With PWHL hockey right around the corner, a few of The Ice Garden‘s staff share their thoughts on the upcoming season.
Will the Frost three-peat? If not, which team will win the Walter Cup?
Melissa: No, they won’t. I think this season is going to be so different than the last two, with expansion and how much more the talent is spread out now. Calling it now: the Vancouver Goldeneyes win the Walter Cup in their inaugural season. Such a stacked team.
Natalia: I don’t think the Frost will three-peat. They’ve traditionally started the season strong and that’s been the difference between them making the playoffs and missing them, but it’s going to be pretty difficult for them to do so this time with all the roster turnover. That said, the team most of those players moved to isn’t my choice. I’m going with the Seattle Torrent as champions this season.
Dylan: I think they’ll still be threatening in the playoffs (if they can sneak their way in again), but I don’t think they have the overall talent to put them over the top for a third year. Montréal has a decent chance at making a run at the Cup, but I need to see them win some playoff games before I’m more convinced. Ultimately, it’s Vancouver’s for the taking this year, with a deep roster full of offensive talent from front-to-back.
Mike: I didn’t think the Frost were going to repeat last year and I had to eat crow. Turns out, crow isn’t so bad. Let’s go for second helpings of crow (sorry corvid fans) and predict a new PWHL champion. Minnesota should be the favorite until proven otherwise, but expansion has turned everything into chaos. Fortunately, chaos can be fun (in sports).
Reid: No, I don’t think the Frost are going to repeat as Walter Cup champions this season. Too much turnover in the defense core will slow down their scoring and reveal some shaky goaltending. For me, it comes down to Vancouver and Montreal, but I’ll go with the experience of Montreal. After two strong regular seasons, they will finally figure it out in the playoffs this year.
Maya: I think no, but I also would not have said that they would have won it the last two years either, so clearly, I don’t know what I’m talking about. In reality, I think they’ve lost too much of their core to three-peat. My prediction would be either Montréal or one of the two expansion teams. If those new Minnesota Frost players that the Goldeneyes picked up were the key to back-to-back championships, then maybe they’ll take it.
LJ: I don’t think the Frost can do it again… and even if they could, one winner in three years is boring! Minnesota might be in the running, but their team has changed enough that they’re not front-runners anymore. My bet’s on one of the two expansion franchises running the table to win the 2026 Walter Cup, with the expansion process so heavily stacked in their favor. And just to be contrarian, since most of my colleagues seem to favor Vancouver, I’ll give the nod to Seattle.
Silvia: I don’t think so. I think the Expansion Draft shook up the Original Six teams too much for us to see a three-peat — this league is too fun and competitive for something so boring to happen. Everything in me wants to say Seattle, but I have to say I do think Vancouver is going to take it, if not because of the roster, than by sheer force of will from their fans.
Lydia: I didn’t think they’d be able to repeat last year and I was wrong, but I would be absolutely stunned if the Frost three-peat. They lost two of their best defenders in the expansion draft, and I don’t think they did enough to make up for that. As for who will win, I’m going to agree with Dylan and say Montréal will finally figure out how to play playoff hockey this year. The expansion franchises are going to be good, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not battle-tested. Montréal is, and I imagine they’re rather angry after two big playoff disappointments. They also arguably fared better than anyone in expansion by somehow getting to keep all of Ambrose, Desbiens, Poulin, and Stacey and I think they did a good job of plugging the holes they did have this off-season. Plus, Poulin will either be happy and fresh off winning gold at the Olympics, or angry after getting silver. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of either of those versions.
Which player will be the league MVP?
Melissa: Going to be a tie between Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin. They’re two unstoppable forces on a regular day, and I think prepping for the Olympics is only going to up their game further.
Natalia: Obligatory pick from the team I’m covering, Sarah Fillier. She had a case for a finalist nod last season but likely lost out due to a lack of team success. The new-look Sirens have a real shot of breaking through to the playoffs for the first time, but it would take an MVP-worthy performance from Fillier to get there. I think she pulls it off.
Dylan: Olympic season Marie-Philip Poulin. Next question.
Mike: Listen, I know it’s easy to say Poulin here, but I’m going with Poulin. She’s superhuman. I think Montreal endured the expansion well and has a very strong team. If she stays healthy, Poulin is the favorite.
Reid: I’m happy to go off the board a bit here and pick Sophie Jaques. She plays in all situations, she puts up points, and she was a defender of the year finalist last season. If she’s at her best and Vancouver turns out to be as good as we all think they will be, I think she’s got a shot!
Maya: While they are still playing, I’m happy for Poulin and Knight to trade them off (as long as Poulin gets more in the end). If it’s going to be someone else, I think it’ll be Fillier’s to lose.
LJ: It’s gonna be Marie-Philip Poulin, and I feel very confident in saying that. However, I do really like the idea of Sarah Fillier being in contention. Poulin may be the overall MVP, but I would give Fillier the nod for being specifically most valuable to her team.
Silvia: Hilary Knight, by the power vested in me and the entire Pacific Northwest.
Lydia: Going off my last prediction, Poulin will be going for the repeat. She’s not a player that needs extra motivation, but she’s going to get it at the Olympics, be it through joy or hate. Knight will likely have a strong case too for similar reasons, but she also had to uproot to Seattle while Poulin got to stay comfortable in Montréal, and I think that’ll make a difference at the beginning of the year.
Who will be the league’s best rookie?
Melissa: Haley Winn (Boston Fleet). I guess it depends how you quantify “best,” but if you’re looking at overall game and not just offensive output, I think Winn will be the top one out there. Excited to see how the offensive side of her game does translate to the PWHL, but even if it doesn’t, I think her defensive game is so strong.
Natalia: I guess I have to substantiate my pick of the Torrent to win the Walter Cup with something, right? I think Jenna Buglioni is going to break into Seattle’s top six and have an outstanding rookie year, and that’s going to help push them over the top.
Dylan: I’m betting on Kristýna Kaltounková to keep the ROTY award in New York. Playing alongside one of the best young forwards in Sarah Fillier, not to mention fellow 2025 draftee Casey O’Brien, her offensive talents will surely dazzle for New York all season long.
Reid: I’ll go with a pick from the team I am covering and say Kendall Cooper. Minnesota has been a place where offensive defenders have shined, and there will be plenty of opportunity for Cooper to step in and contribute in all situations.
Maya: Following in the trend from the last two seasons, I think it’ll be the first overall pick, Kristýna Kaltounková. Not only is she just a fantastic player, but she’ll be playing alongside last year’s rookie of the year, Sarah Fillier. It’s hers to lose.
LJ: Kristýna Kaltounková. I think she is going to be so exciting to watch in New York, and really make a difference for a team that’s struggled a lot the last few years. If Kalty can help lift the Sirens into the playoffs for the first time, Rookie of the Year is all hers.
Silvia: If it’s not Kristýna Kaltounková, then it has to be Jenna Buglioni. You can tell how ready she is to take this entire league on. She is going to be a key player for the Torrent and I hope she is adequately rewarded for it.
Lydia: I second Melissa here in saying Haley Winn, with Kristýna Kaltounková coming in as a strong runner-up. Winn appears to be the most ready of any draftee to step in and make an impact in the PWHL. She’s an excellent all-around defender, and while both she and Kaltounková have good international experience, Winn has had more success by virtue of playing for Team USA. Plus, she’s joining a team with two of her USA teammates in Megan Keller and Aerin Frankel, who should help ease her transition. Overall, I think she’s poised for the easiest transition, which will translate to the most consistent success. Kristýna Kaltounková will give her a run for her money though, especially in the back half of the year.
Which team will finish first in the regular season standings?
Melissa: Vancouver.
Natalia: The Vancouver Goldeneyes. The top seed’s been upset out of the playoffs two years in a row now, and I’m sticking with that trend.
Dylan: Montréal will finish atop the league for another year.
Mike: I’m with Dylan. On paper, Montreal feels like the most complete team.
Reid: Let’s go with the Vancouver Goldeneyes. I love their depth up and down the lineup.
Maya: Please let it be Montréal and let them break the first overall spot curse. But if not, I think it’ll be one of the two expansion teams, probably Vancouver.
LJ: I agree with Dylan, Mike, and Maya. Montréal.
Silvia: Montréal. Like, please, some mercy for them.
Lydia: Sticking with my Walter Cup prediction, I think it’ll be Montréal. Again, I don’t doubt that both expansion franchises are going to be excellent teams, but they’re going to have to learn how to play together first. They don’t have the benefit of a set culture or any returners to show the new players the ropes. That’s going to matter enough to keep them out of first place, but almost certainly not out of the playoffs.
Who finishes with a better record: Seattle or Vancouver?
Melissa: I’m calling Vancouver first, Seattle second.
Natalia: Vancouver finishes with a better record, but Seattle isn’t far behind.
Dylan: Vancouver, and it’s not as close as people think it will be.
Mike: Vancouver’s roster is so good it feels inappropriate to call them an expansion team. They are built to be a menace.
Reid: Gotta be Vancouver for me and I am with Dylan, I don’t think it will be particularly close.
Maya: Vancouver will have the better record and there will be a couple of teams between them and Seattle in the standings.
LJ: I agree, Vancouver will have the better record. However, I did bet on the Torrent to win the Walter Cup, so they can have it in them to be a sneaky playoff success.
Silvia: I’m going to be the contrarian here and say Seattle. If the aggressive, fast, gritty team we are seeing the blueprints for shakes out correctly, I can see them edging Vancouver out last minute.
Lydia: I think that Vancouver will have the better record, but it’ll be closer than many expect. Vancouver has more talent, but I think Seattle will have an easier time gelling as a team. I think it’s going to come down to whoever wins the season series between them.
Which of the Takeover Tour cities is most likely, in your opinion, to be granted an expansion franchise in the future?
Melissa: Detroit. Last season’s Takeover Tour game saw 14,288 fans in attendance, and that’s a great crowd. I also think there’s a good appetite for women’s hockey in the state of Michigan, given the decided lack of NCAA Division I teams. Maybe this could help propel that, too. Detroit makes a lot of sense geographically, kind of the central part of the U.S. (I’m also willing to be convinced about Chicago.)
Natalia: Halifax! It’s a very intriguing opportunity for expansion, and the fact that the PWHL put two games there despite not going there previously says to me that the Rivalry Series game in Nova Scotia really opened their eyes to the possibility.
Dylan: I think Detroit is the obvious answer, just based on the size of the market and appeal to Michigan and Southwestern Ontario. But as the league pushes for more West Coast expansion, I think Calgary is primed to get a team as well. With a new stadium on the way and a rich history of women’s hockey in the town, it’s an easy slam dunk for the PWHL.
Reid: Tough one, but I think I’ll go with Halifax. The PWHL has to be happy about how fast tickets are being purchased for their two takeover series games this year. Game one sold out in minutes!
Maya: I think Chicago or Detroit will be a lock for an expansion team. They are well-placed geographically: Detroit is very close to the Eastern Canadian teams, while Chicago is central enough to start balancing out the West/East division. As for Canada, I think Edmonton is the closest, based on last year’s success, and then Halifax, for their sellout success already from early ticket sales.
LJ: Chicago is my pick. I think the PWHL needs another Midwest team to help break things up geographically between the East Coast and West Coast teams and give Minnesota a good local rival. Plus, Allstate Arena, where the Chicago Takeover Tour stop is, seems like it would be the size the PWHL is targeting for a new franchise’s home arena, making that game almost like an audition for the city. On the Canadian side, Halifax seems cool!
Silvia: Denver’s youth hockey scene and its boom in female players is primed for a PWHL team, and with the upcoming travel for all of these new West Coast players, it makes sense for the League to want a landing spot right in between.I also want to say Dallas, because the South’s hockey participation is only growing and it makes sense to build fandom where fandom wants to be built.
Lydia: It’s got to be Detroit for all of the reasons my colleagues listed. They’re in a great spot geographically, the demand is there, and they’re the only city the PWHL has visited three years in a row. That can’t be an accident. If they get left out of the next expansion, I’ll be gobsmacked.