Everything in the PWHL's annual plans happened about two weeks later this offseason. The June 10 draft from 2024 became June 24 this season, and because of that, the signing of draft picks has been delayed. Using last summer as a guide however, here's what we can still expect this offseason.
Many of the top selections from the 2025 PWHL Draft will sign over the next week or two with PWHL operations re-opening as of July 8. The majority of those signings will be finalized by the end of July if last year was any indication. Some PWHL teams have stated behind the scenes they hope to take most of, if not all of August off.
Camp invites have primarily been wrapped up. Teams will still add the odd player here and there to those lists as others sign overseas or change plans, but for the most part, training camp rosters are nearing, or already completed.
There are still roughly a dozen restricted free agents left to sign who will find themselves in key positions next year in the league, and many of those were completed during the league shutdown between June 27 and July 8, and will be announced soon.
Last summer, there was a sprinkling of signings after the initial wave completed with teams like Montreal adding Catherine Dubois, and Boston adding Emma Greco in the second wave.
The last signings to happen in the offseason leading up to the 2024-25 season started rolling in as summer ended with Claire Thompson and Danielle Serdachny both signing in August, Ronja Savolainen signing in late September, and first overall pick Sarah Fillier taking until November 1st, less than two weeks before camps opened to sign.
This summer agents and players might feel more urgency to get pen to paper sooner given the newly expanded eight team dynamic that exists. Right now, teams have money available to sign. As the summer ebbs on, those finances might dwindle forcing the hand of players who choose to hold out for more, to actually take less.
Beyond player signings, the PWHL began officially announcing venues, particularly new venues in September. Those includes moves for Montreal to Place Bell, Toronto to the Coca-Cola Coliseum, and New York to the Prudential Center.
Names and logos for the PWHL's six original teams came on September 24. This offseason, PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver are both in a holding pattern waiting for their own logos and team names.
As for the 2025-26 regular season schedule, fans will hope for a more expedited process than last summer. Prior to the 2024-25 season, it was not longer summer, but rather less than a month ahead of camps opening in mid-October when the PWHL unveiled their schedule.
If last year is any indication, it will be a busy July of signings, a quiet August, followed by a gradual ramping up of league level announcements, camp details, schedules, and eventually Takeover Tour locations and dates in the Fall.