Skip to main content
News
Topic

Expansion

18 stories from the newsroom.

PWHL Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie, left, works behind the Pittsburgh Penguins bench during a 2023 preseason game. File photo.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
COACHINGSep 15, 2026

Bench management gains importance in expanded 12-team PWHL

Last change, no-change icing and the league's no-escape rule give coaches more ways to hunt favorable matchups in 2026-27.

Toronto and Boston players gather during a PWHL game at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Nov. 30, 2024. File photo.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
EXPANSIONSep 15, 2026

PWHL could ice players from 15 nations this season

With 12 teams now filling out rosters, the league's projected international count for 2026-27 would be its highest yet.

Jack Eichel looks to pass against Jaccob Slavin during the Stanley Cup Final in Las Vegas on June 9, 2026. File photo.
Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
EXPANSIONSep 15, 2026

NHL Stars Sound Off on Texas Teams, the 84-Game Season and Summer Memories

ESPN interviewed more than two dozen players in Las Vegas about expansion names, longer schedules and the moments that made their offseasons.

Blayre Turnbull shoots for the Toronto Sceptres against the Boston Fleet on November 30, 2024. PWHL file photo.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
EXPANSIONSep 14, 2026

PWHL Lands First Season Long U.S. National TV Deal

Scripps Sports will carry a Saturday Game of the Week on ION plus two more national games a week on its free streaming channel.

Canada head coach Troy Ryan walks back to the ice between periods against the United States during the 2026 Olympic women’s hockey tournament in Milan. File photo; this is not PWHL San Jose’s debut or game action.
Amber Searls-Imagn Images
EXPANSIONSep 14, 2026

Troy Ryan Builds PWHL San Jose From The Blue Line Out

San Jose's first head coach says the expansion roster's defensive core is where the team starts, and he already knows every piece of it.

Boston Fleet defender Megan Keller plays the puck against Toronto Sceptres forward Izzy Daniel during a PWHL game on November 30, 2024. File photo; it predates and does not show the November 18, 2026 training camps or later scrimmages.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
EXPANSIONSep 14, 2026

PWHL Sets Nov. 18 Training Camp Openings for 12 Teams

Camps open two days after the World Championship ends in Denmark, with each club playing two preseason scrimmages between Nov. 22 and Nov. 30.

EXPANSIONTORSep 14, 2026

Sceptres Lean On Raygan Kirk As League Goalie Pool Thins

Toronto lost a lot this offseason, but Kirk is signed through 2028-29 with two unproven rookies behind her.

United States forward Kendall Coyne Schofield celebrates after an Olympic semifinal against Sweden in Milan on February 16, 2026. File photo; it does not show the 2019 NHL All-Star fastest-skater event or San Jose.
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
EXPANSIONSJSep 14, 2026

Why Not San Jose? A 2019 All-Star Race Started It

Sharks Sports & Entertainment president Jonathan Becher traces PWHL San Jose back to Kendall Coyne Schofield's fastest-skater run at SAP Center.

Caroline Harvey of the United States defends Sweden's Hanna Thuvik during an Olympic semifinal on February 16, 2026. File photo.
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
DRAFTVANSep 14, 2026

NCAA Players Made Up 82 Percent of 2026 PWHL Draft

Caroline Harvey went first overall to Vancouver, and 59 former college players were selected in the first draft to include four expansion clubs.

Atlanta Thrashers right wing Marian Hossa skates against the Buffalo Sabres at HSBC Arena on October 28, 2006. Historical file photo.
Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK
EXPANSIONSep 14, 2026

Atlanta Group Walks Back Report of Final NHL Expansion Bid

Krause Sports and Entertainment says talk of a submitted application was "premature and incomplete," and the NHL agrees it is nowhere near that stage.

Laila Edwards appears for the United States after an Olympic semifinal on February 16, 2026. File photo.
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
SIGNINGSJSep 14, 2026

PWHL San Jose Signs Fourth Overall Pick Laila Edwards

The Wisconsin defender and Olympic gold medalist is signed through 2028-29, the longest deal on San Jose's roster.

Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten attends a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on September 1, 2026. File photo.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
EXPANSIONSep 1, 2026

PWHL Not for Sale, Advisory Board Member Stan Kasten Says

Kasten says no ownership change is expected as the league expands to 12 teams for 2026-27, with co-founder Mark Walter under U.S. federal investigation.

Japan forward Akane Shiga skates behind United States forward Taylor Heise during the IIHF Women’s World Championship on April 5, 2023. File photo.
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
SIGNINGDETAug 12, 2026

PWHL Detroit Signs Japanese Olympian Akane Shiga

The 25-year-old forward, who competed in the 2026 Milan Olympics, joins Detroit on a two-year deal.

PWHL executive Jayna Hefford speaks with reporters before a Minnesota-Boston game in Lowell on January 3, 2024. File photo.
Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
FREE AGENCYDETHAMLVJul 21, 2026

PWHL Overhauls Expansion Rules, Eliminates Draft for Four New Teams

The league will use a six-phase signing process instead of an expansion draft as it grows to 12 teams for the 2026-27 season.

Exterior view of the Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden before the New York Rangers–Minnesota Wild game on October 20, 2025. Emma Peschel and the New York Sirens are not pictured. File photo.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
DRAFTNYJul 21, 2026

Sirens introduce Emma Peschel at Empire State Building

New York's first-round pick met the media nearly a month after the 2026 PWHL Draft.

Toronto's Julia Gosling skates past Hilary Knight of the Boston Fleet at Coca-Cola Coliseum on November 30, 2024. File photo.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
SIGNINGDETHAMLVJul 21, 2026

PWHL Expansion Teams Lock In Foundational Rosters for 2026-27

Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose complete Phase 2 signings as four new markets prepare for inaugural seasons.

Larry Tanenbaum greets the Toronto Raptors mascot at Scotiabank Arena on December 1, 2024. File photo.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
EXPANSIONDETHAMLVJul 21, 2026

PWHL Adds First Outside Investors in Ilitch and Tanenbaum Groups

Detroit's Ilitch Companies and Toronto's Kilmer Sports Ventures join the league as strategic partners, bringing more than $100 million in new capital.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly poses with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Prince of Wales Trophy on May 29, 2026. File photo.
James Guillory-Imagn Images
EXPANSIONJul 15, 2026

NHL meets with New Orleans expansion group in New York

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed a recent meeting with investors interested in bringing professional hockey to Louisiana.

Expansion News · Hockey.com