In addition to making changes to its officiating staff, the Professional Women’s Hockey League has also made some changes to its rulebook for the upcoming season, including adding a goaltender and eliminating coach’s challenges.
No More Coach’s Challenges
The PWHL has taken the coach’s challenges out of the coaches’ hands. All reviews will be initiated by the league — either via the on-ice officials or by the league’s centralized Situation Room. From Rule 5.3:
In addition to Goal Review Procedures outlined in Rule 37, the [Centralized Situation Room] Official or the On-Ice Officials may initiate a review of the following scenarios:
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- Missed Game Stoppage Event in the Offensive Zone Leading to a Goal.
- Scoring Plays Involving Potential “Interference on the Goalkeeper”.
- Penalty situations for “Delaying the game – puck over the glass”.
A Team is not permitted to request a review, therefore the process for initiating a Coach’s Challenge, including the right to initiate a Coach’s Challenge and the results of an unsuccessful Coach’s Challenge are no longer applicable.
As in the NHL, the Situation Room has the final call on any reviewed plays.
Match Penalties Rescinded Upon Review
A change to Rule 21.5 will allow the referees to rescind a match penalty following video review. Previously, the officials were only able to confirm the call or reduce it to a lesser infraction. Now they can wipe it out completely.
Following video review, the Referee shall have the following options (i) confirm the original Match Penalty call; (ii) reduce the Match Penalty call to a lesser penalty; or (iii) rescind the Match Penalty altogether.
This aligns with the NHL’s approach, which also allows officials to confirm, reduce, or rescind the penalty call.
+1 Goalie
While the NHL has its EBUG, the PWHL has taken a more straightforward approach. The league now requires each team to carry three goaltenders. Here’s Rule 5.1 / Rule 5.3:
A Team shall be composed of up to twenty-three (23) players (twenty (20) skaters and three (3) goalkeepers) who shall be under contract to the Team they represent.
Rule 5.3 covers the use of that third goalie in an injury scenario.
The moment a goalkeeper is injured and incapacitated and therefore unable to play further, she shall be immediately replaced by the second goalkeeper on the listed playing roster for that game. The injured goalkeeper shall be retired from the playing roster and will no longer be eligible to return to play.
A new substitute (third goalkeeper) should be immediately replaced on the players bench with full goalkeeper privileges.
Clarification on High Sticks and Hand Passes
The PWHL has revised its language around high sticks, mirroring a similar change to the NHL rulebook for 2025-26. From Rule 6.1.:
A “high stick” is one which contacts an opponent above the shoulders, provided their shoulders are at waist level or higher
Similarly, the PWHL has also matched the NHL’s change to the hand pass rule, adding a section to allow for judgment by the officials on if any advantage was gained in determining of the play was a hand pass. From Rule 81.1:
If, in the opinion of the On- Ice Officials, the puck has been deflected off a player’s hand, and no advantage has been gained by the Team, it will not constitute a violation for the purpose of this rule.
Download the complete 2025-26 PWHL Rulebook
