To say fans of the original six PWHL teams were furious about the expansion rules would be an understatement. When the various fan bases realized their team could only initially protect three players from the expansion process, they took to social media to voice their displeasure. After two years of living and breathing their love for their team, they were going to lose some of their favorites, and that didn’t go down well.
The reaction was understandable, but how did the players go through that process? What did they think? I had the opportunity to speak to Montreal Victoire star player Laura Stacey in Verdun last Sunday, as she hosted her Sticks in for Charity event, and I couldn’t help but ask her how the players felt.
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One of the fans’ biggest grievances with the process was that it gave the new Vancouver and Seattle teams a roster that seemed absolutely stacked, and I asked Stacey if she felt that was unfair:
Honestly, at first, yeah, it definitely felt like we lost a lot. A lot of great players but I guess at the end of the day when you zoom out. You realize why we’re doing this in the first place, it’s to grow this league, it’s to grow women’s hockey, to give something for future generations, and so for making that happen in Vancouver and Seattle in year two, that’s saying something really special about this league. I think sometimes it’s crucial to realize that perspective. At the end of the day, yes, it’s sad that we lost those players, but I think it’s also quite amazing to see where we’re going [as a league].- Stacey on the expansion process
Unsurprisingly, Stacey makes a very good point; ultimately, expansion is done to grow the PWHL, the league as a whole, and one could even argue that it will be suitable for the players themselves. Six teams are not a lot, and that’s a low number of roster spots. As a result, many players who had the talent to play in the PWHL couldn’t and had to head to Europe to ply their trade instead. Having two more teams will allow more players to live their dream at home, on this side of the pond.
Cayla Barnes spent her rookie season with the Victoire after the Montreal outfit picked her in the first round of the 2024 draft. Still, she was left unprotected for the expansion process as Daniele Sauvageau elected to protect her first three signings: Stacey, her partner Marie-Philip Poulin, and goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens. The talented blueliner became the third player signed by PWHL Seattle after the expansion process opened. The west coast team had a fantastic start, signing Ottawa Charge’s forward Danielle Serdachny and Boston Fleet captain and USA hockey legend Hilary Knight.
Met at last weekend’s event in Verdun, Barnes was asked how she felt about getting to play for a team that has a stacked roster. She replied:
I’m excited; we have a good squad, and I’m looking forward to getting on the ice with everyone. You don’t really know until you get on the ice and things get going, you know, so we’ll see.- Barnes on the PWHL Seattle roster
Barnes also said that she was sad to leave Montreal after just one year, as she had a fantastic experience with the Victoire. She admits she was a little bit anxious at first, as it’s normal to be in any new setting, but the way she was welcomed with open arms in town made it really easy for her, and she hopes the fans will welcome her in the same way when she comes to town as an opponent. While she made some lifelong friends and memories she’ll cherish forever along the way, she adds that a new adventure awaits in Seattle, and she’s excited for it.
While the fans' reactions to losing some of their favourites are understandable, it’s also understandable that the league may not have had the perfect formula for expansion right away. This is a league that’s still in its infancy, and striking the right balance in an expansion process is a very tricky exercise.
Not so long ago, when the NHL added the Vegas Golden Knights to its ranks, it had rules that were favourable to the newly founded team that won its division in the first year, made the playoffs in its very first season, and went all the way to the Stanley Cup final. The Knights went on to win the Cup just six years after their creation, thanks to relatively permissive expansion rules.
It was a stark contrast with the teams the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning got in the 1990s; those struggled for years and were terrible out of the gate. Formed mainly by players on the verge of retirement, these teams struggled to establish themselves in their markets. The Atlanta Thrashers, a short-lived experiment, relocated to Winnipeg.
The PWHL cannot afford to make life too complicated for its new franchises; it needs them to succeed and be competitive right away. It’s important to realise that a single owner owns all teams, and for him, this is a big business venture. Ultimately, if the new teams struggled out of the gate and couldn’t establish a solid following, it would be detrimental to the league as a whole since the cash comes from a single source.
As the PWHL grows and the number of teams increases, the future expansion process will be less painful. New franchises will be added across eight teams, rather than six, and more talent will graduate and declare for the draft. The future is bright, PWHL fans. These growing pains are typical and well worth going through.
