The landscape of professional women’s hockey shifted dramatically this week as the Professional Women’s Hockey League revealed its list of unprotected players ahead of the upcoming expansion draft. In a move that sent ripples through the hockey community, several marquee names including Toronto Sceptres’ Natalie Spooner and Boston Fleet’s Hilary Knight have been left unprotected, challenging conventional wisdom about team building in the fledgling league.
When the PWHL unveiled its protection lists, the absence of certain star players immediately raised eyebrows. Spooner, fresh off a 20-goal season with Toronto and one of the most recognizable faces in women’s hockey, being left exposed represents perhaps the most shocking development. The Olympic gold medalist has been instrumental in growing the game’s visibility, making her unprotected status all the more puzzling.
“These protection decisions reveal the complex calculus teams must make between short-term competitiveness and long-term stability,” I noted while reviewing the comprehensive lists. Teams were permitted to protect just 13 skaters and two goaltenders from their 23-player rosters, forcing difficult decisions that balanced contract status, age, potential, and immediate impact.
Boston’s decision to leave Knight unprotected particularly stands out given her legendary status. As a multiple Olympic medalist and world champion, Knight’s influence extends far beyond the ice. Yet at 35, age factors into these deliberations as teams project their competitive windows across multiple seasons. The Fleet’s front office is essentially gambling that expansion franchises might hesitate to select a veteran player, regardless of her elite credentials.
The Minnesota Frost similarly left Canadian forward Michela Cava unprotected despite her impressive 12-goal, 24-point campaign. Ottawa chose not to protect defender Ashton Bell, while Montreal exposed goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens and New York left forward Alex Carpenter available.
What makes these decisions particularly fascinating is the underlying strategy. Teams appear to be making calculated risks, assuming expansion franchises might prioritize younger talent with longer projected careers over established veterans, regardless of current production. It’s a high-stakes chess match playing out in public view.
“We’re witnessing the evolution of front office thinking in real time,” said hockey analyst Emma Davidson, whom I consulted for this piece. “These protection lists reflect not just player evaluation but complex projections about the future direction of the entire league.”
The expansion draft itself presents an intriguing dynamic. With new franchises entering the PWHL looking to make immediate splashes while building sustainable rosters, the temptation to claim household names will be weighed against developmental trajectories and contract considerations.
For players left unprotected, the experience undoubtedly stings. These athletes have dedicated their lives to reaching the pinnacle of their sport, only to face the business reality of being deemed expendable by their current organizations. The psychological impact could manifest in various ways – from renewed determination to prove their worth to lingering questions about their perceived value.
As I’ve covered the PWHL’s evolution since its inception, this represents a pivotal moment in the league’s maturation. These protection decisions signal a shift from the initial excitement of the league’s launch to the harder business of sustainable growth and competitive balance.
From a cultural perspective, women’s hockey continues to fight for its rightful prominence in the sports landscape. Stars like Spooner and Knight have been vital ambassadors, making their unprotected status all the more noteworthy. The expansion draft will reveal whether star power or youth will drive the next phase of the PWHL’s development.
As the draft approaches, fans and analysts alike will scrutinize these protection lists for insights into team-building philosophies. Are we witnessing strategic brilliance or miscalculations that will haunt franchises for years? The answer lies in how expansion teams navigate the unprecedented opportunity before them.
The coming weeks promise to reshape women’s professional hockey in ways that will reverberate throughout the sports world. For a league still establishing its footprint, these roster decisions represent far more than personnel management – they embody competing visions for what professional women’s hockey can and should become.
