PWHL introducing 2 6-team conferences and adding a quarterfinal playoff round entering Year 4

The Professional Women’s Hockey League’s addition of four new teams is translating into more games, an expanded playoff format and the introduction of two six-team conferences entering its fourth season.

The PWHL unveiled major adaptations on Friday in releasing its 180-game regular-season schedule running from Dec. 5 to April 18, and includes the league’s previously announced first All-Star event on March 7.

The PWHL’s popular “Takeover Tour” series is back and expanding from 16 to 24 outings, with the neutral site locations yet to be revealed.

“The schedule reflects the PWHL’s monumental growth, as anticipation builds for our fourth season,” said Jayna Hefford, executive VP of hockey operations. “The introduction of conferences and an expanded playoff format will deepen rivalries and fuel the competitiveness.”

The 180 games — with each team playing 30 — is up from 120 last season as a result of the PWHL growing to 12 teams with the addition of expansion franchises in Detroit, Las Vegas, San Jose and Hamilton, Ontario.

By doubling in size since launching as a six-team league in 2024, the PWHL for the first time is splitting up into Eastern and Western Conferences. Boston, New York, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton will play in the East, while Detroit, Minnesota, Las Vegas, San Jose, Seattle and Vancouver will play in the West.

Each team will play 18 games against conference opponents, and visit each market at least once.

The top four teams in each conference will qualify for the postseason, which will feature the addition of a best-of-five quarterfinal round. Previously, teams were all grouped together, with the top four qualifying for the playoffs, which opened with a semifinal round.

The semifinals and Walter Cup Finals will remain best-of-five series.

The PWHL is also continuing its tradition of having the first-place team — this time one in each conference — choose between the third- and fourth-place finishers to be their opening-round opponent.

As previously announced, the season begins with six teams playing on Dec. 5 and the remaining six the following day.

The schedule is weekend dominant, with 49 games being played on Saturdays and 39 on Sundays. The busiest weekday features 31 games being played on Wednesdays.

With the International Ice Hockey Federation permanently moving the women's world championship to November, the PWHL will no longer have to pause its schedule with a three-week break as it did in two previous non-Olympic seasons. The longest break this season will be an eight-day pause to open March and coincide with the PWHL's four-team, 3-on-3 All-Star competition in Toronto.

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