PWHL Announces Expansion Draft Process

With the announcement that the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) will expand to the West Coast with teams in Vancouver and Seattle, several questions have been raised regarding how the league will proceed with an expansion draft. On May 19, the PWHL announced how it will proceed with an Expansion Draft. 

Each of the inaugural six teams will have to give up four players, so both teams participating in the Expansion Draft, Vancouver and Seattle, have 12 players before all eight teams will partake in the PWHL Draft on June 24.

While each team has to release four players from their rosters, they can save three before the expansion draft begins. All teams must submit which three players they want to protect by noon on June 3. The next day, June 4, an exclusive signing window will open for Vancouver and Seattle. Both teams are allowed to sign at most five players from any of the first six teams. Once each of the inaugural six teams releases two players to either of the two teams, they are allowed to save another player, for a max of four protected players. The official expansion draft will occur five days later, on June 9. Here, both Seattle and Vancouver will alternate selecting players until each team has 12 players. If one of the two upcoming teams did not sign five players in the five days leading up to the expansion draft, they will be allowed to draft more players until they reach the 12-player maximum. 

The 2025 Expansion Draft will ensure that all the teams within the PWHL are competitive and balanced. All the players within the PWHL demonstrate exceptional skill and talent. With an expansion draft, both PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle will be in great shape to compete once the 2025-26 season starts up.