Fans should prepare for a shift in the style and skill present on the ice in the PWHL, and potentially fewer goals per game, if the PWHL continues with their rapid expansion plans, although it won't last forever.
The PWHL has created rules to promote goal scoring. First it was their "Jailbreak" rule encouraging offensive attacks while shorthanded. Then it was the "no escape rule" trapping players on the ice following a penalty.
From the inaugural 2024 season to the PWHL's 2024-25 season, the league saw a modest increase in goals per game climbing from 4.83 to 5.02. Both marks were encouraging in a hockey world always attempting to find more scoring. For context, the NHL averaged 3.08 and 3.01 in the same period.
This season however, the PWHL has seen a marked decrease in goal scoring early falling to 3.95 goals per game, excluding the league's single shootout goal.
It's a trend the league will need to monitor, particularly as they continue to pursue rapid expansion.
Could Expansion Decrease Goal Scoring?
Certainly. More teams with fewer elite offensive players per team will undoubtedly create scoring troubles. This season, teams like the Boston Fleet recognized they'll have a deficit in offensive skill, and instead designed their roster to play shutdown hockey.
Should the league achieve their goal of jumping to 12 teams in time for the 2026-27 season, most teams will feature only one line of PWHL-calibre top line players, using the league's first two seasons as the measuring stick. Beyond that teams will have a mix of role players and unproven newcomers who have produced in other leagues, but not at the PWHL level.
One result of less scoring depth is that opposing teams will be able to more easily line match and work to actively shut down top groupings. The result could be more teams following the Boston Fleets model of equally spreading skill across 3-4 lines instead of loading a top line.
While the PWHL will welcome a group of elite scorers in the 2026 PWHL Draft including Abbey Murphy, Laila Edwards, Tessa Janecke, and Petra Nieminen, each team will not be able to draft a true top six forward. Each team however, will lose at least one top six forward in another round of expansion.
There will be less high end goal scorers per team, and it could accelerate the reversal we've seen this season in the goal scoring ranks.
Less Goaltending Depth Could Help, But...
There is another item that could help counteract the decrease in scoring depth, which will be the decrease in overall goaltending depth. Prior to the PWHL adding teams in Vancouver and Seattle, each team had one of the best six goaltenders in the world. This season, that pool was diluted slightly. A four-team expansion would certainly spread goaltending talent yet again pulling apart tandem groups in the league like the ones in Minnesota, Vancouver, Toronto, and perhaps Seattle.
One trend early in the 2025-26 PWHL season however, is that teams without these tandems are not playing their backup goaltenders. In Boston, Ottawa, New York, and Montreal, only Aerin Frankel, Gwyneth Philips, Kayle Osborne, and Ann-Renee Desbiens have received starts. In a 30 game season, goaltenders can easily play all, or the vast majority, of games. Last season in the NHL, 22 goaltenders played 50 or more games, with 45 goaltenders in the 32 team league playing 30 or more.
30 games is not a heavy workload, particularly in the PWHL where teams can often endure week long breaks between games. So while there will be less goaltending talent across the league, the likely result will be teams leaning more heavily on their starters. The only impact to scoring trends could come if injuries occur.
Style Of Hockey Is Changing
From the once wide open style of women's hockey, to a more physical, hard hitting style, there's less time, less space, and far more grinding along boards and in corners. While it's simply a correlation, the number of hits per game is slowly rising as well. One element of rules promoting checking is that there are less power plays for body checking, and bodies are being battered slowing the pace at times.
This season, hitting is up slightly over last season. In 2024-25 there were 26.8 hits per game. This season that number has risen to 32.8 hits per game. Blocks are also up from 22.5 to 25.0 per game.
Still as the league brings in a greater number of less skilled players through a widespread expansion, those margins could expand.
While officiating continues to strive for more consistency, there's still not a clear understanding of what will be considered legal, and what won't. Nobody is suggesting the league clamp down on checking, but there is a distinct need for the league's officials to be more clear and consistent, both on the ice, and in the central situation room as it relates to penalties, and goal reviews.
The Shift Will Be Likely Be Temporary
While there will be a reduction in the league's overall skill level, it will likely only be temporary. The PWHL will prolong the careers of skilled players, and the longer the league holds at 12 teams, the greater the influx and concentration of skilled players will be. The 2027 PWHL Draft is not be as talent laden as 2026, but each team will year over year gain skill through the draft. While the PWHL will see some Europeans enter in 2026, albeit fewer than hoped, the number of elite European players heading to the NCAA is rapidly rising which by the time the 2029 PWHL Draft arrives, will result in the best European players moving directly from the NCAA to the PWHL.
So while there could be growing pains, the end result will be a bigger and better PWHL. The league's expansion will create the necessary space to attract talent, and grow the game, including the offensive firepower of women's hockey.