Professional Women's Hockey LeagueAbout the League

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America featuring many of the world's top women's hockey players.

The PWHL launched on January 1, 2024 with six teams in Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. Seattle and Vancouver joined for the 2025-26 season, expanding the league to eight teams. Four more teams — Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas and San Jose — are joining for 2026-27, bringing the league to 12 teams across the United States and Canada.

Teams compete during the regular season for points in the standings and a place in the Walter Cup Playoffs, which determine the league champion. The PWHL uses a 3-2-1-0 standings system: teams receive three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout win, one for an overtime or shootout loss, and zero for a regulation loss. The Walter Cup is awarded to the playoff champion.