• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, July 9, 2025

The PWHL Badly Wants Parity. At What Cost?

The expansion draft has turned new franchises in Seattle and Vancouver into instant title contenders. 

Hilary Knight
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The PWHL’s first-ever expansion draft concluded on Monday, and the results were eye-opening.

Vancouver and Seattle, the seventh and eighth teams added to the league, came away from the draft looking like instant title contenders thanks to draft rules that prioritized competitive balance above all else. For a startup league entering its third season, parity is being touted as key.

“You want to make sure it’s going to survive across all markets,” Vancouver general manager Cara Gardner Morey told Front Office Sports. “You don’t want early on some markets failing.” 

Boston, Minnesota, and the Canadian markets have an advantage as hotbeds for girls’ hockey, Gardner Morey said.

“To me, Seattle is a market where there is not as much girls hockey, so it might not be as popular,” Gardner Morey said. “You want them to succeed. That’s how the game is going to grow and the league is going to thrive.” 

The PWHL currently operates under a single-entity ownership model with billionaire sports owner, Mark Walter—who also co-owns the Los Angeles Dodgers—serving as the primary financial backer. Most pro major North American leagues, including the big four men’s leagues and WNBA, have individual owners, though MLS and the NWSL are single entities.

Adding to the league’s vested interest in Seattle and Vancouver’s success is the attendance from the Takeover Tour earlier this year which tested cities without franchises. Nearly 20,000 fans attended the game played in Vancouver while 12,608 showed up in Seattle—outstripping many of the league’s current markets. 

In 2024–25 the PWHL played its second season with six teams: the Minnesota Frost, Boston Fleet, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and the Toronto Sceptres. Each of the existing franchises lost four players to expansion, which included the draft itself and the brief signing window that occurred from June 4 to June 8. 

Expansion draft rules allowed teams to protect three players outright and then a fourth once they had given up two players, whether through the signing window or the draft. 

Seattle and Vancouver—which do not have team names yet—acquired five of the six last year’s first-round draft picks and nine Olympians between the expansion draft and the pre-draft signing window, leaving fans of the original six displeased. CBC, which broadcasts PWHL games in Canada, even ran a video titled “Did the PWHL expansion draft go too far?” 

New York, last place in each of the last two years, lost its second leading scorer, Alex Carpenter and starting goalie, Corinne Schroeder to Seattle during the signing period, for example.

While a bleak situation in New York appears to have become even more dire, the expansion draft also stands to threaten a budding dynasty in Minnesota. Between the draft and signing window, Vancouver added four of the Frost’s top eight in points from last year.

Seattle meanwhile will be anchored by three of the top 15 goal scorers from last season in Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight, Carpenter, and Jessie Eldridge. But Seattle GM Meghan Turner emphasized strong offense alone won’t help them compete with the Frost. Instead, it’s her goal to replicate Minnesota’s depth. 

“I’m from the greater Boston area,” Turner told FOS. “I’ve been a Patriots fan my whole life, so I know a thing or two about we’ll say dynasties and powerhouse sports. I know people love beating those teams. Minnesota has built an incredible organization as evidenced by their two Walter Cup championships.” 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Pam Bondi recognizes family and friends in attendance as she delivers opening remarks during a Senate Judiciary committee hearing on her nomination to be Attorney General of the United States on Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

DOJ Sues California Over Transgender Athlete Participation

The lawsuit claims that the state is in violation of Title IX.
A set of trading cards

Judge Rules Against Fanatics as Panini Case Gets Rancorous

A judge ordered Fanatics to turn over unredacted trading card licenses.
Alex Sarr

Wizards Pushing Limits of Youth With 11 Players on Rookie Deals

Washington’s 2025 first-round pick is top-eight protected.
Sebastian Rivera (R) tf. Danny Coles 6:47 (20-3). Rutgers University Wrestling vs Princeton in Piscataway, NJ on February 18, 2022.

The House Settlement Is Being Appealed. It Won’t Stop Revenue-Sharing—for Now

The settlement’s approval on June 6 triggered an appeals process.

Featured Today

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.

NFL’s Alternate Uniforms Fuel Big Business—and Lots of Nostalgia

The Commanders kick off a run of new NFL helmets and uniforms.
July 8, 2025

Has the WNBA Outgrown the Matinee Madness of Camp Days?

Caitlin Clark will return from injury in a Wednesday noon game.
Jul 8, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Chelsea FC forward Pedro Neto (7) applauds fans after a semifinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium.
July 9, 2025

Trump to Attend Club World Cup Final

Chelsea will face Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg speaks to the media during a press conference at the Dallas Mavericks Practice Facility.
July 8, 2025

Cooper Flagg–Bronny James Summer League Tickets Average $201

The average purchase price on resale platform TickPick is $201.
Breanna Stewart
July 8, 2025

WNBA Players Call League Proposal For Fixed Salary Cap Inadequate  

The league’s collective bargaining agreement expires in less than four months.
Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; President-elect Donald Trump speaks with Dana White (left) during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden.
July 7, 2025

UFC Confirms Talks to Bring Fight to White House Grounds

Discussions are underway to bring a UFC event to the White House grounds.
Jul 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) heads to the dugout prior to the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium.
July 4, 2025

MLB Changes Are ‘Showing Great Results’: Former CFO

Big stars playing in major markets “make a real difference.”