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When the four new PWHL expansion teams start signing players later this week, they’ll find plenty of star talent available.
The league kicked off a complex six-phase expansion process earlier this week, marking the start of a transformative offseason for all existing teams.
In the first phase, which ended Wednesday, the eight current teams could protect three players each. Protections required players to be under contract or have their rights held by the team by 3 p.m. ET Wednesday, just before official lists were submitted.
Notable players left unprotected include free agents Hilary Knight, Daryl Watts, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Blayre Turnbull, and Brianne Jenner.
The protection lists for the existing teams are as follows:
– Boston Fleet: Aerin Frankel (G), Megan Keller (D), Haley Winn (D)
– Minnesota Frost: Taylor Heise (F), Kelly Pannek (F), Maddie Rooney (G)
– Montréal Victoire: Ann-Renée Desbiens (G), Marie-Philip Poulin (F), Laura Stacey (F)
– New York Sirens: Sarah Fillier (F), Kristýna Kaltounková (F), Casey O’Brien (F)
– Ottawa Charge: Rebecca Leslie (F), Gwyneth Philips (G), Ronja Savolainen (D)
– Seattle Torrent: Alex Carpenter (F), Hannah Murphy (G), Anna Wilgren (D)
– Toronto Sceptres: Renata Fast (D), Raygan Kirk (G), Ella Shelton (D)
– Vancouver Goldeneyes: Sophie Jaques (D), Emerance Maschmeyer (G), Sarah Nurse (F)
The four expansion teams based in Hamilton, Detroit, San Jose, and Las Vegas will all debut next season.
Starting Friday at noon ET, each new team’s general manager can sign five players during the league’s second expansion signing phase.
“This process aims to build competitive teams while giving players input and keeping the players’ association satisfied,” Hamilton GM Meghan Duggan told reporters last week.
If expansion teams fail to sign five players by the end of this phase, a player selection process from existing teams will follow.
Each expansion team also holds one expansion foundational offer—a binding contract offer worth at least $100,000 US per season. The player chooses the contract length, which can range from one to four years.
Recent signings followed the protection list announcements, as teams rushed to lock in stars.
Toronto secured defender Renata Fast and goaltender Raygan Kirk on Wednesday. Fast, one of the league’s top defenders, is signed through the 2028-29 season. She was a finalist for league MVP and defender of the year in 2024-25, tallying 22 points in 30 games. Fast has scored the third-most points among defenders across the PWHL’s first three seasons with 45 points in 80 games.
Kirk emerged as Toronto’s starting goalie last season, posting a 1.87 goals-against average in 23 games, ranking third in the league.
“I want to be in Toronto,” Fast said last month. “We’ve built something meaningful here since day one.”
Toronto’s protection list was the most notable, leaving key free agents like captain Blayre Turnbull and top scorer Daryl Watts exposed. Both could potentially join San Jose, where former Sceptres coach Troy Ryan is now GM and coach.
In Minnesota, the Frost re-signed forwards Taylor Heise and Kelly Pannek to three-year deals. Heise was playoff MVP during the Frost’s first Walter Cup championship in 2024 and posted a point per game last season, earning a nomination for the league’s top forward.
Pannek, a two-way center and league MVP nominee, led the PWHL in goals (16) and points (33) last season. She hasn’t missed a game in three seasons and excels on faceoffs.
Boston’s protection of Heise, Pannek, and goalie Maddie Rooney signifies a revamped roster from their back-to-back championships. Not protected were captain Coyne Schofield, alternate captain Lee Stecklein, and 2024 rookie of the year Grace Zumwinkle.
“That’s pro sports,” Coyne Schofield said. “It’s the reality for every team.”
On Tuesday, Vancouver’s Sarah Nurse committed to the Goldeneyes for two more seasons, becoming a cornerstone for their sophomore campaign. Nurse scored 15 points in 19 games, including the franchise’s first goal, despite missing nearly half the season due to injury.
Seattle signed forward Alex Carpenter to a three-year contract on the same day. Carpenter is one of the league’s top shooters, with only two players scoring more goals than her since the PWHL launched.
Montreal protected captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens. Poulin, the team’s leader, said she has “decisions to make” about her future while recovering from injury.
In Ottawa, the Charge safeguarded goaltender Gwyneth Philips, defender Ronja Savolainen, and hometown star Rebecca Leslie. However, captain Brianne Jenner remains unprotected and could become a prime target for expansion teams. Jenner was nominated for forward of the year and led Ottawa with 26 points in 30 games, propelling the team to back-to-back Walter Cup finals.
The PWHL’s expansion process is set to reshape the league’s landscape, with high-profile players ready to find new homes as four fresh teams prepare to make their debut.
