General manager of the PWHL Seattle franchise, Meghan Turner, faces probably the most critical stretch of her professional sports career as she shapes the foundation of her new team’s inaugural roster in the PWHL Expansion Draft. With a mix of high-stakes deadlines and strategic decisions looming, Turner and her Vancouver counterpart, Cara Gardner Morey, are officially on the clock as the Professional Women’s Hockey League enters expansion mode.
PWHL Expansion Draft timeline and rules
The path to building Seattle’s first-ever professional women’s hockey team begins with a three-phase process that will unfold over the span of just one week:
Tuesday, June 3: Protected player lists due
By 9 a.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, the six original PWHL franchises must submit a list of three protected players. These players must be either under contract for the 2025–26 season or have their playing rights held through that season. Once a team loses two players, whether through early free agency or the Expansion Draft, it will be allowed to protect a fourth player.
Wednesday, June 4 through Sunday, June 8: Exclusive free agency window
From Wednesday morning through Sunday afternoon, both PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver will have an exclusive window to sign up to five unprotected or unsigned free agents from the original six teams. There’s no minimum number of signings required, but the ability to lock in a big free agent player ahead of the draft gives both expansion teams an edge at approaching the top available free agents.
Monday, June 9: Expansion Draft (5:30 p.m. Pacific)
The final milestone of the expansion window is the actual Expansion Draft itself, where each of the two new clubs will select a minimum of seven players, ultimately reaching 12-player rosters in total, including their free-agent signees. If one team signs fewer players than the other during the exclusive window, it will receive additional picks during the draft to reach parity. The selection order has not yet been announced.
This expansion structure ensures that every inaugural PWHL team will lose two players and that several standout talents will be exposed. Compared to the Seattle Kraken’s entry into the NHL in 2021, this PWHL expansion features added complexity: two teams drafting simultaneously. That dynamic will force Seattle and Vancouver to be strategic not only about whom they select, but also when they select each player.
Projecting the protected lists
To better understand which players may be available to Seattle, I reviewed predictions and analysis from respected women’s hockey media outlets, including The Hockey News’ Ian Kennedy, The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian, The Ice Garden, and Melissa Burgess’ Substack. These journalists have provided outstanding coverage of the league since its inception and offer informed perspectives on who each team is likely to protect.
I’ve watched a lot of PWHL and international games featuring these players but not nearly enough to provide my own evaluations of these players. Please check out these outlets and put them on a regular rotation.
Boston Fleet
Last week, it looked like Hilary Knight and Aerin Frankel were close to locks to be protected by the Fleet, with either Alina Müller or Megan Keller likely rounding out the third and final protected slot. But then Ian Kennedy tweeted this over the weekend…
The one item unconfirmed here is if Boston has protected Megan Keller. It’s possible Knight and Muller are both protected, but it’s not sounding that way. https://t.co/6C77fRVQkU
— Ian Kennedy (@IanKennedyCK) June 1, 2025
I’ve got to say, launching a U.S. franchise with an iconic Team USA name like Hilary Knight would be incredible—and could definitely help sway more fans into becoming season ticket holders.
Here’s a look at Boston’s Expansion Draft-eligible players and their 2024–25 season stat lines.
Minnesota Frost
Fresh off their second Walter Cup championship, the Frost are facing some tough decisions that could break up their title-winning squad. Kendall Coyne Schofield and Lee Stecklein seem like locks to be protected. After that, they’ll have to choose between Taylor Heise, Sophie Jaques, and goalie Nicole Hensley.
Here’s a look at Minnesota’s Expansion Draft-eligible players.
Montreal Victoire
The best team from the 2024–25 regular season will have a really tough choice ahead: which of four world-class players to leave exposed. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Marie-Philip Poulin and Ann-Renée Desbiens aren’t protected, which likely means one of Laura Stacey or Cayla Barnes will be exposed. Either Vancouver or Seattle could walk away with a franchise cornerstone from Montreal.
Here’s a look at Montreal’s Expansion Draft-eligible players.
New York Sirens
The Sirens have finished last in both PWHL seasons so far. But despite that, they still have some intriguing players who will be left unprotected. Sarah Fillier is close to a lock. After her, goalie Corinne Schroeder is probably next in line; she posted a 10–8–1 record despite New York’s struggles and faced the most shots per game of any goalie in the league at 28.9. After Fillier and Schroeder, New York will likely have to choose between forward Alex Carpenter and defenseman Ella Shelton.
Here’s a look at New York’s Expansion Draft-eligible players.
Ottawa Charge
Ottawa has a tough decision to make in net. Emerance Mashmeyer is one of the top Canadian goalies in the league, but after she went down with an injury in early March, Gwyneth Philips stepped in and led the team into the playoffs. Philips never gave the net back and stayed hot all the way through the Walter Cup Playoffs, earning the Ilana Kloss Award as playoff MVP. Philips is now likely to be protected, as is forward Emily Clark. After that, there are several players who could make a strong case for the third protected slot.
Here’s a look at Ottawa’s Expansion Draft-eligible players.
Toronto Sceptres
Of all the teams, I’m probably most intrigued by Toronto’s protection list. Sarah Nurse, Daryl Watts, Blayre Turnbull, Renata Fast, and goaltender Kristen Campbell are all strong candidates—but only three can be protected on Tuesday. All five could be part of Team Canada’s Olympic roster for Milan-Cortina next winter. Both Watts and Nurse are from the Greater Toronto Area, and I can’t imagine they’d be thrilled about heading west if they end up exposed and drafted.
Here’s a look at Toronto’s Expansion Draft-eligible players.
Excitement builds
As we get closer to having an actual team, anticipation is growing among Seattle hockey fans eager to see which stars will don the PWHL Seattle jersey for the very first time. Based on the projected list of available players, Meghan Turner has a chance to build a competitive roster right out of the gate.
This will be a fun week for hockey fans in Seattle.