PWHL's "Foundational" Details Explained

The details of the PWHL's draft and how players will be distributed have arrived. Here's what we know so far.

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) officially announced their launch, and what they called "foundational" details of the league.

While the inaugural six markets - Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City - were central to the announcement, so too were details regarding how players will be selected and dispersed throughout the league.

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.

“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.”

While general managers were not announced, they will be in place by September 1 when the six teams open a ten day free agency period. During that time, teams can sign up to three players. The bulk of the league, however, will be formed at the 2023 PWHL Draft. The draft will be 15 rounds, to be held September 18 in Toronto.

Teams will begin training camps in the middle of November, with a 24-game regular season beginning in January 2024.

“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.”

Below are specific details related to the draft, free agency, and player contracts provided by the PWHL:

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.