Last season three PWHL teams entered training camps with more than 20 players signed. This year, that will no longer be permitted as sources have confirmed the PWHL will cap training camp rosters at 19 signed players, with the remainder entering unsigned.
According to multiple sources the PWHL has formalized a rule capping pre-training camp rosters to 19 signings per team.
It's a departure from past seasons when teams were able to sign and secure their rosters ahead of training camp if they identified upgrades on the market, or wanted to give players a sense of security heading to camp.
Instead, more players will be heading to camp this season without contracts.
In 2025-26, Boston, Ottawa, and Vancouver all entered training camp with more than 19 players signed. Boston had 21, Vancouver 22, and Ottawa brought 23 signed players to camp.
Each of those teams ultimately ended up cutting signed players including Loren Gabel and Chloe Aurard-Bushee in Boston; Elizabeth Giguere, Jessica Adolfsson, Emma Bergesen, and Logan Angers in Ottawa; and Brianna Brooks in Vancouver.
Teams will still be able to cut players from the 19 they have signed during camp, but they will not be able to exceed the 19 permitted signings prior to the opening of training camp.
Training camps are expected to begin in the PWHL in November this year. Whether that occurs following the 2026 IIHF World Championships that take place from November 6-16 in Denmark, or prior to that event, is yet to be seen. Last season training camps opened before watching many players leave for a week-long international break that included Rivalry Series games and the Women's Euro Hockey Tour. Moving the IIHF World Championships to November was a joint effort between the IIHF and PWHL to keep the best players in the world available while minimizing disruption to the PWHL schedule.
The PWHL has no publicly facing rules related to policy or protocols, including rules for signings, beyond what exists in the CBA.
Rules changing without public knowledge is normal practice in the PWHL.
Beyond Ottawa, Vancouver, and Boston last season, New York, Toronto, Seattle, and Minnesota all had 19 players exactly signed to training camp rosters, while Montreal entered with the least number of players signed overall with 18.