The PWHL is gearing up for its busiest off-season yet as it prepares to welcome four new teams next season. Starting Monday, the league’s existing eight teams can begin negotiating with players. With many contracts set to expire, rosters across the league will face significant changes.<\/p>\n
Notable free agents include Taylor Heise of the Minnesota Frost, Sarah Nurse from the Vancouver Goldeneyes, Kendall Coyne Schofield also of Minnesota, Renata Fast and Daryl Watts from Toronto Sceptres, Brianne Jenner with Ottawa Charge, Hilary Knight of Seattle Torrent, Lee Stecklein and Kelly Pannek from Minnesota Frost, among others.<\/p>\n
The off-season will unfold through a detailed six-phase player distribution process, outlined by the league after negotiations with the PWHL Players Association.<\/p>\n
Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s executive vice president of hockey operations, said the league\u2019s goal was to give players a meaningful voice and maintain competitive balance across all 12 teams. “Expansion is a major milestone for our league, our players, and our fans,” she said, welcoming Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose as the new franchises.<\/p>\n
In the first phase, each existing team can protect three players from signing with the expansion teams. These teams will submit a list of 10 free agents they want to sign, which can include their own free agents or those from other teams. Signing can begin on June 2 at noon ET, and any signed players count toward the protected list. Existing teams may lose only one free agent during this phase. The deadline to submit protected player lists is next Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n
For example, Montreal Victoire has confirmed it will protect Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Ann-Ren\u00e9e Desbiens, all under contract through the 2027-28 season.<\/p>\n
Following the submission of protection lists, expansion teams enter the process. In phase two, the general managers of the new teams must submit a list of 20 targeted players. Each expansion team can offer one “expansion foundational offer,” a binding contract lasting up to four years worth at least $100,000 US annually. They may also extend non-binding “foundational player offers” lasting at least two years.<\/p>\n
Expansion franchises can sign up to five players during this phase, while existing teams can lose no more than three players each.<\/p>\n
Phase three opens on June 10, allowing remaining unsigned and unprotected players to negotiate with all 12 teams. Expansion teams may add three more players at this stage, bringing their signings to eight in total. Existing teams can protect an additional three players.<\/p>\n
Further signing windows for expansion teams will open on June 14, followed by opportunities for existing teams to re-sign more of their free agents. The off-season culminates with the entry draft on June 17, where Vancouver Goldeneyes hold the first pick with top prospect Caroline Harvey leading the board. The draft order for the remaining picks is yet to be determined.<\/p>\n
PWHL executive Jayna Hefford expressed confidence in the league\u2019s ability to maintain talent levels despite the addition of four teams, pointing to 236 players declaring for the upcoming six-round draft. She expects many rookies to make an immediate impact across multiple markets.<\/p>\n
General managers face a challenging period managing contract talks while adhering to a team salary cap averaging just over $60,000 US, as mandated by the collective bargaining agreement. Some GMs anticipate losing recently developed players to the expansion teams for a second consecutive year. Boston Fleet GM Danielle Marmer described the situation as feeling like players are being “served up on a silver platter.”<\/p>\n
For players, the expansion offers new opportunities with more roster spots and ice time available. But teams like this year\u2019s champions, the Montreal Victoire, will look different next season. Montreal forward Laura Stacey, who is also president of the PWHLPA\u2019s executive board, noted players understood this season might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win with a unique group.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully after winning a championship, a lot of people want to be in Montreal and stay in Montreal,\u201d Stacey said. \u201cBut with that being said, I think we’re all really excited for this league to continue to grow and to see how big it can get.\u201d<\/p>\n
The PWHL Players Association recently published player salaries from the 2025-26 season to provide transparency ahead of the expansion signing period. Stacey explained that releasing this information helps players understand the market value and decide their next steps.<\/p>\n
Top player salaries for the season included Emily Clark of Ottawa at $126,090, Sarah Fillier of New York at $125,000, and Brianne Jenner of Ottawa at $122,003. Other notable salaries included Abby Roque and Marie-Philip Poulin of Montreal, as well as Renata Fast of Toronto and Hilary Knight of Seattle, all earning over $100,000.<\/p>\n
As the PWHL enters this transformative off-season, players, managers, and fans alike will be watching closely as rosters evolve and the league expands its footprint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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