PWHL Expansion Heats Up: What Phase 3 Means for Detroit, Hamilton, San Jose and Las Vegas

Professional women’s hockey is in the middle of its biggest growth spurt yet, and this week marks a critical checkpoint. Phase 3 of the PWHL’s six-stage expansion process opened Wednesday afternoon, giving the league’s four newest franchises — Detroit, Hamilton, San Jose and Las Vegas — a three-day window to sign up to three additional players each to their inaugural rosters.

If that sounds complicated, here’s the simple version: the league is doubling down on growth, and every roster decision made before Friday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline will shape how competitive these new markets are from day one. Teams that don’t fill their three slots in Phase 3 get another chance during Phase 4 on June 14-15, when each expansion club must reach 10 total players.

The drama isn’t limited to the new cities. The eight existing teams can now protect three more players from the expansion process, bringing their protected lists to six. That forces hard choices on contenders who can’t shield everyone.

The players betting on themselves

One of the most interesting storylines involves the six players who turned down “Foundational Player Offers” from expansion teams in Phase 2: Izzy Daniel, Kali Flanagan, Jenn Gardiner, Julia Gosling, Susanna Tapani and Grace Zumwinkle. Under league rules, all of them must sign somewhere — with any team — before the Phase 3 window closes.

Gosling’s case stands out. The 25-year-old forward was left unprotected by Seattle in Phase 1, then rejected an expansion offer anyway to stay with the Torrent, where she co-led the team in scoring with 20 points and a team-best 14 assists in her sophomore season. At 5-foot-11 with one of the best shots in the women’s game, she’s exactly the kind of young core piece Seattle needed to keep alongside star center Alex Carpenter.

Early signings tell a story

San Jose general manager Troy Ryan is clearly building from the blue line out, adding former Ohio State national champion Maddy Hartmetz, a puck-moving defender, to pair with shutdown blueliner Rory Guilday. Vegas grabbed physical Seattle defender Madison Carter, who led the Torrent with 37 hits this season. Detroit landed mobile Vancouver defender Sophie Bard, its second blueliner after Team USA’s Cayla Barnes.

Boston, meanwhile, used a protection slot on Finnish forward Susanna Tapani, whose nine goals ranked second on the Fleet — a necessary move after Swiss star Alina Müller signed in Hamilton. Montreal locked up playoff hero Maggie Flaherty after losing two defenders in Phase 2.

Why young fans should care

For girls playing youth and high school hockey right now, this expansion is a roadmap. Four new pro markets means dozens of new roster spots, new development pipelines, and more visibility for the women’s game across North America. The college players dominating NCAA hockey today will be the ones filling these rosters in two or three years.

Protection lists are due Friday at 5 p.m. ET, with signings announced on a rolling basis through the deadline.

Source: The Athletic