Can you believe the PWHL 2025-2026 regular season starts in two weeks?! If you want to catch up on news before the season–or before more news–check out some of the major league highlights from this off-season.
PWHL 25-26 schedule release
On Oct. 1, the moment finally arrived: the PWHL released the 2025-2026 regular-season schedule. The puck drops on Nov. 21, featuring a double-header that includes the first-ever game between the newest teams on the block, PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver (who will have official names soon!).
Each team will play 30 games this season.
The season will pause from Jan. 29 to Feb. 25 to coincide with the 2026 Olympic Winter Games where women’s hockey will be at the forefront in Milano Cortina from Feb. 5-19. The league will also take an International Break from Dec. 8-15 for National Team training and competition.
The regular season will conclude on Saturday, Apr. 25 with all eight teams in action.
PWHL + IIHF redesign the international women’s hockey schedule
Last month, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the PWHL announced a significant redesign of the international women’s hockey calendar to better “grow the game and increase opportunities for players at every level.”
A major aspect of the change: IIHF Women’s World Championship will move to a new November timeslot, in advance of the PWHL season. The new tournament calendar avoids a clash with the end of the PWHL seasons, and also enables a full World Championship program in Olympic seasons.
The announcement also introduced a new European Women's Championship set to start in April 2027.
Training camp starts Nov. 7
In mid-October, all eight teams announced their training camp rosters, most of whom will hit the ice for the first time as a group during the week of Nov. 10. Some players are participating in the Rivalry Series and the Women’s Euro Hockey Tour the week before and will join their respective teams after.
Check out the rosters:
Nicole did a breakdown of where each camp invitee went to college (or which country they come from) over at USCHO.
PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver inaugural jerseys
The league’s expansion teams revealed their inaugural season’s home and away jerseys, styled in homage to the original six teams with their city name stitched diagonally across the front.
We’ll have much more to say when the team names and logos are revealed… imminently.
Jerseys for all rostered players
Speaking of jerseys, fans can now purchase PWHL replica jerseys for every rostered player across the league. Jerseys for players not currently signed will be added to the store as contracts are completed. Grab your emotional support player's jersey today.
Coaching staff updates
Boston Fleet named Kris Sparre as Head Coach to fill the role vacated by Courtney Kessel, who left the team to become the head coach of Princeton’s women’s hockey team. When Sparre’s playing career ended, coaching brought him back to North America, initially with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. He later had a stint back in Europe coaching Red Bull Salzburg in Austria before returning to work for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL and then, most recently, as an assistant for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.
Sparre has never coached women’s hockey.
The Fleet front office also announced additions to Sparre’s staff: Jordan LaVallée-Smotherman, Assistant Coach; Derek Whitmore, Player Development Coach; Olympian Kacey Bellamy, Player Development Coach.
PWHL Vancouver named Brian Idalski as their first-ever head coach. Idalski brings more than 20 years of experience to PWHL Vancouver, most recently leading the St. Cloud State University women’s hockey program for the past three seasons. Here’s more about why we love this hiring, even though we’re sad for St. Cloud.
The team also shared additions to fill out Idalski’s staff: BJ Adams, Assistant Coach; Brendon Knight, Assistant Coach; Kathy Pippy, Senior Advisor to the General Manager; Shannon MacAulay, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach; Joey Ali, Goalie Coach; and Andrew Boucher, Video Coach.
PWHL Seattle named Steve O’Rourke as their first-ever head coach. O’Rourke brings more than 15 years of coaching experience to PWHL Seattle, most recently serving two-and-a-half seasons with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. He spent two years as an assistant coach with the Generals before being promoted to head coach for the 2024-25 season.
O’Rourke has never coached women’s hockey.
Seattle also added Christine Bumstead and Clayton Beddoes as assistant coaches, as well as Olympic gold medalist Amanda Pelkey as Senior Advisor to General Manager Meghan Turner.
