The puck drops on the PWHL's third season on Friday, officially beginning the league's eight-team era.

The Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent were built from scratch through an expansion draft process that pulled stars from the existing six teams.

But will the riches gleaned through generous expansion rules, designed to maintain the league's competitive balance, yield fruit for Vancouver and Seattle right away? Or will it take some time to build a foundation?

Each PWHL team will play 30 regular-season games, with a lengthy break in the middle for the Olympics. Friday night's games feature the Toronto Sceptres visiting the Walter Cup champions Minnesota Frost (7 p.m. ET), while the Goldeneyes host the Torrent (10 a.m.).

You can watch 17 games across this season on CBC and CBC Gem, including weekly Saturday games. The first CBC game will air on Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. ET, when the Toronto Sceptres host the Boston Fleet.

WATCH | PWHL's newest teams can contend for Walter Cup:

There's lots of hockey ahead, so let's look at how the PWHL's eight teams rank heading into the new season. For existing teams, there's also a list of who's in and who's out after the busiest PWHL off-season yet.

1. Montreal Victoire

In: Abby Roque (F), Shiann Darkangelo (F), Hayley Scamurra (F), Jade Downie-Landry (F), Nicole Gosling (D), Jessica DiGirolamo (D), Maggie Flaherty (D)

Out: Kristin O’Neill (F), Jenn Gardiner (F), Abby Boreen (F), Claire Dalton (F), Clair DeGeorge (F), Mikyla Grant-Mentis (F), Cayla Barnes (D), Anna Wilgren (D), Mariah Keopple (D), Dominika Lásková (D), Elaine Chuli (G)

Unsigned 2025 draft picks: Natálie Mlýnková (F), Skylar Irving (F), Maya Labad (F), Tamara Giaquinto (D)

No team weathered the blow of expansion better than the Victoire. That was partly because Montreal has become a destination across the league, but also because the team’s stars took less so the Victoire could add depth.

On the same day she got the call to go to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder, GM Danièle Sauvageau drafted Nicole Gosling, a smart, multi-dimensional defender who can take some of the load off Erin Ambrose (and will help fill the gap left by Cayla Barnes, who now plays for Seattle). Sauvageau also added depth on the blue line with Jessica DiGirolamo and two-time Walter Cup champion, Maggie Flaherty.

WATCH | Sauvageau named 1st female builder in the Hockey Hall of Fame:

The Victoire's centre depth was also a focus this off-season. Behind the best player in the world, Marie-Philip Poulin, Montreal could roll out Abby Roque, Shiann Darkangelo and Jade Downie-Landry.

Hayley Scamurra will make the team harder to play against and adds another strong power forward behind Laura Stacey, while draft pick Natálie Mlýnková could be the playmaker to fit on Poulin's left side.

“We’re very privileged that based on what the players have built, to be chosen that way [in free agency],” Sauvageau said about her team’s off-season additions.

If there’s a weakness in Montreal, it might be in the backup role, where Sandra Abstreiter will play behind reigning goaltender of the year, Ann-Renée Desbiens. Between the PWHL and the Olympics, Desbiens looks to have a heavy workload this year, and Abstreiter has only a couple of PWHL games under her belt.

2. Vancouver Goldeneyes

GM Cara Gardner Morey arrived in Vancouver with the goal of building a team that’s strong from the net out. So far, mission complete for the Goldeneyes.

The net belongs to Emerance Maschmeyer, but trade acquisition Kristen Campbell will be there when she needs a night off. Maschmeyer had a strong start to last season before an injury sidelined her. Campbell will also be looking to prove that she can be a number one in this league, despite some shaky performances in Toronto.

On the blue line, the team has an embarrassment of riches. Gardner Morey added Sophie Jaques, Claire Thompson and Mellissa Channell-Watkins from the Minnesota Frost, plus smooth-skating Ashton Bell from Ottawa and up-and-coming Sydney Bard from Boston.

The forward group has a mix of players who can slot up and down the lineup, from former Toronto Sceptres Sarah Nurse and Hannah Miller, to Walter Cup champions Brooke McQuigge and Michela Cava, rookie-of-the-year nominee Jenn Gardiner, and Michelle Karvinen, who’s new to the PWHL but has years of international experience.

The Vancouver Goldeneyes should be a contender for the Walter Cup in the team's 1st season. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)

The question for both expansion teams will be whether a brand new team can gel from the beginning, compared to teams that have had two seasons to build chemistry and systems.

3. Seattle Torrent

The Torrent focused on youth, piling up a long list of young stars who should only grow in their second season in the league: forwards Julia Gosling, Danielle Serdachny and Hannah Bilka, and defenders Cayla Barnes, Anna Wilgren and Megan Carter.

But there’s also veteran experience and skill from the likes of Alex Carpenter, Jessie Eldridge, and newly-minted Torrent captain, Hilary Knight. The latter will be looking to build on an MVP-calibre season that saw her tie New York's Sarah Fillier for the league lead in points.

Fast and physical is what GM Meghan Turner wants her team to be, with a defence that doesn’t yield much in the slot. Even still, the defence should rest easy knowing that Corinne Schroeder is in net, and she should benefit from playing behind a stronger defence than what she had in New York.

4. Toronto Sceptres

In: Emma Gentry (F), Claire Dalton (F), Clair DeGeorge (F), Ella Shelton (D), Elaine Chuli (G)

Out: Sarah Nurse (F), Julia Gosling (F), Hannah Miller (F), Izzy Daniel (F), Hayley Scamurra (F), Laura Kluge (F), Noemi Neubauerová (F), Megan Carter (D), Rylind MacKinnon (D), Kristen Campbell (G), CJ Jackson (G)

Unsigned 2025 draft picks: Kiara Zanon (F), Clara Van Wieren (F), Sara Hjalmarsson (F), Hanna Baskin (D)

The Sceptres were hit especially hard in the expansion draft process, losing their top three 2024 draft picks, plus Nurse. The team will also feel the loss of do-it-all forward Miller, who left for her hometown Vancouver Goldeneyes in free agency.

But Toronto still has one of the most dynamic forwards in the league in Daryl Watts and a healthier Natalie Spooner, who will be looking to prove she can regain her MVP form. The draft also brought more size to Toronto, including five-foot-11 power forward Emma Gentry.

Adding Ella Shelton on the back end also gives the Sceptres two defenders who can run a power play, which must be a scary thought for the rest of the league.

“It completely solidifies our D core,” Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury said a few hours after pulling off the trade for Shelton. “It gives the opportunity for someone like Renata [Fast] to maybe not play as much and be even more effective — which would be hard to believe, her more effective.”

The Toronto Sceptres, pictured here during training camp, saw a number of young players leave through the expansion process during the off-season. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

In net, former Montreal backup Elaine Chuli looks to have the inside track on the starting job, with Raygan Kirk backing her up.

5. Minnesota Frost

In: Abby Hustler (F), Anna Segedi (F), Sidney Morin (D), Kendall Cooper (D)

Out: Michela Cava (F), Brooke McQuigge (F), Denisa Křížová (F), Liz Schepers (F), Claire Thompson (D), Sophie Jaques (D), Mellissa Channell-Watkins (D), Maggie Flaherty (D)

Unsigned 2025 draft picks: Vanessa Upson (F), Ava Rinker (D), Brooke Becker (D)

If there’s anything we’ve learned from the first two seasons of the PWHL, it’s that you can never count out the Minnesota Frost. Two seasons in a row, the Frost have squeezed into the playoffs as the last seed, and gone on to win the whole thing. So for the Frost, it doesn't matter how they get into the playoffs. They just need to get in.

They will be led by Taylor Heise, who could have a huge season ahead of her. She's looking to win her third consecutive Walter Cup and her first Olympic gold medal.

GM Melissa Caruso was surprised to get Abby Hustler at the bottom of the second round of the draft. She could be a steal of a pick if she can fill the top six, skilled power forward-type of hole that was created when Vancouver took McQuigge in the expansion draft.

Minnesota should again have one of the strongest tandems in the league with Maddie Rooney and Nicole Hensley. If there’s an area of concern, it would be on defence, where the Frost lost several key players to expansion.

6. Boston Fleet

In: Ella Huber (F), Liz Schepers (F), Laura Kluge (F), Haley Winn (D), Zoe Boyd (D), Rylind MacKinnon (D), Abbey Levy (G)

Out: Hilary Knight (F), Hannah Bilka (F), Lexie Adzija (F), Amanda Pelkey (F), Jillian Dempsey (F), Emily Brown (D), Sydney Bard (D), Jessica DiGirolamo (D), Sidney Morin (D), Emma Greco (D), Emma Söderberg (G), Klára Peslarová (G)

Unsigned 2025 draft picks: Olivia Mobley (F), Abby Newhook (F), Riley Brengman (D), Amanda Thiele (G)

By drafting Haley Winn, GM Danielle Marmer may have found the defensive partner new Fleet captain Megan Keller has been missing.

“She can do absolutely everything and anything you need,” Marmer said after selecting Winn with the second overall pick. “When we think about who's going to score goals for us, Haley Winn can be an answer. Who's going to defend against Poulin? Haley Winn’s the answer. Who's going to run our power play? Haley Winn’s the answer.”

Defender Haley Winn, pictured here with Team USA, will be a major addition to the Boston Fleet's blue line. (Adrian Kraus/The Associated Press)

Having Aerin Frankel in net will always give Boston a chance to win. But the team will need to hope its additions, plus a healthy Müller, can help them score more. Scoring has been a problem in Boston in the past, and losing Knight's production likely won’t help.

7. New York Sirens

In: Kristýna Kaltounková (F), Casey O'Brien (F), Anne Cherkowski (F), Kristin O’Neill (F), Savannah Norcross (F), Jincy Roese (D), Dayle Ross (D), Callie Shanahan (G)

Out: Abby Roque (F), Alex Carpenter (F), Jessie Eldridge (F), Gabby Rosenthal (F), Élizabeth Giguère (F), Chloé Aurard-Bushee (F), Noora Tulus (F), Jade Downie-Landry (F), Ella Shelton (D), Brooke Hobson (D), Taylor Baker (D), Corinne Schroeder (G), Abbey Levy (G)

Unsigned 2025 draft picks: Makenna Webster (F), Maddi Wheeler (F), Anna Bargman (F), Kaley Doyle (G)

No team looks more different from last season than the Sirens after a good chunk of last year's team moved on either through the expansion draft, free agency or wheeling and dealing by GM Pascal Daoust.

Fillier is back with a two-year contract extension in hand, and this team is built around her. Joining her up front are Kristýna Kaltounková and Casey O’Brien, who went first and third overall in this year’s draft.

O’Brien was one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history with the Wisconsin Badgers, and she’ll bring a ton of skill to the Siren’s top six. Kaltounková, meanwhile, adds a great shot and physical presence, which could insulate Fillier on the top line.

“I'm sure she's going to put up a lot of points in this league,” Fillier said about her new teammate. “She gets to the hard areas around the net and she's super heavy on her stick, and she has moments of really pure finesse. She's kind of that all around player, but loves to get under the skin of some star players.”

Fillier expects her team to play a fast, skilled style, and there’s certainly lots of talent on the Sirens. But New York still feels like a work in progress, and will feel the loss of Shelton on the blue line.

8. Ottawa Charge

In: Anna Shokhina (F), Sarah Wozniewicz (F), Fanuza Kadirova (F), Rory Guilday (D), Brooke Hobson (D), Sanni Ahola (G)

Out: Danielle Serdachny (F), Tereza Vanišová (F), Shiann Darkangelo (F), Victoria Bach (F), Natalie Snodgrass (F), Ashton Bell (D), Aneta Tejralová (D), Jincy Roese (D), Zoe Boyd (D), Emerance Maschmeyer (G)

Unsigned 2025 draft picks: Peyton Hemp (F)

The Ottawa Charge came within two wins of hoisting the Walter Cup last season, fuelled by stellar goaltending from rookie netminder Gwyneth Philips.

Philips is back this season and her name is written in pen as Ottawa’s starter. But several other key faces on the Charge departed over the off-season. Most notably, Ottawa lost two of its top three scorers, which could be a problem for the team that tied New York for the fewest goals in the league in 2024-25.

To try to replace some of that offence, Ottawa brought in Élizabeth Giguère, who starred in the NCAA but wasn’t able to replicate that success with the New York Sirens, and two Russian forwards: Anna Shokhina and Fanuza Kadirova.

The two Russian forwards are wild cards who haven't played against players from North America since the 2022 Olympics. Giguère, meanwhile, was released from her contract on Tuesday, before playing a single regular-season game.

The Charge also added one of the top defenders in the 2025 draft in Rory Guilday, who should fit into the team’s crash and bang style.

So far, it doesn't look like Ottawa's additions can replace what was lost. Staunch defending and solid goaltending will go a long way, but stinginess alone may not get the Charge back to the Walter Cup final.