Ahead of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Expansion Draft on June 9, each of the original six teams was allowed to select three players for protection. On June 3, each team’s protection list was revealed, including nine forwards, six defenders, and three goaltenders from the six teams.
Ottawa and Boston protected one player of each position, Montreal and Toronto protected two forwards and a goaltender, New York protected two defenders and a forward. Two of the four of the original six teams elected to protect their captains, with two teams leaving their captains available. Both of those teams, the Boston Fleet and the Ottawa Charge, left their top scorers open as well.
With Vancouver and Seattle set to make the PWHL an eight-team league in 2025-26, there is a plethora of talent for them to choose from even with 18 players being protected.
On June 4 at 9 a.m. EDT, the executive signing window opens. From then until June 8 at 5 p.m. EDT, PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle have the opportunity to sign up to five players who were not protected. On June 9 at 8:30 p.m. EDT, both expansion teams will select seven players each to draw up to 12 players. If either team does not sign five players during the executive signing window, they will be allowed more draft picks until they draw up to 12 players.
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