As The Athletic reported earlier this month, the league will not have a traditional expansion draft, a departure from last year’s system. Instead, this year, expansion teams will fill out rosters in six different phases and multiple signing windows.
According to the league’s press release, expansion teams will have 10 players under contract by Phase 4 of its six-phase process. The league’s existing eight teams — Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, New York, Minnesota, Seattle and Vancouver — can lose a maximum of four players under contract for 2026-27, but there is no limit on how many players under expiring contracts the teams can lose from their 2025-26 rosters.
“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,” said Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s executive vice president of hockey operations. “We believe this framework accomplishes both goals and reflects the collaborative and forward-thinking approach that has helped shape the PWHL since day one.”
Starting June 1 at 12 p.m. ET, all twelve PWHL teams will be permitted to have conversations with players they’d like to negotiate with from a list of 10 submitted by each club. However, contracts cannot be signed until Phase 1 officially begins on June 2. There will also be a roster freeze in effect from Phases 1-4, meaning existing teams cannot make trades or sign contracts outside of the expansion process.
The league’s full rules are available in the “Expansion Roster Distribution Protocols” guide.
The Athletic will also break it all down.
Phase 1: Existing team foundational signings and protections (June 2-3)
Similar to last season, the PWHL’s existing franchises will get to protect three players from the expansion process. There is one major change: Free agents will no longer be exempt.
Last year, players on expiring deals, such as Susanna Tapani (Boston Fleet) and Natalie Spooner (Toronto Sceptres), didn’t need protection to stay with their clubs.
This time around, existing franchises will need to sign their top free agents to protect them from being plucked by expansion teams. The Sceptres, for example, would need to sign star defender Renata Fast during Phase 1 to protect her.
Any signed player automatically counts as one of the existing team’s three protections. In an interesting wrinkle, general managers may sign a pending free agent from any other team’s roster to protect them; existing teams may only lose one player this way in Phase 1.
For example, sticking with the Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury could sign Seattle free agent Julia Gosling in Phase 1 and protect her from expansion.
Phase 2: Expansion team foundational signing period (June 5-8)
All four expansion teams will each acquire five players through foundational signings — and if necessary, a player selection process.
At the start of this phase, each expansion team will submit an “Exclusive Negotiation Target List” of players the team has a legitimate interest in signing. Each list will include 20 players who are either on expiring contracts or were left unprotected.
Each expansion team will be able to sign one player on an expiring contract to a binding “Expansion Foundational Offer.” This specific offer (the EFO) is a guaranteed tender, meaning if a player is offered an EFO, they are required to sign.
Players who receive an EFO may choose a contract length up to four years, and they will have several incentives that are laid out in the league’s guide.
For example, the player’s salary will be no less than $100,000 or the player’s 2025-26 salary (whichever is greater). Players who sign for multiple years will receive an additional $20,000 up front. The deal will also be fully guaranteed.
If multiple expansion teams offer the EFO to the same player, the player will choose which team they join.
Teams may also issue “Foundational Player Offers” to players on expiring contracts on their ENTL. A player who is offered an FPO is not required to sign with the expansion franchise, but if they reject the offer, that player must sign a new contract by the end of Phase 3.
An FPO contract must be at least two years in duration and worth $80,000 in Year 1 and $82,500 in Year 2.
If any expansion team is unable to reach five players by the end of the window, it will be allowed to select unprotected players — either under contract or with their rights held by existing teams — from its exclusive list. If a player is selected, the expansion team will retain her rights. If necessary, the selection process will be on June 8 at 3 p.m. ET.
Existing teams can lose up to three players under contract for the 2026-27 season in Phase 2.
Phase 3: Preliminary open signing period (June 10-12)
In Phase 3, unsigned and unprotected players on expiring contracts become eligible to negotiate with all 12 teams.
Expansion teams will be able to sign up to three additional players on expiring deals during this phase. All eight existing franchises will also be able to protect or sign three more players, for a total of six protected players throughout the process. Players on expiring contracts can sign with any team in Phase 3, not just their current roster.
Any player who rejected a Foundational Player Offer in Phase 2 must also sign a new contract, with any team, by the end of this phase.
Phase 4: Expansion signing period (June 14-15)
In this phase, expansion teams will sign the remaining number of players they need to reach a total of 10.
At this point, all players who were not signed or protected in the first three phases are eligible to sign with an expansion team, including players both on expiring contracts and players under contract for 2026-27. Players on expiring contracts who appeared on an expansion team’s ENTL are ineligible to sign with that expansion team in Phase 4.
Should an expansion team be unable to reach 10 players, it will be allowed to select unprotected players who are under contract for 2026-27.
Phase 5: Existing team exclusive re-signing period (June 16 and 18)
This phase will permit existing teams to sign their remaining players on expiring contracts. Players may choose to re-sign with their current team or wait for the leaguewide signing period to open on June 19.
PWHL Entry Draft (June 17)
All 12 teams will participate in the six-round draft. The Vancouver Goldeneyes secured the first pick through the league’s Gold Plan system, with the remaining draft order to be announced ahead of the draft.
Phase 6: Open signing period (begins June 19)
This final phase serves as the start of PWHL free agency.
All remaining eligible players on expiring contracts may sign with any of the 12 teams in the league. Undrafted players will also be eligible to sign league-wide.
Key dates
May 28, 3 p.m. ET: Phase 1 — Negotiation list submission deadline
June 1, 12 p.m. ET: Preliminary player negotiation period opens
June 2-3: Phase 1 — Existing team signings and protections
June 5-8: Phase 2 — Expansion team foundational signing period
June 10-12: Phase 3 — Preliminary open signing period for all teams
June 14-15: Phase 4 — Expansion signing period
June 16 and 18: Phase 5 — Existing team exclusive re-signing period
June 17: PWHL Draft
June 19, 12 p.m. ET: Phase 6 — Open signing period begins for all teams
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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