The PWHL believes it is "critical" to "continue to elevate the standard" of officiating in the league. The league has focusing on more consistency, and has done away with their coach's challenge in the process.
Officiating is always a topic of discussion for sports fans, but during the first two seasons of PWHL competition, inconsistency in officiating not only impacted the fan experience, it impacted the outcome of games.
The PWHL this week announced tweaks to their officiating system, as well as minor rule changes.
According to the league, their new structure will “strengthen pathways for training, communication, logistics and performance development, and it will help ensure a consistent, world-class standard of officiating across all PWHL markets.”
“As the PWHL continues to grow and strengthen its foundation, it’s critical that we continue to elevate the standard of our officiating,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.
“Officiating is central to the success of our on-ice product. It defines the standard of play, safeguards the integrity of competition, and contributes directly to the trust and confidence of our fans, players, and partners. The professionalism, preparation, and decision-making of our PWHL Officials reflect the League’s values and the competitive excellence we strive to deliver each night for our fans.”
This season, Bill McCreary (Director of Officiating, Strategy & Performance), David Taveroff (Director of Officiating, Operations), and Katie Guay (Director of Officiating, Training, Development & Recruitment) will guide the leagues officials, a roster that includes 37 women and 22 men in the role of 30 referees and 29 linespeople. Of that group, seven are new to the league and 15 were chosen to officiate at the 2026 Olympics.
Coaches Challenge Removed
The PWHL has removed the ability for coaches to challenge on-ice plays for the 2025-26 season. At times it was a mechanism to combat the inconsistent officiating.
This season however, all reviews will occur and be initiated by the league’s central situation room or by the on-ice officials.
If the plan works, it could create more consistency, and in particular, remove the impact of missed game stoppages resulting in a goal, goaltender interference, and delay of game penalties that were missed.
Potential calls related to these issues will be reviewed on an ongoing basis at the league level, or can be initiated by the on-ice officials. For fans and teams it could remove the small handful of issues related to missed calls that impacted the result of games.