PWHL Playoffs
Elimination tournament in the Professional Women's Hockey League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The PWHL Playoffs is the annual playoff tournament of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) that determines the league champion and winner of the Walter Cup. The playoffs consist of two rounds: the semifinals and the PWHL Finals. All series are played in a best-of-five format with a 2–2–1 home ice arrangement.[1]
| Most recent season or competition: 2025 PWHL playoffs | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 8, 2024 |
| First season | 2024 PWHL playoffs |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Country |  Canada United States |
| Most recent champion | Minnesota Frost (2nd title) |
| Most titles | Minnesota Frost (2 titles) |
| Qualification | Top 4 teams by points |
| Related competitions | PWHL Takeover Tour |
| Official website | www |
The playoffs feature several unique elements, most notably the playoff opponent selection rule, where the first-place team chooses its semifinal opponent from the third- and fourth-place teams.[1][2] The playoffs began in May 2024, with the Minnesota Frost winning both championships to date (2024 and 2025).[3][4]
Format
Qualification
At the conclusion of the 30-game PWHL regular season, the top four teams by points qualify for the playoffs.[2] Teams earn points using a 3-2-1-0 system:
- 3 points for a regulation win
- 2 points for an overtime or shootout win
- 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss
- 0 points for a regulation loss
If teams are tied in points, the tiebreakers are:
- Greater number of regulation wins
- Head-to-head record
- Goal differential[5]
Playoff opponent selection
One of the most distinctive features of the PWHL playoffs is the playoff opponent selection rule. The first-place team is given a 24-hour window after the regular season concludes to choose its semifinal opponent from either the third- or fourth-place team.[1][2] The second-place team then faces the remaining team.
This rule gives the top seed a strategic advantage, allowing them to select the matchup they feel most confident about. The selection is announced publicly through league channels.[1]
Series format
Both rounds of the playoffs use a best-of-five series format with a 2–2–1 home ice arrangement:[1]
- The higher-seeded team hosts games 1, 2, and 5 (if necessary)
- The lower-seeded team hosts games 3 and 4
Overtime rules
Unlike the regular season, playoff games use traditional sudden-death overtime periods. If a game is tied after regulation:
- Playoff overtime consists of full-strength 5-on-5 play
- 20-minute sudden-death overtime periods continue until a goal is scored
- No shootouts are used in playoff games[5]
This differs from regular season overtime, which features 5 minutes of 3-on-3 play followed by a best-of-five shootout if necessary.[5]
History
2024 playoffs
The inaugural PWHL playoffs began on May 8, 2024, and concluded on May 29, 2024.[4] Toronto finished first in the regular season and exercised the playoff opponent selection rule, choosing to play fourth-place Minnesota.[4] This left Montreal (2nd) to face Boston (3rd).
Semifinals:
- Minnesota defeated Toronto 3–2 in a five-game series
- Boston defeated Montreal 3–0, winning all three games in overtime[4]
Finals: Minnesota defeated Boston 3–2 in a five-game series to capture the first Walter Cup championship. The decisive Game 5 ended 3–0, with Nicole Hensley earning a shutout and Liz Schepers scoring the championship-winning goal.[4][6]
Taylor Heise led all playoff scorers and was awarded the inaugural Ilana Kloss Playoff Most Valuable Player Award.[4]
2025 playoffs
The 2025 playoffs began on May 7, 2025, and concluded on May 26, 2025.[7] Montreal finished first and selected third-place Ottawa as their opponent, leaving Toronto (2nd) to face Minnesota (4th).[8]
Semifinals:
- Ottawa defeated Montreal 3–1, with Game 2 lasting 4 overtimes (15:33 in the 4th OT) – the longest game in PWHL history[8]
- Minnesota defeated Toronto 3–1, winning three consecutive games after losing Game 1[7]
Finals: Minnesota defeated Ottawa 3–1 to win their second consecutive Walter Cup. All four games were decided by 2–1 overtime scores, marking only the second time in professional hockey history that a championship series featured four consecutive overtime games.[7]
Liz Schepers scored the championship-winning goal in overtime of Game 4, making her the only player to score championship-winning goals in consecutive years.[7] Lee Stecklein became the first defender in PWHL playoff history to lead in scoring with 8 points.[7]
Gwyneth Philips of the Ottawa Charge was awarded the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award, becoming the second consecutive rookie to win the award, the first goaltender, and the first player from the losing team to receive the honor.[9][10] Philips led all goaltenders with a 1.23 goals-against average and .952 save percentage in eight playoff starts, posting four wins and one shutout without losing a game in regulation.[10]
Playoff results by year
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Finals result | Playoff MVP | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Minnesota Frost | Boston Fleet | 3–2 | Taylor Heise | [citation needed] |
| 2025 | Minnesota Frost | Ottawa Charge | 3–1 | Gwyneth Philips | [citation needed] |
Playoff opponent selections
| Year | First place team | Selected opponent | Seed | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Toronto Sceptres | Minnesota Frost | 4th | Lost 2–3 |
| 2025 | Montreal Victoire | Ottawa Charge | 3rd | Lost 1–3 |
Attendance
The PWHL playoffs have drawn strong attendance figures, building on the league's regular season success.
2024 playoffs
The 2024 playoffs drew 84,040 fans in 12 playoff games (overall average: 7,230).[7] During the regular season, the league set new attendance records and "sold merchandise faster than they could keep it in stock", and gained a long list of corporate sponsors.[4]
2025 playoffs
The 2025 PWHL Finals averaged 8,378 fans per game, an 11.6% increase over the 2024 Finals (7,504 average).[7] Game 4 drew a playoff-high 11,024 fans at Minnesota's Xcel Energy Center.[7]
Total playoff attendance for the 2024–25 season was 84,040 across 12 games.[7] Combined with regular season attendance, the league reached 737,455 total fans for the season.[7]
Broadcast coverage
United States & International
In the United States, playoff coverage varies by team market:
- All games stream free on YouTube for U.S. and international viewers[5]
- Regional sports networks including FanDuel Sports Network, MSG Network, and NESN[11]
Canada
In Canada, playoff games are broadcast on TSN (English) and RDS (French).[11] The PWHL Finals air exclusively on TSN/RDS
Records and statistics
Team records
- Most consecutive championships: Minnesota Frost (2, 2024-2025)
- Most playoff appearances: 5 teams tied (2)
- Perfect playoff record at home: Minnesota Frost (6–1 all-time through 2025)[12]
Special achievements
- First championship-winning goal scorer: Liz Schepers, Minnesota (2024)
- Only player to score championship-winning goals in consecutive years: Liz Schepers, Minnesota (2024, 2025)[7]
- First player from losing team to win Playoff MVP: Gwyneth Philips, Ottawa (2025)[10]
- First goaltender to win Playoff MVP: Gwyneth Philips, Ottawa (2025)[10]
- Most consecutive overtime games in a series: 4 (2025 Finals, all games went to OT)[7]
Notable series records
- Longest game: 4 overtimes, 15:33 in 4th OT – Montreal vs Ottawa, Game 2, 2025 Semifinals (total time: 5 hours, 32 minutes)[8]
- Highest-scoring game: 7–5 – Minnesota vs Toronto, Game 3, 2025 Semifinals[13]
- Most games won by shutout, single playoff year: Minnesota Frost, 4 (2024)[6]
- Perfect penalty kill, playoffs: Minnesota Frost (19/19, 2024)[6]
