PWHL won’t have an expansion draft as it adds teams. Here’s what it’s planning instead
The PWHL will not have a traditional expansion draft when it adds new teams this offseason. Instead, the process will include multiple signing windows, according to a document obtained by The Athletic , which will give players more autonomy through the process. On Sunday, the PWHL Players’ Association sent its members a guide to the expansion roster building process that assumes the league will add four teams for 2026-27.
The expansion process includes five different phases; the first is tentatively set to begin May 28. “We have been told the league intends to move forward with a four-team expansion,” PWHLPA Executive Director Malaika Underwood wrote in an email to members on Sunday. While the league is steadfast on expansion ahead of the 2026-27 season, it has yet to announce any final decisions on the amount of teams or where they will be located.
Should the league add fewer than four teams, the process outlined in Sunday’s document could change. “Nothing is finalized at this time,” the PWHL said in a statement to The Athletic . “We’re in the process of working through expansion roster-building plans in close collaboration with the PWHLPA,” the statement read.
“Our approach has been thoughtful and player-focused, and we’ll share more details at the appropriate time. ” Last year, the PWHL expanded for the first time, adding the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent. During the first-ever expansion draft process, the league’s original six teams were initially allowed to protect just three players, which meant there was plenty of top-end talent available to Seattle and Vancouver – including U.
S. star Hilary Knight and five of six first-round picks from the 2024 draft class. Both teams were stacked on paper, but struggled in their inaugural seasons, finishing in the bottom of the PWHL standings and missing the playoffs.
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