At the Pro Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) expansion draft on June 9, each of the six teams was allowed to select three players for protection. On June 3, each team’s protection roster was revealed, including nine forwards from six teams, six defenders and three goalkeepers.
Boston Fleet
- Aerin Frankel – Goalkeeper
- Megan Keller – Defender
- Alina Muller – Forward
Minnesota Frost
- Taylor Heise – Moving forward
- Kendall Coyne Schofield – Forward and Captain
- Lee Stecklein – Defender
Montréal Victoire
- Ann-Renee Desbiens – Goalkeeper
- Marie-Philip Poulin – Forward and Captain
- Laura Stacey – Forward
New York Siren
- Sarah Fillier – Going forward
- Ella Shelton – Defender
- Micah Zandee-Hart – Guard and Captain
Ottawa charges
- Emily Clark – Foward
- Gwyneth Philips – Goalkeeper
- Ronja Savolainen – Defender
Toronto Securities
- Renata Fast – Defender
- Blayre Turnbull – Forward and Captain
- Daryl Watt – Forward
Ottawa and Boston protected one player in each position, Montreal and Toronto protected two forwards and a goalkeeper, and New York protected two defenders and a forward. Two of the four of the original six teams were designed to protect them, and both teams left the captain. Both teams, the Boston Fleet and Ottawa allegations, have opened their top scorer too.
With Vancouver and Seattle set to make the PWHL a league of eight teams in 2025-26, they have a lot of talent to choose from even with 18 players protected.
The executive signature window will open tomorrow
On June 4, at 9 a.m. ET, the execution signature window was opened. Since then, at 5 p.m. ET, PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle have the opportunity to sign up to five unprotected players. At 8:30 pm on June 9, the two expansion teams will select seven players, attracting up to 12 players. If both teams do not sign five players in the execution signature window, more draft picks will be allowed until they draw 12 players.
