The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) had a busy day as they got things underway to adding management to the previously announced 6 team League and have begun the process of developing playing rosters for all the teams.
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PWHL’s Team General Managers
Minnesota: Natalie Darwitz Toronto: Gina Kingsbury Montreal: Danièle Sauvageau Boston: Danielle Marmer New York: Pascal Daoust Ottawa: Michael Hirshfeld
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PWHL 2023 Draft
Players have until September 3 to declare their eligibility and interest in the PWHL Draft. The draft will follow on September 18 in Toronto.
PWHL2023DraftPick Order Decided
The first round draft order was decided by a lottery today, with a snake format in the subsequent rounds, as per the example below (each subsequent round is in the reverse pick order of the previous round).
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PWHL Ice Chips
The PWHL 2023 free agency period opened today, and teams have 10 days to sign 3 players in advance of the draft.
The PWHL 2023 draft will consist of 15 rounds for a total of 90 draft picks. Each team will be able to sign their 15 draftees to bring their roster total up to 18.
Players who were not selected at the September 18 draft will become free agents.
Teams must have a minimum of 28 players at training camp, meaning each team will need to sign at least 10 players beyond the initial free agency period, before training camps open on November 13.
TORONTO, ON (August 29, 2023) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) was officially introduced today with a foundational announcement naming its six markets across Canada and the United States.
When the puck drops in January 2024, the world’s best women’s players will compete in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto, as well as Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the New York City area, they confirmed.
Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto are home to first six teams
Player selection process, including draft and free agency guidelines, announced
Rosters for the inaugural season will begin forming during an initial free agency period commencing September 1, with the majority of the league’s founding players to be selected during the 2023 PWHL Draft on Sept. 18, the league disclosed.
The league is supported financially by business and philanthropic leaders Mark and Kimbra Walter and is led by a Board of Directors that includes sports icon Billie Jean King, sports executive Ilana Kloss, Los Angeles Dodgers President Stan Kasten, and Dodgers Senior Vice President of Business Strategy Royce Cohen, as previously announced.
“On behalf of ownership and our board, I am honored to announce the official name of our new league and to unveil the blueprint for this historic inaugural season. And we are especially proud to be providing this new platform for elite women athletes,” said Kasten. “Our great game has the power to captivate and connect sports fans everywhere, and we are thrilled to plant roots in six of North America’s most passionate hockey markets.”
PWHL Press Release
The 2023-24 PWHL schedule will feature 24 regular season games per team. The full schedule will be announced in the coming months, the release stated.
“Today, we look ahead to a phenomenal future for the PWHL,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. “We have never seen more excitement and demand for women’s sports, and through the launch of this league, the top women’s players in the world will have the opportunity to reach even greater heights.”
PWHL Press Release
The PWHL is in the final stages of securing six General Managers who will be responsible for building team rosters through free agency and the draft.
A Player Evaluation Advisory Committee has assessed the eligible player pool as an additional resource for the new GMs. The committee has extensive knowledge in coaching, scouting, and player development with members representing all levels of the women’s game from professional (PWHPA and PHF) to collegiate programs (NCAA and U SPORTS) to international competition (Hockey Canada, USA Hockey, and IIHF), the new league announced.
Initial Free Agency
Prior to the Sept. 18 draft, a 10-day free agency period will occur from Sept. 1-10. Each team can sign three players to Standard Player Agreements. Of note, current or graduating players from NCAA or U SPORTS programs are not eligible for this preliminary free agency period.
Draft Declaration
Any player who is interested in competing in the 2023-24 PWHL season must declare for the draft by Sept. 3. Of note, players with remaining collegiate eligibility are permitted to declare for the draft (in consultation with their campus compliance officers).
Draft Selection Process
Order of selection for the first round of the inaugural draft will be determined by a draft lottery. Subsequent rounds will follow a ‘snake format’ in which, once the round is completed, the following round will be conducted with the teams selecting in the reverse order of the previous round. The inaugural draft will consist of 15 rounds. There will be no draft picks traded until at least the completion of the 2023-24 season.
Post-Draft
Undrafted players become free agents immediately following the draft and may sign a Standard Player Agreement with any team at any point following the draft. Selected players may go unsigned for two years before becoming eligible to enter the draft again. No player can declare for more than two drafts.
Standard Player Agreements
No more than 20 Standard Player Agreements per team are permitted to be executed in advance of 2023-24 Training Camps, which will commence in November. Six players on each team will be signed to three-year SPAs of no less than $80,000 per league year. In 2023-24, up to five players on each team will be signed to two-year SPAs. A player will become a free agent following the termination or end date of a signed SPA.
Key Dates
Sept. 1 – Initial free agency period begins
Sept. 3 – 2023 PWHL Draft declaration deadline
Sept. 10 – Initial free agency period ends
Sept. 18 – 2023 PWHL Draft
Fans can stay connected to the PWHL and register for email updates at thepwhl.com. Follow the new league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial plus all six new team accounts:
