To borrow a line from a Jerry Reed country hit, Seattle PWHL has a long way to go and a short time to get there.
If the women’s league begins its 2025-26 season in late November (like it did in ’24-’25), expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver have less than seven months to build a hockey operations staff, build a business staff, name a coach and general manager, choose players in an expansion draft, choose players in an entry draft, hold a training camp…
Do you mind if I pause for a moment. I got quite winded just writing that. (The PWHL is still putting the finishing touches on its expansion draft format, expected to be held in mid-June. The league draft is set for June 24 in Ottawa.)
A PWHL insider told me the league won’t be able to fully begin work on its eight-team schedule until July. That’s because several of its clubs, including Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena, share their home rink with NHL clubs. The women’s league must work around not only the NHL new-season schedule, but also dates the men’s league holds in reserve.
Another complication: “The PWHL will now have to schedule eight teams around international breaks, including one for the Olympics in February and one for the world championship in April.” (CBC.ca)
Each PWHL team will play 30 games, meaning finding space for 15 home dates. Personally, I’m hoping for two things: (1) that there will be at least one Saturday or Sunday day-night hockey doubleheader at CPA (2) If there is such a twin bill, the Kraken “S” and PWHL Seattle logos will share space at center ice.
Another insider told me it’s likely the women’s hockey team will share dressing room quarters at Climate Pledge Arena with the WNBA’s Seattle Storm. That could work, though the schedules would be tight; based on past seasons, there could be overlap.
- Last game of 2024 WNBA Finals: October 20
- 2024-25 PWHL training camps opened: November 12
- Last game of 2024 PWHL Finals: May 29
- First 2025 Seattle Storm home game: May 4 (exhibition)
- First 2025 Seattle Storm home game: May 23 (regular season)
Seattle and Vancouver are about 1,600 miles west of the PWHL’s previous westernmost outpost, Minneapolis-St. Paul. League VP Amy Scheer says eastern teams may play neutral-site “Takeover Tour” games tacked on to their Pacific Northwest road trips, to cut down on the length of any one flight.
The league growth spurt isn’t done, according to the Associated Press. “The PWHL plans to grow to 10 teams for its 2026-27 season, a person with knowledge of discussions told the AP. The person said the league is accelerating its plans based on the strength of responses and feedback received during its eight-month expansion search in which the PWHL considered more than 20 markets.”
Now, on to those top 10 moments from the April 30 announcement event at CPA, condensed to five minutes and 35 seconds: