PWHL Has Yet To Announce 2026-27 Roster Size With Camps Closing In

PWHL training camps are just over a month away. Many camp invites and 2026 PWHL Draft picks have already opened their seasons in Europe, while international competition at the Women's Euro Hockey Tour is also underway.

In total, 347 players have been confirmed to attend PWHL training camps, which open November 18, only 48 hours after the medal games at the 2026 World Championships in Denmark. 

What players, agents, coaches, and general managers don't know however, is how many of those 347 players will make rosters. In fact, PWHL teams do not yet know how big their rosters will be in 2026-27.

For the first three seasons of PWHL play, the league operated with a system of 23 signed players, and three reserves per team.

Over that span, many reserves have moved into full time roster spots, with some never looking back. Players like Catherine Dubois, Abby Boreen, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Elizabeth Giguere, Loren Gabel, Gabrielle David, Sam Cogan and many others who are now under contract in the PWHL spent time as reserves.

But with the league growing to 12 teams this season, the PWHL has considered altering their roster size limits.

The proposal with seemingly the most support from general managers, agents, and players is a 25 + 0 system. Here, the goal is to align the PWHL's roster sizes with World Championship and Olympic roster limits, allowing PWHL teams to sign 25 players to contracts, while completely eliminating reserve positions.

Many within the league however, believe the PWHL would prefer a 24 + 0 system, giving each team one additional roster spot while again eliminating reserves altogether.

The PWHL has stuck with a reserve system due to the absence of a farm system for teams to draw on when injuries or suspensions arise. For players signed as reserves however, the primary issue is lack of pay, as reserves receive only $15,000 annually. When they're signed, it's to a league-minimum salary, which last season sat at $37,131.50. In other words, it's not a lucrative or liveable position for an athlete. Reserves receive no health benefits, nor living allowances. 

By adding one or two full-time roster spots, it would ensure players would at minimum make this year's PWHL league-minimum salary of $38,245.45.

For the PWHL however, it's not simply adding two league minimum salaries, it also means adding salary to other contracts in order to maintain the league salary cap, which is based on average player salary. This season, the average player salary per team climbs for the first time into a new salary tier growing from $55,000 in the inaugural season to $60,100 this year. Overall, the addition of two added roster spots across the league would cost the PWHL roughly $1.4 million this season.

Not announcing roster limits this late in the game however, also costs the most at risk players the chance to plan for their futures. While some free agent invites and 2026 Draft picks attending PWHL training camps started their season on short term contracts, or are playing in Europe with out clauses, giving them a safety net should they be cut from a PWHL roster, many attending camps are not in that situation. The result could be a season off hockey, or the end to their playing career with roster spots nearly filled in Europe. Some positions will open in Europe as players make PWHL roster, but without the knowledge of how many positions are open, it's impossible to plan for the future.

In Sweden's SDHL, five of the current top 20 in league scoring are heading to PWHL camps including Minnesota Frost pick Viivi Vainikka, Vancouver Goldeneyes selection Thea Johansson, and free agent invites Justine Reyes, Mathea Fischer, and Michelle Lowenhielm. Other players currently in the SDHL who will suit up at PWHL training camps include Lotti Odnoga, Kennedy Bobyck, Tereza Pistekova (Ottawa Charge draft pick), Payten Evans, Elisa Holopainen (New York Sirens draft pick), Ellie Kaiser, and Sara Stewart. Playing in Switzerland's PostFinance Women's League are invites including Millie Rose Sirum, Maya Labad, Joelle Fiala, and Saskia Maurer (Las Vegas draft pick). Germany's DFEL features Luisa Welcke, Lilli Welcke, and Celina Haider.

PWHL teams were permitted to sign up to 19 players heading into training camp, meaning teams will have between 4-6 full time roster spots available depending on where the league lands in their roster size, whether it's 23, 24, or 25 positions this season.