Season Four of the PWHL to feature 180 games with Eastern and Western Conference alignment; New playoff format for eight teams chasing Walter Cup title
ST. PAUL, MN (October 2, 2026) – The Minnesota Frost today unveiled its 2026-27 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) regular-season schedule which includes 13 home games at Grand Casino Arena. The PWHL’s fourth season will feature a league-record 180 games from Saturday, Dec. 5 through Sunday, Apr. 18 with 12 teams competing in newly established Eastern and Western Conferences, followed by an expanded eight-team playoff format to determine a Walter Cup champion. The Frost regular-season schedule can be viewed online here.
“We’re excited to return to play in front of the best fan base in the league,” said Frost alternate captain Lee Stecklein. “They’ve been incredibly supportive through three seasons, two Walter Cup championships, and now two expansion phases, so we want to continue to bring them incredible hockey in another season at Grand Casino Arena. We’ve got amazing people returning and some incredible talent joining us, so I’m excited for what’s in store.”
NEW CONFERENCES AND PLAYOFF FORMAT
For the first time, PWHL teams will be divided into two conferences, each consisting of six teams. The Frost will compete in the Western Conference against the PWHL Detroit, PWHL Las Vegas, PWHL San Jose, Seattle Torrent, and the Vancouver Goldeneyes. The Eastern Conference is comprised of the Boston Fleet, PWHL Hamilton, Montréal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and the Toronto Sceptres.
Minnesota will play 30 regular-season games, including 18 within its conference and 12 interconference games. Every team will visit St. Paul at least once, providing Frost fans with the opportunity to see all teams.
The PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs will expand at the conclusion of the 2026-27 regular season to feature eight teams competing in three rounds, up from the four-team and two-round format in each of the league’s first three postseasons.
The eight teams that qualify for the playoffs will be the top four teams in each conference. The first round will feature four best-of-three series, followed by best-of-five conference finals and a best-of-five PWHL Walter Cup Finals presented by Scotiabank.
A PWHL playoff tradition will also expand this season, awarding the first-place team in each conference the opportunity to select its first-round opponent, choosing between the third or fourth-place team within their respective conference.
NATIONAL BROADCASTS
The PWHL will deliver more action to national audiences than ever before, including 19 Saturday broadcasts in the U.S., highlighted by the Frost in the ION Game of the Week four times, plus PWHL All-Star, airing on ION, Scripps’ national sports and entertainment network. The Frost season opener in San Jose on Dec. 5 will mark the first ION Game of the Week of the 2026-27 season as part of the league’s first season-long national television broadcast deal in the U.S.
Fans in Canada will continue to enjoy Frost coverage across a combination of linear and digital platforms operated by the league’s returning media partners.
All 180 regular-season games will be available on the PWHL’s YouTube channel and at thepwhl.com.
Additional network coverage, including regional partnerships with over-the-air broadcast groups, will be announced before the season.
PWHL TAKEOVER TOUR AND SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
The popular PWHL Takeover Tour™ will return for a third straight season, expanding from 16 to 24 games, continuing the league’s commitment to bringing the PWHL experience to more fans across North America. Each team will play in four Takeover Tour games, currently marked on the schedule as TBA, including Jan. 9, Jan. 23, Feb. 6, and Apr. 9. for the Frost.
Nearly half of all regular-season games will be played on weekends, including nine Saturday games and seven Sunday games, with Thursdays and Fridays representing the busiest weekdays with five games each respective day.
The Frost will observe a one-week break around the debut of PWHL All-Star on March 7, 2027, to be played at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena and airing on ION, TSN and Radio-Canada, as announced Sept. 24.
FLEX PACKS AND SINGLE-GAME TICKETS
Flex packs are on sale beginning at 12 p.m. CT and are available online here. Fans can also purchase Season Ticket Memberships and Half Packs, offering the best value and benefits. Frost Single Game Tickets will be available on Friday, Oct. 9 starting at 10 a.m. CT. For more information, visit thepwhl.com/tickets. Fans can stay up to date on detailed ticketing and game information by signing up for the Official Frost Newsletter, The Drop, here.
