The Professional Women’s Hockey League will have teams in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, Minnesota and New York, and will begin signing players this week ahead of a 15-round draft on Sept. 18.
Long-awaited details about the league — now officially named the PWHL — and the player selection process were announced Tuesday by board member and Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten and hockey operations senior vice president Jayna Hefford.
The inaugural season will begin in January 2024 and include 24 regular-season games. The full schedule will be announced in the coming months.
Roster construction and draft plans
Roster construction will begin during a 10-day signing window that opens on Sept. 1, when teams can sign up to three players. It is believed that the game’s stars — like Marie-Philip Poulin, Hilary Knight and Alina Müller — will sign during this window.
According to a league news release, current or graduating players from NCAA or USPORTS programs are not eligible to sign this preliminary free agency period; players with remaining collegiate eligibility are permitted to declare for the draft in consultation with their campus compliance officers.
The inaugural PWHL draft will be held on Sept. 18 and will consist of 15 rounds. Players from both the PWHPA and…
