In The PWHL
PWHL Opportunities
Women’s college hockey plays a crucial role in shaping the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) rosters, contributing a staggering 90 percent of rostered players.
Each team can roster 26 players, including three signed to Reserve Player Contracts. In 2024-25, 159 players were listed on opening night rosters, 143 were former college hockey standouts. Notably, the Minnesota Frost roster is made up entirely of NCAA alumnae.
The 143 NCAA alumni in the PWHL represent 31 schools across nine countries. Twelve NCAA programs have at least five former players on league rosters, led by Wisconsin and Ohio State with 15 each, followed by Minnesota Duluth (13), Quinnipiac (12), and Northeastern (11).
College hockey, in short, is the top development path for the PWHL.
Alums in the PWHL This Season | Former Collegians in PWHL Front Offices | 2025 PWHL Draft Picks
The PWHL’s third season welcomes two new teams with its expansion to the West Coast—PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver—set to join the competition in 2025–26. Following the league’s first-ever expansion draft, a busy free agency period, and an influx of talent from the 2025 rookie draft, this season is shaping up to be another incredible year for women’s professional hockey.
- Boston Fleet
- Minnesota Frost
- Montreal Victoire
- New York Sirens
- Ottawa Charge
- Toronto Sceptres
- PWHL Seattle
- PWHL Vancouver
2024-25 Season
History repeated itself in the PWHL’s sophomore season as the Minnesota Frost secured its second straight Walter Cup Championship. Like the previous year, Minnesota’s roster was composed entirely of NCAA alumnae as they proudly raised the Walter Cup once again.
Throughout the regular season, standout performances showcased the league’s depth of talent among both rookies and veterans. Sarah Fillier of the New York Sirens led the league with 29 points, including 13 goals and 16 assists, earning her First-Team All-Star and All-Rookie honors. Her veteran co-point leader, Hilary Knight of the Boston Fleet, delivered a strong second half that earned her finalist spots for both the 2025 PWHL Forward of the Year and the Billie Jean King MVP awards.
One of the season’s many successful takeover games took place in Detroit, drawing over 14,000 fans and helping push the league’s overall attendance past the one million mark. The PWHL also made significant strides in media coverage, expanding its broadcast reach on major networks including TSN, CBC, and Prime Video in Canada, as well as FanDuel Sports Network in the United States.
2023-24 Inaugural Season
The 2023-24 PWHL season was the first season of operation and began play January 1, 2024. Six teams competed for the Walter Cup – PWHL Boston, PWHL Montreal, PWHL Minnesota, PWHL New York, PWHL Ottawa, and PWHL Toronto.
In May of 2024, the Walter Cup was awarded to PWHL Minnesota after a hard-fought five-game series against PWHL Boston. Both teams in the finals featured rosters were composed entirely of NCAA alumnae.
The playoff MVP award was given to PWHL Minnesota’s Taylor Heise, the first player ever drafted into the PWHL. The Red Wing, Minnesota, native played five years for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, amassing 227 points and winning the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2022 as the nation’s top player.
