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PWHL Expansion Draft Seals Initial Rosters for Vancouver and Seattle

The expansion draft capped a roster-building cycle by distributing established stars alongside rising talent to each new franchise.

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Ottawa Charge's Ashton Bell (21) will make the move from Ottawa to Vancouver for the 2025-26 PWHL season, after she went first overall in the league's expansion draft on Monday .
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Overview

  • Vancouver selected Ottawa defender Ashton Bell first overall and fortified its blueline further with Sydney Bard after signing national team veterans Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques.
  • Seattle used the second and third picks to take defender Aneta Tejralová and forward Hannah Bilka before reinforcing a potent forward group alongside signees Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter and Danielle Serdachny.
  • Both expansion teams maximized a five-day exclusive signing window to add five unprotected players each, securing goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer for Vancouver and veteran leadership for Seattle.
  • Each of the six founding PWHL teams lost four players under contract as part of the protective-limit rules designed to ensure the newcomers are competitive in their inaugural season.
  • Original franchises will rebuild their rosters beginning with the June 16 free-agency window and the entry draft on June 24 in Ottawa.