Here’s How PWHL Expansion Draft, Procedures Affect Fleet

The PWHL announced Monday the key dates, rules and procedures for the 2025 expansion roster building process.

Seattle and Vancouver are preparing for the 2025-26 season, and the process of building their rosters begins next month. The process includes protected player lists, an exclusive signing window, an expansion draft, and the 2025 PWHL Draft. According to the PWHL, the structure is set “to promote competitive balance and provide the two new PWHL teams with the opportunity to build a strong foundational roster.”

The inaugural six teams, including the Boston Fleet, will relinquish four players from their 2024-25 roster throughout the entire process. On June 3, teams will have the opportunity to protect three players from selection in the exclusive signing window and the expansion draft. Once a team has relinquished two players, whether through the exclusive signing window or expansion draft, that team will be permitted to protect one additional player.

There will be a five-day exclusive window starting June 4 when Seattle and Vancouver can sign a maximum of five players. There is no required minimum number of players who must be signed during this window. Any unprotected player or any player on an expiring contract is eligible to be signed. 

The expansion draft is on June 9, and Seattle and Vancouver will select a minimum of seven players until each has a 12-player roster. A team is granted additional draft picks if it has fewer signed players than the other so it can reach a 12-player roster. Players eligible to be selected in the expansion draft consist of unprotected players under contract for the 2025–26 season or those whose playing rights are held through the 2025–26 season.

Finally, the 2025 PWHL Draft will be on June 24 and the New York Sirens in control of the first overall pick. The full order of selections was not announced as of Tuesday.

The Fleet have 14 players eligible for protection and expansion draft selection: Sydney Bard, Hannah Bilka, Hannah Brandt, Emily Brown, Hadley Hartmetz, Aerin Frankel, Megan Keller, Hilary Knight, Shay Maloney, Ilona Markova, Alina Müller, Daniela Pejšová, Jamie Lee Rattray and Sophie Shirley.

Boston general manager Danielle Marmer and the other executives of the inaugural PWHL teams will face interesting team-building challenges as Seattle and Vancouver build their rosters.

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