Still Eeyore
Well-known member
Because no-check rules force you to play defense in ways that are more interesting to watch.
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2025-26 PWHL season
- Thread starter BowWowWow
- Start date
Yes, this was an excellent article, thanks for sharing it -- and having this sell-out game at MSG is an excellent development for the Sirens! I was there and greatly enjoyed the atmosphere....
PWHL game at Madison Square Garden sets U.S. women’s hockey attendance record
A sold-out crowd of 18,006 fans watched the New York Sirens take on the Seattle Torrent in the league’s debut at MSG.www.nytimes.com
There was a loud cheer for Hilary Knight as her name was called early in the Seattle introductions. It's a good thing that New York pulled out the win in the end. I think the home ice definitely helped push the final shootout in the Sirens' favor. Kayle Osborne whipped around and saved the first shot in the shootout while the puck slid on the line to her left: a game of inches.
It seems in articles or interviews that the players say that they want to have checking, but they also allude to inconsistent officiating.
In some ways the issue may be similar to questions about what is "illegal bodychecking" in the college women's game. There are evidently more things the PWHL referees would consider "legal bodychecking" in the league by their rulebook. The league has had bodychecking clinics within the teams and more generally in the league from certain professional/recently retired men players who have worked on this; so, it is not from a total lack of awareness or experience, anyway, on the players' part.
Of course, I'm unsure what the PWHLPA would say, but yes, it seems like a topic that must be on their mind.
2 games left in the season for all teams, as of this afternoon...
Montréal, Boston, and Minnesota have clinched playoff spots, while Ottawa, Toronto, and NY are competing for the last one.
The two expansion teams Vancouver and Seattle are eliminated from playoff contention. Seattle has 1 point toward the Gold Plan, though - all points accumulated after a team is eliminated from a playoff spot go to this, for getting the first overall draft pick.
Word from the league is still that it could expand by 2, 3, or 4 teams for next season. Some articles in The Hockey News and The Ice Garden have made the point that there's not much of a runway for an expansion team to bring their personnel together, especially because of the short training camp time, falling after late-summer national team training (at least this past season). The Athletic also recently looked at why this season's expansion teams have finished so low -- suggesting possible issues with coaching (of course, it was the coaches' first year with the league as well as the players' first year with their new teams), along with tiring travel from the West coast.
Montréal, Boston, and Minnesota have clinched playoff spots, while Ottawa, Toronto, and NY are competing for the last one.
The two expansion teams Vancouver and Seattle are eliminated from playoff contention. Seattle has 1 point toward the Gold Plan, though - all points accumulated after a team is eliminated from a playoff spot go to this, for getting the first overall draft pick.
Word from the league is still that it could expand by 2, 3, or 4 teams for next season. Some articles in The Hockey News and The Ice Garden have made the point that there's not much of a runway for an expansion team to bring their personnel together, especially because of the short training camp time, falling after late-summer national team training (at least this past season). The Athletic also recently looked at why this season's expansion teams have finished so low -- suggesting possible issues with coaching (of course, it was the coaches' first year with the league as well as the players' first year with their new teams), along with tiring travel from the West coast.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
So when expansion comes, If I understand correctly, the teams can only protect 3 players? That seems really low to me. I know you want to spread the talent around, but you are potentially uprooting lots of players from teams, which I think is not a fan friendly move. I don't think lots of favorite player movement is a good thing.
6. It's different than last expansion.
Longer Contracts, Free Agents Aren't Safe, More Protections: Highlights Of The PWHL's Proposed Expansion Process
The 2026 PWHL expansion process will consist of five phases. It features longer contracts, free agents being available to expansion teams, more protections for contracted players, and much more. Here are the highlights.
thehockeynews.com
Sorry to be so late to the conversation, but thought I'd share a quick story.
During that first season of the PWHL, I was chatting with a reffing buddy who worked some of those games (including the championship round). This guy also skates ECHL and AHL games. Anyway, one PWHL game, they had what he described as a pretty violent (and blatant) boarding play. He said it would have warranted a major penalty in any of the pro men's leagues he works. He had women from both teams express to him that they don't want to have that play penalized. Not even a minor.
So that was back when the league was just getting going, and working out issues with the penalty standard. The women playing that day wanted a very loose standard for body checking.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Phase 1 you protect 3 players. Phase 2 your 4th 5th and 6th best get scooped up. Phase 3 you protect 3 more players, your next best 3 players. You lose 1 more. You can lose a max of 4 players. I guess losing 4 players max isn't a deal breaker. How do the expansion teams fit into the draft? TBD, like the number of new teams?6. It's different than last expansion.
Longer Contracts, Free Agents Aren't Safe, More Protections: Highlights Of The PWHL's Proposed Expansion Process
The 2026 PWHL expansion process will consist of five phases. It features longer contracts, free agents being available to expansion teams, more protections for contracted players, and much more. Here are the highlights.
PWHL Detroit is the newest team for 2026-27 as of this morning's announcement! They will play at Little Caesars Arena. Their primary colors are black and silver, with white as a secondary color and red as an accent, per the press release - more branding probably to be released in the fall, per news articles.
Detroit is also going to host the PWHL 2025-26 Awards on June 16 and the 2026 PWHL Draft on June 17.
Detroit is also going to host the PWHL 2025-26 Awards on June 16 and the 2026 PWHL Draft on June 17.
So the league postpones a playoff game due to illness in Montreal without providing much detail. The NHL played in Montreal on Sunday. Not a good look for the league in my opinion.
PWHL Game Postponed
PWHL Game Postponed
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Some players have the flu. Big deal.
PWHL has now made official its expansion to:
Hamilton (Colors gold, maroon, and cream; playing games at TD Coliseum; and with a press conference tomorrow morning.)
Vegas (Colors green and golden yellow; playing games at T-Mobile Arena; with a press conference later today.)
So that is two more markets so far, following the recent Detroit announcement, as predicted by Bucky! The draft was entered by record numbers of players, which does make sense considering the amount of expansion going on.
In other news, Montreal will face Ottawa for the Walter Cup best-of-5.
Hamilton (Colors gold, maroon, and cream; playing games at TD Coliseum; and with a press conference tomorrow morning.)
Vegas (Colors green and golden yellow; playing games at T-Mobile Arena; with a press conference later today.)
So that is two more markets so far, following the recent Detroit announcement, as predicted by Bucky! The draft was entered by record numbers of players, which does make sense considering the amount of expansion going on.
In other news, Montreal will face Ottawa for the Walter Cup best-of-5.
I hate the best-of-5 format. It's too short and unfortunately it feels somehow inferior to men's pro hockey and I hate feeling that way about my sport. If nothing else the finals should be best-of-7. Does anybody know if there was a particular reason that they specifically chose to go with the best-of-5 playoff format? Was it simply to be different than men's hockey? I think it's a big mistake and also a huge loss of revenue. I think the powers-that-be need to change all the playoffs to best-of-7 for next season especially with the expansion the league is having. I think there's enough proof that this league has caught the public's attention and support, so I'm saying it's also time to expand the whole playoffs format to best-of-7.
Record number of players entered the draft…. 312 players will make up the 12 teams as they are each required to carry 26 players. 168 current players so the need is 144 or just under half of those declared for the draft.
Of course that’s if everyone comes back which of course won’t happen.
The league is bigger which is good but also the talent on each team will suffer greatly.
And then add in the fact that the 27 draft will be woeful as most of the top end talent will stay in school another year.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
The talent spread out over more teams will create more quality opportunities for more players. 3rd line players can become 2nd line players and in turn get special teams opportunities. It also creates mismatch opportunities and spreads the goaltending out a bit more which could increase scoring.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
The best of 5 makes sense to me in that the PWHL regular season is only 30 games, whereas the NHL regular season is 82. I am thankful it's not a 3 game series, which I hate in all sports. Being a non-hard core PWHL fan, why do they only play 30 games? That seems really low. Going to 12 teams they probably need to up the regular season to 60ish games and the playoffs need to be the top 8.
Hockeyfan13
New member
Agosta trying to make a comeback…. My guess is she has already talked to Vancouver and they will offer her a tryout at camp! No way is she moving to play anywhere else.