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How the two PWHL expansion teams will build their rosters, and how it effects the Boston Fleet
In a video, the league laid out a four-phase plan for roster building.
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On Monday, the PWHL released a video explaining how the league plans to build the rosters for its two new teams.
The PWHL Seattle and Vancouver franchises were announced as the two new expansion teams in late April, bringing the league up to eight teams.
There are four phases to build the rosters of the new teams. The phases are protection, signing window, expansion draft, and entry draft.
Protection
On Tuesday, the six inaugural teams will choose three of their players to protect from potentially being moved to a new team. To be eligible for protection, these players must either be under contract for the 2025-26 season, or a team has their player rights through next season.
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According to a post by the Boston Fleet, there are 14 players that had the chance to be protected throughout this process. The Fleet announced that the three players they chose to protect are defender Megan Keller, goaltender Aerin Frankel and forward Alina Müeller.
If Seattle or Vancouver choose two players from a single team, that team may select a fourth player to protect.
Signing Window
The new teams will have the opportunity to sign up to five players from June 4 to June 8. The unprotected players may sign a contract only with Seattle or Vancouver during this time.
A player whose contract expires before next season is not eligible during the expansion draft, but they can sign to one of the new teams during this window.
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The Fleet’s defenders Sidney Morin and Jessica DiGiorolamo, as well as forward Loren Gabel, are a few of those whose contracts are expiring before next season and may be signed during this time period.
Expansion Draft
Unprotected players under contract or whose rights are held through next season are eligible to be selected.
Both teams will pick a minimum of seven players, with the goal being the teams each having 12 players. If one team enters the draft with fewer players, that team will get additional selections to make it to 12.
By the end of the process, four players from each of the original six teams will have moved to either Seattle or Vancouver.
Entry Draft
At this point, the roster building has been completed, putting the teams on an even playing field. All eight teams will head to the entry draft with a chance to bulk up their rosters.
The draft will take place in Ottawa, Ontario on June 24 at 7 p.m., with the New York Sirens holding the first pick due to the Gold Plan. The rest of the draft order has not been released.
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