r/PWHL Nov 19 '25

News New r/PWHL Frequently Asked Questions!

71 Upvotes

Hi All! Welcome to r/PWHL – Here’s a resource we’ll be building on as more questions come in. Feel free to ask questions in the comments or to post changes and corrections we should make to the FAQ (please include a source link), and hopefully the mods or the community will be able to answer them for you if not implementing a change to this FAQ!

Rules:

  • Why do PWHL players wear cages?
  • Women’s Hockey requires full visors (bubbles) or cages at every level. These provide much better protection for the players.
  • What are the rules around checking?
  • “In the PWHL, a form of Bodychecking is permitted. Players may angle their opponent by using their body in order to separate her opponent from the puck. To do so, players who move in the same direction with body contact that follows, causing the puck carrier to lose possession of the puck, are permitted with no penalty assessed. Additionally, a player who holds her position on the ice with the puck carrier approaching her shall be permitted to enter into contact with her opponent with no penalty to be assessed. Bodychecking shall be penalized for an “illegal hit” when the result is that a player makes deliberate contact with an opposing player with opposite-directional force, when a player leaves their skating lane to make contact, or when a player extends an arm, shoulder, or hip after angling an opponent.” PWHL Official Rulebook Rule 52
  • What are the PWHL’s rules for overtime?
  • One five-minute overtime period will be played with teams at 3-on-3. If the game remains tied, a shootout will then take place. Each team will be given five shots unless the outcome is determined earlier in the shootout. After each team has taken five shots, if the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a "sudden death" format.
  • What are the new penalty rules, Jailbreak and No Escape?
  • No Escape Rule: Players on a team assessed a penalty that leads to penalty time on the clock are not permitted to change and must remain on the ice until after the following face-off.
  • Jailbreak Goal: A player serving a minor penalty can “break out” of the penalty box if their team scores a short-handed goal.
  • Is there a trade deadline? What are the details around making a trade?
  • There is a trade deadline but that date has been announced before or during each of the seasons. For the 25-26 Season the Trade deadline is March 30th.
  • Trading in the PWHL appears to work like the NHL at least from the fans perspective.
  • What happens if a team suffers more injuries than can be covered by their 3 reserve players?
  • Teams can draw from other teams' reserve players if their players aren't available, and the reserve players can play against any team except the team that has their "rights".
  • Can a reserve player who is currently in school or performing another full-time job able to decline if they're called up?
  • Not specifically mentioned in the CBA; reserve players receive $15,000/yr
  • Golden Plan?
  • The Gold Plan is an innovative system used to encourage competitive play by all teams throughout the full regular season. Once a team is mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the standings points earned (using the league's 3-2-1-0 system) in their remaining regular-season games are classified as Draft Order Points. The non-playoff team with the most Draft Order Points earns the higher pick in the draft.

PWHL Point System:

PWHL teams earn standings points with a 3-2-1-0 system, critically rewarding regulation-time wins to incentivize competitive play for a full 60 minutes every night:

  • A regulation win earns a team 3 points towards the league standings.
  • An overtime or shootout win earns a team 2 points.
  • Overtime or shootout losses earn 1 point.
  • Regulation losses earn 0 points.

At the end of the regular season, the four teams with the most total standings points compete in the PWHL Playoffs, which consist of two best-of-five semi-finals, and the winners advancing to the best-of-five PWHL Finals for the Walter Cup.

Playoffs:

  • What is the playoff structure?
  • The top 4 teams will make the playoffs with the top team able to pick their opponent for the first round, meaning the number one seed can pick to play the number two seed or the number four seed in the first round and the other two teams play each other.
  • What will the playoff trophy be called?
  • The Walter Cup
  • What other postseason awards can we expect from this league?
  • Ilana Kloss Playoff Most Valuable Player

History:

  • How did the PWHL come to exist?
  • The Mark Walter Group bought the PHF in July 2023 with the intention of creating a singular women’s hockey league in North America. Previously, the PWHPA and the PHF split the top talent between two leagues.
  • What happened to the CWHL/NWHL/PWHPA/PHF?
  • The CWHL dissolved in 2019.
  • The NWHL rebranded to the PHF in 2021. In 2023, the PHF was bought out and ultimately dissolved.
  • The PWHPA was the building block for the PWHL.
  • A number of players previously associated with all three leagues now play in the PWHL

Where to watch or listen to the PWHL:

  • When does the PWHL announce TV and streaming rights each season?
  • The league normally announces TV and streaming rights within the week before the season starts.
  • Canada?
  • The listed channels/providers with days afterwards have the right for exclusive coverage of the PWHL on those days: TSN (Wednesdays and Thursdays) RDS (All French Montréal Victoire games) CBC Prime Video (Tuesdays) Sportsnet (Thursdays)
  • Canada playoffs?
  • Canadian coverage of the semifinal round of the PWHL Playoffs will be split exclusively between TSN/RDS and Prime Video. TSN and RDS are the exclusive home of the PWHL Finals.
  • USA?
  • The local TV markets are listed as followed: Boston: NESN* and TV 38 (WSBK, channel 38.1) Minnesota: FDSN North* and FOX 9+ New York: MSG Networks* and WWOR MY9 Seattle: KONG and FOX 13+ (all 30 games will be OTA, with 24 on FOX 13+ and six on KONG) *RSNs will televise all 30 home team games across their channels Local TV coverage will be available for most if not all Takeover Tour games in the US Everywhere else the games will be streamed for free on the PWHL youtube channel (@thepwhlofficial) and on the PWHL website and at thepwhl.com
  • Czechia and Slovakia?
  • Nova Sport will continue to carry PWHL games locally.
  • Everywhere else?
  • The games will be streamed for free on the PWHL youtube channel (@thepwhlofficial) and on the PWHL website and at thepwhl.com
  • PWHL PreSeason games?
  • The PWHL does not currently broadcast or sell tickets to the public, some teams have given or sold tickets to season ticket holders, please check with the teams for more details.

Miscellaneous:

  • PWHL [CityName] teams and team names?
  • The first 6 teams were PWHL [CityName] and both Seattle and Vancouver are using this style for part of their branding for their first season, likely this will be the same for the next few teams that join the league.
  • The Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes both have names and logos but for this first season they are using similar style jerseys as the founding 6 teams did, their jerseys with logos are expected to come next year.
  • Where can I find team merch?
  • Official PWHL shop

r/PWHL 19h ago

Photo Gwyneth Philips was a special guest at today’s USA Hockey Girls National 15 Camp

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545 Upvotes

r/PWHL 3m ago

News NHL, Hartje support Detroit Skating Club to grow girls hockey

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r/PWHL 1d ago

News Stefanie McKeough Named Assistant Coach of Seattle Torrent

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102 Upvotes

r/PWHL 2d ago

Question New York Sirens 2024 & 2025 autographed draft sticks

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184 Upvotes

I just received these autographed sticks from the 2024 and 2025 PWHL drafts for the NY Sirens. I've got one other autographed NJ Devils hockey stick hung on a wall, but since these are one of a kind pieces of PWHL history, I feel like I'm obligated to make sure they're better protected than that. Does anyone have any advice on how best to preserve them while being able to display them? Is a UV safe display case the best bet, and if so, any recommendations? I would strongly prefer to keep them together and not need to have 2 bulky display cases.


r/PWHL 1d ago

Discussion [Bloomberg] Mark Walter’s (Dodger’s Owner) Insurers, Guggenheim Probed by Prosecutors

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61 Upvotes

Thought this would be worth sharing. No idea if this involves his PWHL activity.


r/PWHL 3d ago

Photo Hilary Knight Serving Starbucks at Fanatics Fest

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414 Upvotes

Ahh! Such a cool experience at Fanatics Fest yesterday. For about 30 minutes, Hilary was serving refreshers at the Starbucks activation


r/PWHL 4d ago

Fan Art 8/8 Team Tarot Cards Done!

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1.6k Upvotes

r/PWHL 3d ago

Photo Le groupe groovy aardvark

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127 Upvotes

r/PWHL 4d ago

Team Name and Jersey Speculation New team names?

74 Upvotes

What's the over/under for when the expansions will announce their team names?

Anyone got any favourite suggestions? I'd go with the Hamilton Rage. Or since Hamilton has like 100 waterfalls maybe something like The Cascade.


r/PWHL 5d ago

Question 26/27 Schedule release

77 Upvotes

Does anyone know when next season’s schedule will be released?

I’m planning a family holiday from France to Montreal at the end of February 2027. Seeing a Victoire’s game is high on the bucket list.

Thank you for any intel.


r/PWHL 4d ago

Other Victoire championship shirt finally shipping

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26 Upvotes

r/PWHL 5d ago

Question Does anyone know where I can get a Maddy Samoskevich jersey?

14 Upvotes

Mackie is one of my fav NHLers and would love to get her jersey to hang next to his


r/PWHL 6d ago

News Oct 10: Sharks x PWHL San Jose

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272 Upvotes

"Sharks x PWHL San Jose" on Saturday, October 10th at the Tank! So excited to attend this. Would be a great opportunity to announce the new team name.


r/PWHL 5d ago

Video Sarah Nurse's New YouTube Channel

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85 Upvotes

r/PWHL 6d ago

Question Does anyone know where a USA girly could get this Victoire pin?

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390 Upvotes

I’d love this pin but the only link I’ve found online to purchase it is through Canadian PWHL website which doesn’t allow me to purchase or stay on the page once it realizes it’s I’m based in the US 🫠


r/PWHL 6d ago

Discussion Now A 12 Team League, 2026-27 Could See The PWHL Move Toward Conferences

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143 Upvotes

r/PWHL 7d ago

News NCAA Discussing Move Toward Body Checking In Women's Hockey

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451 Upvotes

r/PWHL 7d ago

News Emily Clark and Jaime Bourbonnais are engaged 💍

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3.3k Upvotes

r/PWHL 7d ago

News FLEET RE-SIGN FORWARD ABBY NEWHOOK

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115 Upvotes

r/PWHL 7d ago

News First Maryland Native Drafted by the PWHL To Be At Baysox Game

38 Upvotes

For those local to the Baltimore/DC corridor and surrounding cities Lacey Eden will be at the Chesapeake Baysox game on Friday July 17, 2026 and will be throwing out the first pitch. There will also be an autograph session on the concourse and post game fireworks.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/chesapeake/news/pwhl-first-round-pick-and-annapolis-native-lacey-eden-to-appear-at-baysox-women-in-sports-night-friday-july-17


r/PWHL 7d ago

Photo Minnesota - Da Beauty League 7.15 Rosters and All Fan Meetup Info

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57 Upvotes

Da Beauty League Game Meetup for All Fans! Wednesday nights at Braemar. Women play at 7:30pm. I’ll be in my 🍕🐀 jersey again and we’ll have a crew behind the visitors bench halfway up in the bleachers. All are welcome and encouraged to say hi/watch. We’ll be there at 5pm every event for the first men’s puck drop. If you check their website, there may be streaming this year (last year unfortunately did not have streaming).


r/PWHL 7d ago

Other Puck Hate is Live!

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60 Upvotes

r/PWHL 8d ago

News FLEET EXTEND ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HALEY WINN THROUGH 2028-29

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143 Upvotes

r/PWHL 8d ago

News PWHL San Jose Bolsters Bench, Hires Uffe Lundberg and Jessica Turi as Assistant Coaches

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68 Upvotes