PWHL Detroit added three defenders to its roster Sunday, announcing the signings of Mellissa Channell-Watkins, Stephanie Markowski, and Mia Biotti as part of the league's open signing period for expansion teams.

Channell-Watkins and Markowski each inked two-year agreements through 2027/28, while Biotti signed a one-year deal for 2026/27. The PWHL's open signing period launched Friday.

Channell-Watkins returns home to Michigan after spending last season with the Vancouver Goldeneyes. The 31-year-old Plymouth native won back-to-back Walter Cup titles with the Minnesota Frost in her first two PWHL seasons. She subsequently recorded two assists while tying for fifth among defenders with 44 hits across 30 games last year.

Markowski, 24, joins Detroit after Ottawa selected her 20th overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft. She finished third on the Charge with a plus-6 rating this past season, tallying 10 points across 58 career regular-season games plus 16 playoff appearances.

Biotti spent her rookie season with the Boston Fleet. She recorded two assists across 13 regular-season games while appearing in two playoff contests.

The next generation of PWHL talent has arrived, as the expanding pro hockey league continues its whirlwind offseason with tonight’s six-round entry draft.

Vancouver holds the No. 1 pick, followed by Seattle at No. 2, and newcomers Las Vegas at No. 3, San Jose at No. 4, and Las Vegas again at No. 5.

Expansion side Las Vegas’s first-round dominance comes via foundational signing Hilary Knight’s high-profile trade, as the Team USA captain heads to Detroit in exchange for another top draft pick.

Pulling from both the college and international game, a roster of 2026 Olympians headline this year’s star-studded draft class.

US gold medalists Laila Edwards (Wisconsin), Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin), Abbey Murphy (Minnesota), Kirsten Simms (Wisconsin), and Tessa Janecke (Penn State) are up for grabs, with Harvey projected to go No. 1.

International standouts share the bill, including Switzerland’s Andrea Brandli, Finland’s Petra Nieminen, and Italy’s Laura Fortino. (See mock draft)

Where to Watch Tonight's 2026 PWHL Draft

The 2026 PWHL Draft starts tonight at 5 PM ET, live on YouTube.

Kim Weiss will lead PWHL Las Vegas as the expansion franchise's first head coach. GM Dominique DiDia announced the hire on Sunday, just two days before the 2026 PWHL Draft in Detroit.

Kim Weiss Brings Elite Coaching Experience to the PWHL

Kim Weiss spent two seasons with the AHL's Colorado Eagles.

She started as a video coach in 2024, then earned a promotion to assistant coach in January 2026. That move made her only the second woman to hold a full-time assistant role in AHL or NHL history, after Jessica Campbell.

Now, the 37-year-old takes that experience to the PWHL. Weiss called the position an honor, adding that coaching paths like this one did not exist when she was growing up.

"Much of what I’ve experienced over the last few years wasn’t something I dreamed about growing up because those opportunities simply didn’t exist," she said. "I’m incredibly grateful for the people and organizations that have helped me along the way."

PWHL Las Vegas GM Reunites with Head Coach Weiss

The hire also doubles as a college hockey reunion. DiDia and Weiss played together for three seasons at Trinity College, and DiDia pointed to her former teammate's player development skills and competitive character as deciding factors.

"Throughout her coaching career, Kim has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to develop players, build strong team cultures, and achieve success at the highest levels of the game. Her accomplishments across both the NCAA and AHL speak for themselves," DiDia said.

With the PWHL expanding to 12 teams for the 2026/27 season, Las Vegas is steadily building its coaching staff ahead of Wednesday's draft.

PWHL Hamilton continues to build out its inaugural roster for its highly anticipated 2026/27 season debut. And on Thursday, the expansion team scored some big PWHL news when it secured veteran defender Zoe Boyd to a two-year contract running through the 2027/28 campaign.

Boyd arrives as the first Phase 3 addition for the club during the expansion team player distribution process. She marks the sixth player to officially join the incoming Ontario squad.

Zoe Boyd's PWHL Experience Boosts Hamilton Defense

The 25-year-old has split her pro career between Ottawa and Boston. Last season, she appeared in 12 games for the Boston Fleet before an upper-body injury ended her year early. Now fully healthy, she adds reliable defensive depth to the Hamilton backline.

The news also brings built-in chemistry.

Boyd will rejoin former Boston teammate Alina Müller, along with ex-Ottawa players Emily Clark and Brianne Jenner. That familiarity could help the expansion team hit the ice running.

Off the ice, Boyd hosts the popular women's sports and culture podcast No Straight Answers with Zoe Boyd.

PWHL Hamilton GM Meghan Duggan continues to piece together a competitive core from scratch, with the Phase 3 signing deadline set for Friday afternoon and more big-name roster moves expected.

Maggie Connors is heading west, as the PWHL San Jose expansion club signed the forward to a two-year contract extending through the 2027/28 season.

Connors becomes the seventh player San Jose has locked in as the team builds toward its debut at the SAP Center this fall. The news also continues a busy stretch for the new addition while the PWHL expansion team distribution process picks up steam.

PWHL News Reunites Maggie Connors with Troy Ryan

The 25-year-old spent the last three PWHL seasons with the Toronto Sceptres, where she carved out a role as a dependable top-six forward. In 84 career regular-season games, she never missed a single match.

She recorded 13 points with Toronto, but her value runs deeper than the scoresheet. Connors is at her best in the defensive zone.

The move also brings a familiar face back into the picture. She will reunite with incoming PWHL San Jose GM and head coach Troy Ryan, who coached her throughout her entire professional career in Toronto.

Connors joins a growing San Jose core that already includes goalie Corinne Schroeder and forward Kristin O'Neill.

PWHL stars are on the move, as the league’s four-team expansion process continues to reshape the pro women’s hockey landscape.

Expansion sides Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose each landed five foundational signings. The teams completed Phase 2 ahead of today’s preliminary open signing period.

Noteworthy additions include 2026 Olympic gold medalists Hayley Scamurra (Las Vegas) and Cayla Barnes (Detroit), alongside Canadian silver medalists Emily Clark (Hamilton) and Kristin O’Neill (San Jose).

In a dramatic twist, USA Hockey captain Hilary Knight is departing Seattle. She is reportedly set to join Detroit by way of a Las Vegas sign-and-trade deal.

After the Torrent opted not to protect her, Knight agreed to a foundational contract with Las Vegas. She’s subsequently expected to be traded to Detroit in exchange for a first-round draft pick.

All 12 teams can start negotiating with players on expiring contracts at 12 PM ET today, as each looks to fill three additional roster slots before Friday’s Phase 3 deadline.

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.

The PWHL is making plans, detailing its new roster-building process as Detroit, Hamilton, San Jose, and Las Vegas prepare to join the league next season.

Moving away from prior expansion drafts, the process now spans six transaction phases instead of solely relying on strict signing periods or the June 17th college draft to distribute talent.

“Our priorities were clear: to give players a meaningful voice throughout the process while maintaining competitive balance across the league for all 12 teams,” EVP of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford said in a league statement.

“Expansion is a major milestone for our league, our players, and our fans.”

The expansion period officially opens June 1st. Existing teams able to protect three players via Phase 1’s two-day negotiation window. However, PWHL expansion teams in Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose are allowed to sign unprotected players under contract.

If any incoming team can’t complete its roster through the exclusive signing windows, a draft process could be introduced down the line.

PWHL Expansion Process: Key Dates for all Teams  

Montréal is one win away from its first PWHL title, holding a towering 2-0 lead over Ottawa after this weekend’s best-of-five Walter Cup finals slate.

Games 1 and 2 both went to overtime, with the Victoire taking Thursday’s opener 3-2 off an Abby Roque game-winner, before securing Saturday’s 2-1 victory courtesy of Maggie Flaherty.

“We’ve been a team all year that has defended by committee and as a collective, they did the job in both ends of the rink today,” said head coach Kori Cheverie.

The Walter Cup final series now shifts to Ottawa for Game 3.

“It’s exciting. I think it's going to be great to get back home and get in front of our fans,” said Charge captain Brianne Jenner. “It was amazing last series and we're just looking forward to their energy helping us.”

Report: PWHL to Add San Jose to 2026/27 Expansion Team List

The PWHL also made headlines off the ice, as San Jose will reportedly join Detroit, Hamilton, and Las Vegas in the rapidly expanding league.

With an official announcement expected Tuesday, the California expansion squad will tip the PWHL’s scales firmly south, with seven US-based and five Canadian teams.

Where to Watch Montréal vs Ottawa in the PWHL Walter Cup Finals

Montréal shoots for the sweep tonight at 6 PM ET, live on ION.

The PWHL officially confirmed expansion to Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ontario on Tuesday, as the league adds its 10th and 11th teams ahead of the 2026/27 season.

PWHL Las Vegas will play home games at T-Mobile Arena with support from the Vegas Golden Knights. PWHL Hamilton will call TD Coliseum home, in partnership with Oak View Group and the City of Hamilton.

The two markets follow Detroit as part of the 2026 expansion class. The teams join eight existing franchises in Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Hamilton showcased its hockey appetite when 16,012 fans attended a PWHL Takeover Tour game January 3rd. The crowd marked the third-largest Takeover Tour attendance, with more than 70% of the audience attending their first PWHL event. The turnout demonstrated the league can reach new audiences despite the Canadian province's two existing teams.

The Hamilton region additionally produces more than 15% of current PWHL players. This ranks among the world's strongest areas for women's hockey.

“Hamilton is proud to welcome women’s professional hockey to our city,” said Hamilton mayor Andrea Horwath. “Bringing a PWHL team to Hamilton will inspire young women and girls, bring new energy to our downtown, and create incredible experiences for fans and families across our community.”

Las Vegas has seen a 600% surge in girls and women's hockey participation since the Golden Knights' 2017 arrival. The league also cited the Las Vegas Aces' overwhelming WNBA success, indicating strong support for pro women's sports.

“While professional women’s hockey may be new to the market, we know Las Vegas is ready to welcome and champion a PWHL team of its own,” said PWHL EVP of Business Operations Amy Scheer.

“This new team will be Las Vegas Valley-born and reflect the identity of its bold, welcoming, and resilient community, with athletes ready to put on a show and build a passionate following across the region.”

Hamilton will wear gold, maroon and cream — paying tribute to the Tiger-Cats and the area's steel-producing past. Las Vegas chose green and gold, inspired by southern Nevada's desert landscape.