said Montréal head coach Kori Cheverie.
Four teams qualify for the Walter Cup playoffs, with the No. 1 seed earning both home ice and first opponent choice advantage.
However, the lower seed has gone on to win all four of the third-year league’s previous semifinals — putting the Victoire and Fleet on watch.
The Frost will look to lean on star Kelly Pannek, after the forward finished the regular season as the PWHL’s Points and Goals Leader.
“I think the mindset is celebrating the wins of the regular season, the successes we’ve had,” said Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield on Saturday. “Now let’s turn the page, and the new season begins — and that’s playoff hockey. That’s the best hockey that there is.”
How to Watch the 2026 PWHL Playoffs
The Walter Cup playoffs kick off Thursday at 7 PM ET, live on YouTube.
The No. 3 Minnesota Frost are looking to skate up the PWHL table, as the reigning back-to-back champs hope to make up ground before the third-year league breaks for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Eight games into the 2025/26 season, the Boston Fleet top the PWHL standings with 19 points, trailed by the No. 2 Toronto Sceptres with 14, while the No. 4 Montréal Victoire sit one point behind the Frost with 11.
"Our league is good. Every game is going to be close," Minnesota head coach Ken Klee said last week. "It's just about getting better and keep accumulating points."
With the league's original six teams largely off to a hot start, there's only a few weeks left before players hang up their PWHL jerseys for February's Winter Games.
Teams outside the current playoff chase are also making a statement, as New York Sirens forward Casey O'Brien scored her first pro goals to power the sixth-place squad past the No. 5 Seattle Torrent 4-3 on Sunday — becoming the first rookie to record a hat trick in PWHL history in the process.
"We've been putting in a lot of work in practice and video, focusing on the little things," O'Brien said postgame. "Tonight felt like the payoff."
How to watch this week's PWHL action
The puck drops on the final 2025 PWHL matches on Tuesday, when the No. 3 Minnesota Frost visit the No. 2 Toronto Sceptres at 7 PM ET, airing live on Prime.
Closing out the year on Wednesday, the No. 6 New York Sirens will host the No. 7 Vancouver Goldeneyes at 1 PM ET, with live coverage airing on MSG Network.
The puck dropped on the 2025/26 PWHL Takeover Tour on Wednesday, when the No. 2 Montréal Victoire took down the No. 5 Toronto Sceptres 2-1 in an overtime shootout in front of a sold-out crowd in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Packed into Scotiabank Centre, 10,438 fans watched Team Canada and Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin score the shootout's lone goal, handing Montréal their third straight win.
"It was amazing to see the young girls and boys in the crowd wearing our jerseys, saying our names, and wanting our autographs," said Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie. "It's just extremely special."
The PWHL's 16-stop Takeover Tour is just beginning, with nine games planned for Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Washington DC, Denver, and more before the league pauses for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
"We hope that the impact is a positive one. Everywhere we go, that's the impression we want to leave — for little girls to know that they have a dream and that their dream can become a reality," said Sceptres captain and Nova Scotia product Blayre Turnbull following Wednesday's Tour stop.
Halifax marks the third-year league's fourth sold-out stop, joining fellow Canadian cities Edmonton, Québec City, and Vancouver.
How to attend the 2025/26 PWHL Takeover Tour
The PWHL will next pull into Chicago's Allstate Arena for a Takeover Tour stop on Sunday, when the No. 8 Ottawa Charge will take on the No. 6 Minnesota Frost on at 2 PM ET.
Tickets are currently available for purchase via Ticketmaster.
Reigning PWHL champions Minnesota will be back on the ice on Friday, when the Frost opens the league's 2025/26 season — and their own three-peat title quest — against the Toronto Sceptres in St. Paul.
"Right now, we're not worried about championships," Frost head coach Ken Klee said prior to this week's puck drop. "We're worried about the process, how we're going to prepare every day, how we work, how we're going to get better. To me, that's how you win."
The back-to-back Walter Cup winners have continuity on their side after the Frost protected captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and alternate Lee Stecklein from the offseason expansion draft benefitting the league's two newest teams.
Early points will also be key this season, as the PWHL preps for an extended pause starting in late January to allow international talent to compete in February's 2026 Winter Olympics.
As for Toronto, the Sceptres are seeking revenge in Friday's opener, starting their season against the team that knocked them out of the 2024/25 PWHL Playoffs.
"We're wanting to win the Walter Cup," said Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury. "I think every year that has to be the goal. We're going to play hard for our fans and to represent the city of Toronto."
How to watch the first game of the 2025/26 PWHL season
The puck drops on the 2025/26 PWHL season when the Toronto Sceptres visit the Minnesota Frost at 7 PM ET on Friday, airing live on FDSN and YouTube.
With the puck dropping on the expanded third PWHL season on Friday, the league announced its 2025/26 broadcast schedule on Tuesday — with games now set to reach more than 96 million homes.
While all US games will continue to stream on the league's YouTube channel, national coverage will now also be available across FOX, Paramount, Scripps Sports, Gray Media, and TEGNA this season, in addition to previous regional partners like NESN, MSG Networks, KONG, and FanDuel Sports Network.
"The PWHL's broadcast strategy isn't about exclusivity — it's about accessibility," said PWHL EVP of business operations Amy Scheer in a league statement.
"We're ensuring fans everywhere can experience the speed, skill, and intensity of PWHL hockey. This approach allows us to continue expanding our audience, strengthen local connections, and showcase our world-class athletes on the biggest possible stage."
The expanded broadcast footprint of the PWHL mirrors the league's growth, with the 2025/26 season seeing both the addition of two franchises — the Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes — as well as an increase of 30 games, bringing the third campaign's total to 120 contests.
How to watch the 2025/26 PWHL season openers this week
The puck drops on the 2025/26 PWHL season with two games on Friday, beginning when the Toronto Sceptres visit the two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost at 7 PM ET, airing live across FOX9+, FDSN, NESN, TSN, and YouTube.
The nightcap pits the league's incoming expansion teams against each other, with the Vancouver Goldeneyes hosting the Seattle Torrent at 10 PM ET, with live coverage across KONG, NESN, TSN, and YouTube.
The 2025/26 PWHL season schedule arrived on Wednesday, with the pro hockey league preparing to hit the ice coast-to-coast for the first time ever when its third season begins on Friday, November 21st.
In celebration of the PWHL's two new West Coast teams, the season-opening doubleheader will feature the first-ever game between incoming expansion sides Seattle and Vancouver, who will face off after the back-to-back reigning champion Minnesota Frost takes on the Toronto Sceptres.
"We can't wait for puck drop to see the impact our new and returning players will make, and to deliver a competitive season with even more games for fans to enjoy," said PWHL EVP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford in a league statement.
While each team will again play 30 games on this season's schedule, the increase of the PWHL lineup from six to eight teams means that the 2025/26 campaign will span 120 total games — a 30-game increase over the league's second season.
The 2025/26 PWHL regular season will run through April 25th, though the league will pause play from January 29th to February 25th to allow for the 2026 Winter Olympics, with more than 50 PWHL players expected to compete for international glory in Italy.
How to buy tickets for the 2025/26 PWHL season
While season passes for each of the league's eight teams are available now, single-game tickets to all 120 PWHL clashes will go on sale on October 14th.
All tickets for the 2025/26 season will be available online.
The 2025 PWHL Draft has arrived, as the newly expanded eight-team league kicks off its third entry draft on Tuesday while continuing to stock rosters with new signings and front office reshuffling.
Incoming expansion teams Vancouver and Seattle named their head coaches in recent weeks, with the Canadian squad bringing on former St. Cloud State University coach Brian Idalski while Seattle tapped Steve O'Rourke, ex-leader of Ontario men's junior league side Oshawa Generals.
Players are also on the move, with the June 16th opening of the league-wide trade and signing window sending postseason standouts like Ottawa's Danielle Serdachny and Montréal's Mikyla Grant-Mentis to join US hockey legend Hilary Knight in Seattle.
Meanwhile, Toronto star Sarah Nurse and Montréal's Jennifer Gardiner will head to Vancouver.
Other notable signings include Boston snagging back-to-back PWHL title-winning goalscorer Liz Schepers from Minnesota, and deals sending Ottawa forward Shiann Darkangelo to Montréal and Boston defender Sidney Morin to Minnesota.
Teams have also been busy locking in veterans, with the likes of Montréal's Catherine Dubois and Toronto's Natalie Spooner — the league's 2024 Billie Jean King MVP winner — inking contract extensions with their squads.
The next step in finalizing 2025/26 PWHL rosters is Tuesday's Draft, in which 48 incoming players will earn selection by one of the eight teams across six rounds of picks.
For the second straight year, the New York Sirens hold the first pick, with reigning champion Minnesota and the expansion teams bringing up the rear of the selection order.
With a bevy of young talent available, Tuesday's No. 1 pick will likely be one of three NCAA standouts, as Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer and three-time national champion Casey O'Brien, Colgate's scoring leader Kristýna Kaltounková, and Team USA and Clarkson defender Haley Winn are all top candidates to earn the first 2025 call-up.
How to watch the 2025 PWHL Draft tonight
The 2025 PWHL Entry Draft begins at 7 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage streaming on YouTube.