EN 
DE 
The Montreal Victoire, who finished first in the PWHL standings, have chosen to face the third-place Minnesota Frost in their first-round playoff series starting Saturday.
In a league often marked by uncertainty, Montreal and Vancouver have secured some rare advantages. As the top team, Montreal earned the right to pick its playoff opponent, selecting the Minnesota Frost, the two-time defending Walter Cup champions.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver Goldeneyes, despite missing the playoffs, earned the first overall pick in the upcoming entry draft by collecting Gold Plan points through wins after elimination.
The PWHL’s unique rules come amid questions about next season, with expansion and free agency looming large.
Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie called the ability to choose their first-round opponent an “honour” and “privilege.” The decision came after a west coast road trip capped by a 2-1 shootout win over the Seattle Torrent, securing Montreal’s top spot.
“As a collective here in Montreal, we decided to continue with our internal process of where we were at and different things that we looked at,” Cheverie said. “We landed on Minnesota and we’re looking forward to that opportunity.”
Montreal swept their four regular-season games against Minnesota, though two came in overtime. Cheverie noted that every matchup against the Frost is closely contested.
“They’re fierce competition,” she said.
Montreal’s choice also determined the second-place Boston Fleet’s first-round opponent. Picking Minnesota means Boston will face a team it struggled more against this season, as Ottawa and Montreal were the only teams Boston failed to beat in regulation.
Last year, Montreal made a similar opponent selection but picked Ottawa, which resulted in a series loss. For Minnesota, being chosen hasn’t been a burden. Head coach Ken Klee said it doesn’t matter much since they knew they’d be on the road.
“We knew we were going to be going on the road,” he said. “They’re a great challenge and we’re just excited to get going.”
Game 1 between Montreal and Minnesota is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, with Game 2 on May 5 at 7 p.m. Boston will host Ottawa Thursday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m.
In Vancouver, a weekend win over Minnesota secured the Goldeneyes’ top spot in the Gold Plan standings.
“I was so proud of the players in the locker room that continued to fight and fight for every point,” said GM Cara Gardner Morey during the season-ending press conference.
Vancouver’s future looks promising with Caroline Harvey, a highly-touted defender expected to go first overall in the draft. Harvey brings an impressive resume, including three NCAA championships, the Patty Kazmaier Award, two world championships, and Olympic gold with MVP honors.
Much of the PWHL faces major changes ahead, with many players heading into free agency, including stars Claire Thompson and Sarah Nurse in Vancouver. Expansion plans add further uncertainty.
“Information is the biggest piece to start to make that decision,” Nurse said about her future. “I think that obviously what’s been built here in Vancouver, I think Cara’s done an absolutely incredible job.”
Where new expansion teams will select in the draft remains unclear, aside from Vancouver’s guaranteed first pick each round.
“There’s a lot of great talent in that class,” Gardner Morey said. “But it is pretty exciting that you have the control of the first pick of who you would like to bring into this city and make a big impact on our program.”
The Toronto Sceptres came close to making the playoffs but a 3-0 loss to Ottawa ended their postseason hopes for the first time in three years. The team lost key players to expansion and free agency last season and struggled offensively this year.
With nearly all core players entering free agency, including captain Blayre Turnbull, star forward Daryl Watts, and top defender Renata Fast, uncertainty is a big concern.
“We haven’t heard any details on expansion yet other than it’s happening,” said Turnbull. “I guess we haven’t even heard that but we assume it’s happening. But we don’t know the rules around it. All I can say is that I want to be in Toronto and play for the Sceptres for a few more years, so that’s where I’m at.”
Fast described the lack of information as “nerve wracking.”
A potential four-team expansion would bring the league to 12 teams, which league leaders see as key to securing U.S. national broadcast deals and corporate partnerships.
Expansion would also bring more stability, allowing players to sign longer contracts and coaches to develop talent over multiple seasons. Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury sees this as a chance to build a strong foundation.
“We may be able to really set a good foundation where athletes could spend two or three years with our coaching staff, which we believe our coaching staff will do a great job at developing athletes long term,” she said.
