PWHL Overhauls Expansion Rules, Eliminates Draft for Four New Teams

The PWHL has announced a new expansion process that eliminates the traditional expansion draft as the league prepares to add four teams for next season. Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas and San Jose will join the existing eight franchises through a six-phase roster-building system running from May 28 through June 19.

Under the new rules, expansion teams will build 10-player core rosters through exclusive signing windows rather than selecting players in a draft. According to sports.yahoo.com, existing teams can lose a maximum of four players under contract for 2026-27, but there is no limit on how many players with expiring contracts they can lose from their 2025-26 rosters.

The process begins May 28 with negotiation list submissions. On June 2 and 3, existing teams will sign and protect players. Expansion teams then get an exclusive foundational signing period from June 5 to 8, followed by a preliminary open signing period for all teams June 10 to 12. A second expansion signing period runs June 14 and 15, with existing teams getting an exclusive re-signing window June 16 and 18.

The PWHL Entry Draft takes place June 17, with all 12 teams participating in the six-round event. Vancouver holds the first pick through the league's Gold Plan system. Open free agency for all teams begins June 19.

"When we set out to build the Expansion Roster Distribution Process, our priorities were clear: to give players a meaningful voice throughout the process while maintaining competitive balance across the league for all 12 teams," executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said in the league's announcement, per sports.yahoo.com.

The change addresses player concerns from last year's expansion to Seattle and Vancouver, when players had no control over being selected. Sportsnet.ca reported the elimination of the expansion draft was key for the PWHL Players Association.