(With the expansion of the PWHL, a process for selecting players was put into action prior to the 2026 PWHL Draft. This story attempts to share how that process worked and also shares who was drafted with a New York connection. With the expansion to Hamilton, Ontario, NYHOL will attempt to cover them as a “home” team along with the New York Sirens.)
By Janet Schultz
The Professional Women’s Hockey League has expanded once again, this time with four more teams. Welcome the cities of Detroit, Michigan; Hamilton, Ontario; Las Vegas, Nevada and San Jose, California to the 2026-27 season.
Last season Vancouver and Seattle were added.
To facilitate the expansion the League held an Expansion Roster Distribution period, prior to the 2026 Draft. These rules were copied from the PWHL manual and details can be found at
Phase 1 (Existing Team Foundational Signings/Protections) was held May 28-June 3
General Rules: • Existing teams will protect three (3) players who are under contract with their team or have their rights held for the 2026-2027 season. • Players whose rights are held for the 2026-2027 season must receive a qualifying offer in order to be protected in Phase 1. A qualifying offer must provide a 3% increase on the Player’s 2025-2026 salary on a one-year contract for the 20262027 season. • Players on expiring contracts who appear on the Phase 1 Master Negotiation List* are eligible to sign with any Existing team during Phase 1, any Player signed to a new contract in Phase 1 will automatically count as one of the signing team’s three (3) Phase 1 protections. • Existing teams can lose a maximum of one (1) player on an expiring contract in Phase 1. • Players on expiring contracts who appear on the Phase 1 Master Negotiation List* can: (a) sign with any existing team
Phase 2 (Expansion Team Foundational Signing Period) was held June 4-8
General Rules: • Expansion teams will sign five (5) players by the conclusion of Phase 2. • All players who were on a 2025-2026 PWHL roster to end the season and were not protected in Phase 1 are eligible to be signed by Expansion teams. This includes both players under contract for the 2026-2027 season and players on expiring contracts. • Existing teams can lose a maximum of three (3) players who are under contract for the 2026-2027 season in Phase 2. There is no limit on the number of players on expiring contracts lost from an existing team’s 2025-2026 end of season roster. • If an Expansion team(s) has not signed five (5) players by the conclusion of the Phase 2 Signing Period, team(s) will select enough players in a post-signing period selection process to ensure that they complete Phase 2 with a total of five (5) players on their roster. • Only players under contract for the 2026-2027 season are eligible for selection.
Phase 3, June 10-12 was the Preliminary Open Signing Period.
General Rules: • Expansion teams will sign up to three (3) Players on expiring contracts. • If an Expansion team(s) does not sign three (3) Players prior to the conclusion of the Phase 3 Signing Period, that Expansion team is eligible to sign additional Player(s) in the Phase 4 Expansion Signing Period to ensure that they complete the Expansion Phases (Phases 1-4) with ten (10) total players. • Existing teams will protect three (3) players who are under contract with their team or have their rights held for the 2026-2027 season. • Players whose rights are held for the 2026-2027 must receive a qualifying offer in order to be protected in Phase 3. A qualifying offer must provide a 3% increase on the Player’s 2025-2026 salary on a one-year contract for the 2026-2027 season. • Players on expiring contracts are eligible to sign with any team during Phase 3, any Player signed to a new contract by an Existing team in Phase 3 will automatically count as one of the signing team’s three (3) Phase 3 protections. • Players who received an FPO must sign with any team in Phase 3 for an AAV greater than or equal to $73,125 (90% of the FPO Baseline Terms). • Players appearing on an Expansion team’s ENTL are eligible to sign with the listing Expansion team no later than Phase 3.
Phase 4 was held June 14 and 15 as the Expansion Team Signing Period
General Rules: • Expansion teams will sign players until they reach a total of ten (10) players on their roster by the conclusion of Phase 4 (minimum of two (2) players in Phase 4). • All players who were on a 2025-2026 PWHL roster to end the season and were not protected or signed in Phases 1-3 are eligible to be signed by Expansion teams. This includes both players under contract for the 2026-2027 season and players on expiring contracts. • Players on expiring contracts who appeared on an Expansion team’s ENTL are ineligible to sign with that Expansion team in Phase 4. • If an Expansion team(s) has not reached a total of ten (10) players on their roster by the conclusion of the Phase 4 Signing Period, team(s) will select enough players in a post-signing period selection process to ensure that they complete Phase 4 with a total of ten (10) players on their roster. • Only players under contract for the 2026-2027 season are eligible for selection.
Phase 5 was conducted June 15 and 16 as the Existing Team Exclusive Team Re-Signing
General Rules: • Existing teams are permitted to negotiate with and sign any remaining un-signed players on expiring contracts who were on their 2025-2026 roster and did not receive an FPO in Phase 2 during this Phase. • Players whose rights are held for the 2026-2027 must receive a qualifying offer during either Phase 5 Signing Period #1 or Phase 5 Signing Period #2 in order to remain on their current team’s roster beyond the start of the Phase 6 Open Signing Period on June 19, 2026 at 12pm ET. Players who do not receive a qualifying offer will be eligible to sign with all 12 teams at the start of the Open Signing Period. A qualifying offer must provide a 3% increase on the Player’s 2025-2026 salary on a one-year contract for the 2026-2027 season.
Phase 6 was the Open Signing Period held on June 19.
General Rules: • The following Players are eligible to sign with any of the 12 PWHL teams beginning on June 19, 2026 at 12pm ET: • Players on expiring contracts who were not signed and/or protected in Phases 1-5, and did not receive an FPO in Phase 2. • Players on expiring contracts who appeared on an Expansion team’s ENTL* are ineligible to sign with that Expansion team in Phase 6. • Players whose rights are held for the 2026-2027 season that did not receive a qualifying offer by the end of Phase 5. • 2026 Draft Eligible Players who were not drafted during the 2026 Entry Draft. • Players with prior playing experience in the PWHL who did not finish the 20252026 season on a PWHL roster. • Players who were draft eligible for a prior PWHL Entry Draft. After completion of the five phases the PWHL held their 2026 Draft.
Players drafted from the Western New York area included Buffalo’s Lara Beecher drafted 69th overall by Minnesota, and Buffalo’s Tory Mariano, 47th overall going to Ottawa.
Other New York affiliated players included Cornell University’s Alyssa Regalado, 68th overall going to Toronto; Grace Dwyer, Cornell, 10th pick overall and first found pick for Boston Fleet. Colgate University’s Casey Borgiel went to Detroit, Elyssa Brederman to Hamilton, Alexis Petford to Las Vegas and Neena Brick to Ottawa.
The New York Sirens draftees included Emma Peschel, defense from Ohio State; Elisa Holopoinen, forward, from Finland; Carina DiAntonio, forward, Yale University; Katelyn Roberts, forward, Penn State; Grace Wolfe, defense, St. Cloud State and Naomi Boucher, forward, Yale University.
Hamilton draftees include first pick Nelli Laitinen, defense, University of Minnesota; Jade Iginia, forward, Brown University; Elyssa Biederman, forward, Colgate; Megan Woodworth, forward, University of Connecticut; Emma-Sofie Nordstrom, goaltender, St. Lawrence University and Mya Vaslet, forward, Penn State University.