2025 PWHL Playoffs: Schedule, Standings, Playoff Rules & More

The puck has dropped on the 2025 PWHL Playoffs! With the second-ever regular season now in the books, the battle for the Walter Cup is officially underway. Whether you’re a day-one fan or just discovering the league, this is your comprehensive guide to everything you need to know—from the playoff format to the full game schedule and how to watch.

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2025 PWHL Playoffs Schedule & Results

With only four teams in the playoffs, every game counts in the hunt for the Walter Cup. Here’s a look at the PWHL semifinals schedule to ensure you don’t miss a moment of the postseason action.

*If Necessary

Once the semifinals have concluded, the final two teams standing will then move on to the Walter Cup Finals. Fans can expect the finals schedule to be released as the semifinals come to a close.

Where can I watch the PWHL Playoffs?

Fans in the United States can stream the 2025 PWHL Playoffs on YouTube for free. Fans can also watch the Minnesota Frost play live on FanDuel Sports Network North, the team’s local regional sports network.

How do the Playoffs Work in the PWHL?

If you’re new to professional hockey, the rules, penalties and terms like “icing” can feel a bit overwhelming. Even seasoned NHL fans might find the PWHL rulebook a bit daunting, as there are key distinctions between the women’s and men’s games. That’s why we’ve put together a quick overview of the PWHL playoff rules—so you can follow the fast-paced action without missing a beat.

How do PWHL teams qualify for the playoffs?

This season, the league consisted of six teams (two new teams have since been announced as part of the PWHL expansion): Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge and Toronto Septres.

Throughout the regular season, teams can earn between 0-3 points per game: 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an overtime or shootout win, 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss and 0 points for a regulation loss.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the top four teams with the most points qualify for the playoffs. For the 2025 season, those four teams were the Frost, Victoire, Charge and Septres.

Here’s what the final standings looked like this season, with the top four teams gliding on to the postseason:

You may have noticed that the Charge, Frost, and Fleet all finished the season with 44 points—so how did the Charge and Frost clinch playoff spots over the Fleet? It all comes down to the league’s tiebreaker rules. Here’s how the PWHL breaks ties:

• Fewer number of games played (all teams were equal)
• Greater number of regulation wins (Charge: 12, Frost: 10, Fleet: 9)
• Greater number of regulation and overtime wins
• Greater number of total wins

While there are additional tiebreaker criteria beyond these, ties are typically resolved well before reaching that point—just like this one.

PWHL Playoff Format

The PWHL Playoffs begin with two best-of-five semifinal series and culminate in the Walter Cup Final, where the last two teams standing face off for the championship. One of the most unique aspects of the PWHL playoffs is how the matchups are set: The No. 1 seed gets to choose who they will face in the semifinals between the third and fourth seeds.

With only four teams in the playoffs—and just six in the league overall—this rule gives the top seed a major advantage by allowing them to pick the matchup they feel most confident about, regardless of traditional seeding.

How does overtime work in the PWHL playoffs?

PWHL overtime rules shift dramatically in the postseason. During the regular season, tied games go to a five-minute, 3-on-3 sudden-death overtime. If no goal is scored, the game moves to a best-of-five shootout.

In the playoffs, however, the format mirrors traditional hockey more closely. Teams ending in a tie during playoff games will be given a fifteen-minute intermission before continuing to play a full 20-minute period, with the first goal scored determining the winner.

In last year’s playoffs, Boston and Montreal had a total of five 20-minute overtime periods during the semifinal series, including a gripping triple-overtime game that essentially added another full games’ worth of hockey to the clock.

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