How Will PWHL San Jose Roster Get Built?

In just a few days, PWHL San Jose’s inaugural roster will begin to take form.

Rather than a traditional expansion draft, the PWHL has chosen a multi-step format designed to prioritize player’s autonomy.

There are six main phases to this process, as outlined by The Ice Garden, as well as The Hockey News. General manager Troy Ryan is now tasked with selecting and signing players over the next few weeks.

Here’s how PWHL San Jose’s roster will take shape over the next month, all leading up to the PWHL Draft on June 17.

As the league heads into the process, there are currently players who are signed to contracts with an existing team who can be selected and players on expiring contracts that are pending free agents that will be signed to a new contract over the next month.

A separate group of 236 players, who have never played in the PWHL and are already declared for the draft, will be eligible for selection June 17.

Phase 1 – May 28 to June 3

The expansion process will begin with the eight current teams selecting a three-player protection list. During this time, the new PWHL teams – San Jose, Detroit, Hamilton, and Las Vegas – will be able to negotiate with free agents, but not sign them.

These lists can comprise both players that are already under contract and players on expiring contracts (pending free agents) that would be signed by existing teams during this phase in order to be protected. Pending free agents can sign with any of the eight current teams – therefore being protected – during this Phase.

Phase 2 – June 4 to June 8

Each expansion team will submit a 20-player Exclusive Negotiation Target List, from which the expansion teams will then sign up to five players from the current teams.

There are two types of contracts that expansion teams can offer the five players they choose – the Expansion Franchise Offer (EFO) and Foundational Player Offers (FPO).

Each team has one EFO, and a player offered this guaranteed contract must sign it – although if multiple expansion teams offer one to the same player, the player chooses which one to accept. From there, the player has flexibility on contract length and how the contract is spread over multiple years, and the salary cannot be under $100k or their 2025-26 salary, whichever is greater.

The rest of the contracts offered by expansion teams in this phase are FPOs, which are for a minimum of two years, above $80,000, and do not have to be accepted by a player.

Which names are the eight current teams likely to protect? And who might be up for grabs and on San Jose’s Negotiation Target List?

Ian Kennedy from The Hockey News projected who may be available for expansion teams, including a possible name for PWHL San Jose.

While top stars of the game like Marie-Philip Poulin and Hilary Knight are expected to be protected, there will be plenty of big names available. Kennedy sees Ryan going for names he has familiarity with, whether from his time coaching the Toronto Sceptres or Team Canada.

Phase 3 – June 10 to June 12

Existing teams can protect three additional players at this point, while expansion teams can sign three additional pending free agents.

Players that received an FPO in Phase 2, but did not sign it, must sign a contract – which can be with any team – during this Phase that is at least 90% of the FPO’s base salary or $73,125.

Phase 4 – June 14 to June 15

Any remaining players who have not been protected or signed, can sign a new contract with an expansion team – so long as they are not a pending free agent that was listed on that team’s ENTL from Phase 2.

If an expansion team can’t reach 10 players, they will then be permitted to select an unprotected, contracted player from an current team.

Existing teams can only lose a maximum of four contracted players up to this point.

Given that an expansion team likely chose five players in Phase 2 and three players in Phase 3, teams are expected to add two more players in Phase 4 in order to reach the 10-player mark.

Phase 5 – June 16 to 18

Remaining pending free agents can choose to sign with their existing team during this period.

The Draft – June 17

Ryan will make his selections in the PWHL Draft. While the Vancouver Goldeneyes hold the No. 1 overall pick, it is not yet clear in what order the expansion teams will pick. Last year’s draft had six rounds.

Team USA Gold Medal winners highlight the top of the draft, with Caroline Harvey, Abbey Murphy, and Laila Edwards.

Phase 6 – Starts June 19

Following the conclusion of the draft, any unsigned player with an expiring contract can sign with any team during the open signing period.

By this time, PWHL San Jose’s roster will have a few more spots to fill. Through the above processes, they will have added about 16 names to their roster.