PWHL announces 2026-27 schedule, new conference alignment
A vastly growing league will look a little different this year.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League released the schedule for the 2026-27 season on Friday, revealing brand-new conferences and changes to the Walter Cup Playoff format.
EAST AND WEST
On top of a record 180-game season, the league has been tasked with dealing with expansion, with four new teams coming into the PWHL for its fourth season. Therefore, the league has created an Eastern and Western Conference.
On top of a 180-game schedule played between 12 teams – four of which are expansion franchises added during the offseason – the league has created an Eastern and Western Conference to split up the dozen squads.
The East will consist of the Boston Fleet, PWHL Hamilton, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge and Toronto Sceptres.
PWHL Detroit, PWHL Las Vegas, Minnesota Frost, PWHL San Jose, the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes.
Each team will play 18 games within their conference, with the remaining 12 against the other for a combined 30 contests.
NEW PLAYOFF FORMAT
The Walter Cup Playoffs have also expanded to an eight-team, three-round format, comprised of the top-four ranked squads from each conference.
The first round will feature a best-of-three series, while both the second round and Walter Cup Final will be a best-of-five.
The league will retain its original tradition of the top-ranked squad being able to choose their first-round opponent. Next season, it will be the first-place team in the conference who can choose between the third- or fourth-place team.
KEY DATES
Dec. 5: The regular season kicks with a trio of games, including the defending Walter Cup champions raising their banner inside Place Bell as the Victoire host PWHL Hamilton.
Out west, the Goldeneyes will host the rival Torrent in Vancouver, while PWHL San Jose will have the first home game among the league’s four expansion franchises, taking on the Frost.
Jan. 2: The first PWHL Takeover Tour game of the 2026-27 campaign will feature the Charge and Fleet. The league is expanding to 24 takeover games this season, up from 16 the previous year, with each team getting four.
While no cities or venues have been revealed, previous Takeover Tour stops include Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Edmonton, Halifax, Quebec City, Washington and Winnipeg.
Cap Summary
Draft Picks
March 7: The PWHL’s first-ever All-Star event will be played at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The league will break for one week around that time.
April 18: Last day of the regular season.
TRAINING CAMP
PWHL teams will announce training camp rosters starting Oct. 5, inviting between 28 to 32 players. Training camps will open Nov. 18 after the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Denmark is completed. Teams will then compete in two scrimmages between Nov. 22 and 30.
With files from Daily Faceoff’s Tyler Kuehl
