By Field Level Media
Oct 02 (Field Level Media) - The expanded Professional Women's Hockey League unveiled two new six-team conferences and released its 2026-27 schedule on Friday.
The Eastern Conference features the Boston Fleet, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, Toronto Sceptres and a new team, PWHL Hamilton.
The Western Conference includes the Minnesota Frost, Seattle Torrent, Vancouver Goldeneyes and three newcomers: PWHL Las Vegas, PWHL Detroit and PWHL San Jose.
"With 12 teams,
new conferences and more games than ever before, this schedule reflects the PWHL's monumental growth as anticipation builds for our fourth season," said Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations. "The introduction of conferences and an expanded playoff format will deepen rivalries and fuel the competitiveness that makes PWHL action so exciting from the very first puck drop until the Walter Cup is raised."
The regular season will begin on Dec. 5 and run through April 18.
Each team will play 30 regular-season games -- 18 within the conference and 12 inter-conference contests. Every team will visit every market at least once. Nearly half of the 180 total games will be played on Saturdays or Sundays.
There will be a one-week break for the debut of the PWHL All-Star Game on March 7, to be played at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena.
The expanded PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs will feature eight teams competing in three rounds, up from the four-team, two-round format in each of the league's first three postseasons. The first round will feature four best-of-three series, followed by two best-of-five conference finals and a best-of-five Walter Cup Finals.
The first-place team in each conference at the end of the regular season will be able to select its first-round opponent, choosing between the third- or fourth-place team within their own conference.
Montreal is the defending PWHL champion after defeating Ottawa 3-1 in the finals in May.
(--Field Level Media)
