6 potential free agents who could sign on Detroit PWHL expansion team

It’s official: The Professional Women’s Hockey League is coming to Detroit . The PWHL is adding as many as four teams, including one that will play at Little Caesars Arena, to the eight established franchises for the 2026-27 season, the league announced on Wednesday, May 6. The league’s fourth season is slated to start in November.

But there are a lot of changes set to come once the league finishes its third campaign – the top four teams are competing for the Walter Cup, with the playoffs set to wrap up in late May. Once they do, the PWHL’s largest run of free agency will begin, with many of the league’s original three-year deals set to expire. Rather than have an expansion draft, the new franchises will fill their rosters primarily with free agents, per The Athletic, in a potentially complicated process.

HELLO, PWHL! : Why Professional Women's Hockey League picked Detroit for expansion Despite no Division I college hockey teams in the state of Michigan, the Great Lakes State has produced plenty of talent on PWHL rosters, including Olympic star Megan Keller , from Farmington. Keller is still under contract with the Boston Fleet through the 2027-28 season, but there are several other Michiganders who could be on the move.

They could join some other stars with new teams, as well. Here are six potential inaugural members of Detroit’s PWHL roster: Hilary Knight, forward We’ll start with arguably the biggest name … and the most unlikely. The grand dame of Team USA – no American woman has more career Olympic goals or points – spent last season with the expansion Seattle Torrent, though a torn knee ligament (which she played through in Milan) cut her season in half.