Mandatory Neck Protection implemented for player safety; High-Sticking the Puck permitted for game flow; Body-Checking clarification among primary updates
Option for a Penalty Shot in lieu of a Power Play in Overtime to be piloted during Preseason Scrimmages
Officiating Team features 42 members
NEW YORK AND TORONTO – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has introduced Official Rulebook updates for the 2026-27 season to improve player safety, game flow, and the application of the league’s body-checking standard. The league also announced its Officiating Team for the new campaign, consisting of 42 members who will have more opportunities to establish greater consistency and develop a positive rapport with players and coaches as they promote safe and fair competition across the 180-game regular season.
“The PWHL has made a significant commitment to ensuring a consistent, world-class standard of officiating that is reflected in this dedicated group and a product of the strengthened pathways for training, communication, logistics and performance development under the leadership of our officiating department,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. “Player safety and innovation have been at our forefront since the league’s inception, and we believe these objectives are represented in this season’s rule updates.”
OFFICIAL RULEBOOK UPDATES AND PRESEASON PILOT
Primary updates to the 2026-27 PWHL Official Rulebook include mandatory neck protection for all players to reduce the risk of injury, and the permittance to high-stick the puck that will result in continuous play by negating whistles and reducing video reviews related to potential goal situations. Parameters for what constitutes permissible and illegal body checks have also been more clearly defined.
Additionally, the league will pilot a new rule innovation during the overtime period of preseason scrimmages to evaluate its impact on scoring opportunities and results. A summary of updates and the preseason pilot are as follows:
Rule 9.10 Neck Protector
- All players (including goalkeepers) must wear cut-resistant protection in the neck area with a minimum cut-level protection score of A4, and a score of A5 preferred, in accordance with the ANSI/ISEA standard.
- Neck protection must be worn in all games, including during pre-game warm-up.
Rule 82 High–sticking the Puck
- Batting the puck above the normal height of the shoulders with a stick is permitted. When a puck is struck with a high stick and it subsequently comes into the possession and control of a player from either Team (including the player who made contact with the puck), either directly or deflected off any player or Official, the play shall be permitted to continue, and the Referee shall give the “washout” signal immediately.
- Cradling the puck on the blade of the stick (like lacrosse) above the normal height of the shoulders shall be permitted. If this is done by a player on a penalty shot or shootout attempt, the shot shall be stopped immediately and considered complete.
Rule 52.1 Body Checking
In the PWHL, a form of body checking is permitted with no penalty assessed, except where it is described in situations that are illegal.
Permissible:
- Body checking Is allowed when there is a clear intention of playing the puck or attempting to “gain possession” of the puck;
- Players may angle their opponent by establishing and maintaining body position to separate their opponent from the puck. When both players are traveling in the same direction, a player may use legal body contact to impede the opponent’s progress and gain possession of the puck;
- A player who holds her position on the ice or is stationary, with the puck carrier approaching her, shall be permitted to enter into contact with her opponent. No player is required to move out of the way of an oncoming player to avoid a collision;
- When two (2) players are in pursuit of, or competing for, the puck, they are allowed to use legal body contact, including pushing and leaning into each other, provided the primary objective is to gain or maintain possession of the puck.
Illegal:
- Body checking shall be deemed illegal when a player delivers a blindside check to a defenseless opponent;
- A player launches upwards, extends or drives an arm, or leaves her feet to make contact immediately before or during contact;
- A player deliberately steps or skates into an opposing player with excessive force.
Overtime (Preseason Scrimmages Only)
- When a minor penalty is assessed during the overtime period, the non-offending team will have the option to take a penalty shot instead of a power play opportunity.
- A power play in overtime would continue to result in a 4-on-3 player advantage for the non-offending team, consistent with standard league rules. Should the non-offending team opt for a penalty shot, it may be taken by any eligible player in the lineup.
- All 12 preseason scrimmages will have a 3-on-3 overtime period (followed by a shootout), regardless of the score.
For more information about the application of the rule changes, click HERE to access a downloadable PDF of the 2026-27 PWHL Official Rulebook.
OFFICIATING TEAM
The PWHL Officiating Team for the 2026-27 season will consist of 21 referees and 21 linespersons from across North America. Following an off-season review, the roster of officials was reduced from 59 in 2025-26 to 42 as part of a strategy to ensure greater consistency by increasing the number of games worked for each rostered official. This season's roster includes 22 women and 20 men with 37 returnees and five new members.
In September, the PWHL held an Officials Training Camp in Alliston, ON, providing a unique development opportunity for new and returning officials and invited prospects to foster team building and strengthen the consistent application of the league’s standard of play.
Leadership:
- Bill McCreary (Director of Officiating, Strategy & Performance)
- David Taveroff (Director of Officiating, Operations)
- Katie Guay (Director of Officiating, Training, Development & Recruitment)
Player Safety Committee:
- Matt McMahon (Chair)
- Cassie Campbell-Pascall
- Mike Murphy
Officiating Supervisors:
- Steve Barton
- Bryan Lewis
- Ken Wheler
Central Situation Room:
- Liam Clare
- Ken Cox
- Steven Hoffner
Referees:
*Denotes New PWHL Officials
- Grace Barlow (Vancouver, BC) #22
- Kyle Bauman (River Falls, WI) #18
- Brandy Beecroft (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) #6
- Jenn Berezowski (Quinte West, ON) #4
- Marie-Ève Couture (Chambly, QC) #20
- Jared Cummins (Williamsville, NY) #14
- David Elford (Kitchener, ON) #11
- Damian Figueira (Toronto, ON) #32
- Sydney Harris (Monument, CO) #28
- Jack Hennigan (Toronto, ON) #44
- Samantha Hiller (Gurnee, IL) #12
- Chad Ingalls (Woodstock, ON) #25
- Jake Kamrass (Cumming, GA) #3
- Mike Langin (West Kelowna, BC) #34*
- Élizabeth Mantha (Longueuil, QC) #15
- Amy Martin (Winnipeg, MB) #31
- Michelle McKenna (Regina, SK) #10
- Cianna Murray (Saskatoon, SK) #13
- Shauna Neary (Halifax, NS) #19
- Laura Schmidlein (Quincy, MA) #23
- Lacey Senuk (Toronto, ON) #39
Linespersons:
*Denotes New PWHL Officials
- Ali Beres (Brant, ON) #67
- Sarah Buckner (Plymouth, MN) #66
- Antoine Bujold-Roux (Ottawa, ON) #72
- Patrick Dapuzzo (Rutherford, NJ) #77
- Nikolaus Diehr (Irvine, CA) #83*
- TJ Dockery (Lockport, NY) #70
- Chase Eising (Wilden, BC) #87
- Mitchell Gibbs (Surrey, BC) #57*
- Katie Glover (Seattle, WA) #89
- Laura Gutauskas (Woolwich, ON) #68
- Harrison Heyer (Carlsbad, CA) #79
- Nathan Howes (Burnaby, BC) #65*
- Spencer Knox (Clarington, ON) #81
- Alexander Ledovskiy (Redwood City, CA) #55*
- Dustin McCrank (Guelph, ON) #84
- Melissa Pateman (Kelowna, BC) #73
- Sophie Thomson (Halifax, NS) #75
- Justine Todd (Kawartha Lakes, ON) #50
- Kirsten Welsh (Conway, PA) #64
- Matthew Williams (Courtenay, BC) #61
- Erin Zach (Cambridge, ON) #60
Eight members of the PWHL Officiating Team have been assigned by the IIHF for the 2026 Women’s Worlds to be held Nov. 6-16 in Denmark. The group includes referees Jenn Berezowski, Sydney Harris, Amy Martin, Shauna Neary and Laura Schmidlein, and linespersons Ali Beres, Katie Glover and Sophie Thomson.
PWHL training camps open following Women’s Worlds on Wednesday, Nov. 18, with the regular season to begin on Saturday, Dec. 5.