PWHL's New 12-Team Playoff And Scheduling Format Is Still A Mystery

Sep 18, 2026 3:00 PMPublished Sep 18, 2026 3:00 PM

The PWHL's growth to 12 teams creates questions that go well beyond where four expansion teams fit on the schedule.

It may be time to rethink how the league itself is structured. With teams now stretching from Boston and Montreal to Vancouver, San Jose and Las Vegas, does it still make sense to treat all matchups essentially the same? Should geography play a larger role in scheduling? And with 12 teams competing, how many should have a chance to play for the Walter Cup?

The answers don't necessarily have to be tied together. The PWHL could introduce conferences or divisions to reduce travel and encourage regional rivalries without using those same groupings to determine playoff qualification. And it could expand the postseason without going so far that the regular season loses its importance.

As expansion stretches the league from coast to coast, new divisional alignments and unbalanced schedules could ignite regional rivalries while solving the growing pains of transcontinental travel.

thehockeynews.comPWHL's New 12-Team Playoff And Scheduling Format Is Still A MysteryAs expansion stretches the league from coast to coast, new divisional alignments and unbalanced schedules could ignite regional rivalries while solving the growing pains of transcontinental travel.

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