PWHL Expansion Leaves Schedule and Playoff Format Unsettled

The PWHL will enter 2026-27 with 12 teams, but the league has not announced how those clubs will be aligned, how the schedule will be structured or how many teams will qualify for the Walter Cup playoffs.

A league spokesperson told The Hockey News that the PWHL was evaluating scheduling and competition formats internally and was not ready to announce a decision. Expansion to Vancouver and Seattle in 2025 increased travel, and the addition of San Jose, Las Vegas, Detroit and Hamilton for 2026-27 makes the issue more complex.

One proposal would divide the league into two six-team conferences: Boston, New York, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton in the East; Minnesota, Detroit, Seattle, Vancouver, San Jose and Las Vegas in the West. Another would create three four-team divisions, with Toronto, Hamilton, Detroit and Minnesota forming a Central group.

Both structures could allow more games between nearby opponents and fewer cross-country trips. They would also produce an unbalanced schedule, raising questions about whether playoff qualification should be tied to geography. One alternative proposed by The Hockey News is to use geographic groups only for scheduling, then seed the playoffs from a single 12-team table.

The playoff field is unsettled as well. A six-team format could give first-round byes to the top two clubs while seeds 3-6 play best-of-three opening series. An eight-team bracket would keep more markets in contention but send two-thirds of the league to the postseason.

Those are proposals, not league decisions. Until the PWHL announces its 2026-27 schedule and competition format, alignment and playoff qualification remain open questions.