PWHL names players available to expansion clubs

Boston Fleet skipper and MVP campaigner Hilary Knight heads a star-caliber database of players near unprotected by their respective teams successful being made disposable to the PWHL's enlargement franchises successful Seattle and Vancouver.

Among the different high-profile players near unprotected successful a database released by the league connected Tuesday were Minnesota's Kelly Pannek and Grace Zumwinkle, New York's Alex Carpenter, Ottawa skipper Brianne Jenner and seasoned defenseman Jocelyne Larocque and Toronto's Sarah Nurse.

The merchandise of the database opens the archetypal portion of the PWHL's two-phased roster-building process, which opens with a five-day exclusive signing model Wednesday. It volition beryllium followed by an enlargement draught connected Monday.

Seattle and Vancouver tin motion up to 5 players each, and volition past capable retired their remaining archetypal 12 roster spots successful the enlargement draft.

The wealthiness of endowment being made disposable is simply a effect of the PWHL placing an accent connected ensuring its 2 newest teams tin beryllium competitory for the league's 3rd play expected to unfastened successful November. The PWHL constricted its six existing teams to protecting conscionable 3 players, with the quality to adhd a 4th erstwhile they suffer 2 players.

All 8 teams volition past instrumentality portion successful the PWHL draught connected June 24.

Knight is coming disconnected a stellar play successful which she had 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) to decorativeness tied for the league pb with New York rookie Sarah Fillier. And it comes arsenic Knight, who turns 36 successful July, is winding down her planetary vocation upon announcing the 2026 Winter Games volition beryllium her 5th and last representing the United States.

Knight intends to proceed her PWHL career, and could beryllium unfastened to a determination to the Pacific Northwest fixed she makes her offseason location successful Idaho.

Otherwise, the database of unprotected players see 5 of the six players selected successful the archetypal circular of past year's draught successful Ottawa's Danielle Serdachny, Minnesota's Claire Thompson, Boston's Hannah Bilka, Montreal's Cayla Barnes and Toronto's Julia Gosling.

Both enlargement teams volition person galore goaltending options, with New York's Corinne Schroeder, Minnesota's Nicole Hensley, Ottawa's Emerance Maschmeyer and Toronto's Kristen Campbell available.

Boston protected goalie Aerin Frankel, defenseman Megan Keller and guardant Alina Muller. The defending champion Frost protected skipper Kendall Coyne Schofield, guardant Taylor Heise and defenseman Lee Stecklein. New York protected Fillier and defensemen Ella Shelton and Micah Zandee-Hart.

Montreal protected goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens and forwards Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey. Ottawa protected guardant Emily Clark, goalie Gwyneth Philips and defenseman Ronja Savolainen. Toronto protected skipper Blayre Turnbull, guardant Daryl Watts and defenseman Renata Fast.