The PWHL has been a rule innovator in many ways. They ushered in the "jailbreak" rule, brought body checking back to North American women's hockey, utilized the Gold Plan for draft order, allowed the top ranked team in the playoffs to pick their opponents, and added other unique variations like the "no escape" rule this season.

At other times, some of the more practical rules for the PWHL seem to have noticeable gaps, or ever changing goalposts on the true definition of the rule. 

With 2025-26 well in the rearview mirror, and an eye on the 2026-27 campaign however, the league, now in a 12-team form, has the chance to right any wrongs from the first three seasons of operations, and set a more permanent course that benefits players, broadcasts, and fans.

Here's a look at three potential rule alterations and changes in the PWHL that would help the game flow, protect players, and ensure the integrity of the product.

Right now, the PWHL's repeat offender rules are lackadaisical at best. With player safety a purported priority, those who have racked up multiple suspensions are treated as first timers almost every time.

The PWHL rulebook does refer to subsequent suspensions and increasing punishment. For example, under the "Stick Infractions Category" and "Physical Infractions Category," it reads that a subsequent game misconduct "before playing in 12 consecutive Regular Season Games without such penalty, shall be suspended automatically for the next Regular Season League game of their Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game."

That 12 game span for additional discipline however, ends at the regular season and does not carry over. In a short PWHL season, suspensions play into team success, as do injuries from dirty play. The league should look to strengthen their wording around repeat offenders and also to expand what types of infractions could warrant supplemental and insreasing suspensions. That includes the absence of increasing discipline for illegal checks to the head, as well as high sticking. Neither involve supplemental or increasing suspensions for second or third infractions, no matter how close together they occur in the schedule. 

Other leagues like the NHL, have defined systems pertaining to repeat offenders. In the NHL "Players who repeatedly violate League Playing Rules will be more severely punished for each new violation." According to the NHL, "A Player is considered a repeat offender for 18 months following his most recent incident that resulted in a suspension."

In the PWHL, the 12 game span is roughly equal to two months of play. It's not enough to ensure player safety, and a rule alteration is warranted.

The removal of the Coach's Challenge in the PWHL last season slowed games, and introduced confusing and lengthy reviews. And coach's continued to initiate reviews advocating to officials, just doing so without accountability. It resulted oddly long delays disrupting momentum, and altering the fan experience, both in building and on television.

During the Walter Cup finals, missed calls clearly altered the results. The first two games in the series both ended with a missed call directly leading to a goal. A Coach's Challenge wouldn't have reversed game two's blatant non-call on a trip, but it could have reversed the touched puck by a player yet to enter the surface in overtime during game one. 

Players, coaches, general managers, and fans have vocalized consistent concern for the league's substandard officiating. Returning the coach's challenge, not just to where it was, but with increased powers, would go a long way in helping teams control their own fate. The league should still maintain power to initiate reviews in certain high-importance moments, like overtime and late in games, but team's should also be able to initiate a review, and face repercussions for instigating a review without reason. In the recent World Cup, penalty and other decisions were often called and overturned via review, greatly improving the integrity of play. In the PWHL, where officiating levels have been questioned, giving a team additional ownership on their fate has value. MLB has also instituted a highly successful system not only for teams to challenge, but also giving players the ability to challenge an umpire call at the plate. Technology has significantly impacted both leagues' ability to challenge a call, which might be a point where the PWHL is unwilling to invest, as they already utilize far fewer camera angles for reviews than other leagues.  Any way you look at it, it's beyond time to bring back the coach's challenge.

There have been several occasions where an offside was blatantly missed by on-ice officials resulting in a goal. While other missed stoppages resulting in a goal are reviewable, offsides are not.

On occasion, those missed offside calls have cost teams games, including in overtime, and ultimately, those points, in a league where regulation wins are worth three points, have been the difference between teams making the playoffs, and not.

It's a gap in the PWHL's rulebook compared to other leagues that has resulted in some very embarrassing moments where an offside was missed, not by inches, but by feet...sometimes several feet directly leading to a goal. 

Before it can become part of a returned coach's challenge, the league itself must be able to review offsides leading to a goal, because as it stands now, the missed calls are far more damaging than any stoppage.