The Professional Women's Hockey League, PWHL, is preparing for its first expansion draft. After just two seasons, which featured the six original franchises, Seattle and Vancouver are joining the PWHL. The league announced the two expansion franchises earlier this season. Now, they have the new draft rules ready just in time for the offseason to begin.

“Under the guidelines announced Monday, the six existing teams will each lose four players during the two-phase process beginning with a signing period spanning June 4-8, followed by an expansion draft June 9,” John Wawrow of The Associated Press reported.

“Teams have until June 3 to determine which three players they intend to protect from the expansion process. Teams will be allowed to protect a fourth additional player once they lose two from their respective rosters, with no restrictions on how many positional players can be protected.” This is a change from the NHL process, which only allows a certain number of forwards, defensemen, and goalies. The NHL rules also prohibit adding to the list at any point.

“Seattle and Vancouver can each add up to five free agents — including players on contracts expiring after this season — during the signing period. The teams will then use the expansion draft to fill however many roster spots necessary to reach a 12-player limit.”

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Then, Wawrow reports, all eight teams will head to the PWHL Entry Draft later in June. There is no word yet on where the new teams will pick in the entry draft. The league's free agency period will begin after the draft.

There is also no word on when the new PWHL teams will get their names. In the inaugural season of the league, all six teams played with no mascots, like the Washington Football Team or Utah Hockey Club.

The PWHL Expansion Draft will be on June 9.