The PWHL’s two newest franchises in Seattle and Vancouver will begin stocking their rosters early next month through an exclusive free agency period followed by an expansion draft.
Under the guidelines announced Monday, the six existing teams will each lose four players during the two-phase process beginning with a signing period spanning June 4-8 followed by an expansion draft June 9.
Teams have until June 3 to determine which three players they intend to protect from the expansion process. Teams will be allowed to protect a fourth additional player once they lose two from their respective rosters, with no restrictions on how many positional players can be protected.
Seattle and Vancouver can each add up to five free agents — including players on contracts expiring after this season — during the signing period. The teams will then use the expansion draft to fill however many roster spots necessary to reach a 12-player limit.
The expansion teams will join the existing PWHL teams to continue stocking their rosters through the PWHL draft on June 24, followed by the start of the league’s free agency period.
The league, which controls all its franchises, said the expansion guidelines were structured to “promote competitive balance and provide the two new PWHL teams with the opportunity to build a strong foundational roster.”
The PWHL has not yet revealed how the expansion teams will be incorporated into the six-round draft order. The league is also in the process of hiring general managers and coaching staffs for each of the two new teams.
Vancouver and Seattle were selected as the PWHL’s first two expansion franchises in announcements made a week apart last month.
The PWHL is in the midst of closing its second season with the defending champion Minnesota Frost preparing to face the Ottawa Charge in a best-of-five championship final series opening on Tuesday.
