Puck Drop Podcast - Expansion Explodes Into the PWHL! So Many Players Will Move | What's Next?The PWHL announced its expansion format and guidelines, and they were, to say the least, a shock. Teams will only be able to protect THREE players, and the two new franchises in Seattle and Vancouver will select twelve players each between an exclusive signing period (for free agents and unprotected players) and the expansion draft itself.The deadline for teams' protected players lists is June 3, while the exclusive signing period goes from June 4-8. The expansion draft is set for