The PWHL has taken their share of criticism for the handling of suspensions and fines this season. Much of the conversation has continued to revolve around "repeat offenders." But what do league rules actually state about repeat offenders in the PWHL?
There are repeat offenders in the PWHL. Or at least there could be. But for the bulk of the PWHL's supplemental disciplinary decisions being handed out this season the players have exclusively been considered first time offenders.
The league does list past infractions, as they did with Rebecca Leslie's recent fine, the second of her career, Maggie Flaherty's fine, the second disciplinary action of her career, and Britta Curl-Salemme's fine, the fourth supplemental disciplinary action she's faced.
But none of these players were repeat offenders in the PWHL's eyes.
The PWHL's collective bargaining agreement, as currently publicly available through the PWHLPA, has no reference to supplementary discipline nor increasing suspensions.
The PWHL rulebook does reference multiple game misconducts. In the PWHL rulebook, it does refer to subsequent suspensions and increasing punishment. Under the "Stick Infractions Category" and "Physical Infractions Category" the PWHL rulebook reads that a subsequent game misconduct "before playing in 12 consecutive Regular Season Games without such penalty, shall be suspended automatically for the next Regular Season League game of their Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game."
Now more than 20 games into the 2025-26 season, none of the players recently disciplined would face additional punishment due to past events, as they'd all passed the 12 game window. It doesn't however mean that the PWHL Player Safety Committee doesn't consider past action, but it's not a written rule.
On omission from the PWHL's rulebook is increasing levies related to illegal checks to the head, as defined in Rule 48 of the PWHL rulebook, as well as high sticking. Neither involve supplemental or increasing suspensions for second or third infractions, no matter how close together they occur in the schedule.
The 12 game span for increased discipline however, ends at the regular season. So were any of these players to face an issue in the opening round of the PWHL playoffs, past suspensions or fines would not factor into the length or severity of a postseason punishment.
Other leagues like the NHL, have a more well defined system pertaining to repeat offenders. In the NHL "Players who repeatedly violate League Playing Rules will be more severely punished for each new violation."
According to the NHL, "A Player is considered a repeat offender for 18 months following his most recent incident that resulted in a suspension."
In the PWHL, the 12 game span is roughly equal to two months of play. It means that players punished prior to the Olympic break are nearing a period where they would no longer be considered for additional levels of suspension.
The PWHL does have an eye on player safety, and although it's not written into the rules, the inclusion of past infractions in explanations from the PWHL Player Safety Committee likely indicates the league does consider past action.
But with such a short window, the PWHL has not had an incident in 2025-26 that would fit into the rulebook's scope of being considered a repeat offender.