Much like other leagues, PWHL teams are now required to submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents to retain their rights.

For the PWHL, this applies only to 2024 PWHL Draft picks.

Last year the PWHL decided that the rights of all drafted players would be retained by a team for two years. Those rules carried through the PWHL expansion process and into the offseason. 

While those rules still apply, there's now a caveat that restricted free agents who were under contract last season must be given a "qualifying offer" to retain their rights, otherwise they become a free agent.

The current list of restricted free agents without a contract in the PWHL includes Shay Maloney, Dara Greig, Anna Meixner, Stephanie Markowski, Mannon McMahon, Anna Kjellbin, Anneke Rankila, Brooke McQuigge, Anna Wilgren, Sarah Fillier, Allyson Simpson, and Dominique Petrie.

While most of these players were provided with qualifying offers, not all were offered a contract by their team.

A qualifying offer in the PWHL equates to the same contract a player had last year, plus the guaranteed 3% increase. 

The PWHL does not have any public facing rules or bylaws regarding free agency, player rights, trades, player eligibility or the draft and as has become the norm with the PWHL, these rules are often changed without warning or notification. 

Players not tendered a qualifying offer by the June 27 deadline when the PWHL offices shutdown will be eligible to sign as unrestricted free agents beginning July 8 when the PWHL resumes operations at the league level. 

July 8 is a date to watch for fans as other deals might be completed between June 27 and the July 8 return to league operations, but no trades or signings can be formalized until the league processes the paperwork.