For the 2026 PWHL playoffs, the four teams with the most regular-season points qualify, and their points determine seeds one through four. If teams are tied in points, the league’s published tiebreak sequence starts with games played and then compares wins and other statistics in a fixed order. The format announced for 2026-27 is different: eight teams will qualify across two conferences.
How PWHL standings points work
The PWHL awards points according to how a game ends. Regulation wins are worth three points; overtime and shootout wins are worth two; overtime and shootout losses are worth one; regulation losses earn none. These standings points determine regular-season ranking and, for the 2026 playoffs, seeding.
| Game result | Standings points |
|---|---|
| Regulation win | 3 |
| Overtime or shootout win | 2 |
| Overtime or shootout loss | 1 |
| Regulation loss | 0 |
How playoff seeding works in 2026
The 2026 field consists of the four teams with the most regular-season points. Those teams are seeded first through fourth by points. The first-place team then selects its semifinal opponent from the third- and fourth-place teams; it does not choose the second-place team. Both semifinals and the Walter Cup Final are best-of-five series, according to the official 2026 playoff guide.
How tied teams are separated
The league’s published regular-season tiebreak sequence is applied in order. Compare the teams at each step and stop at the first criterion that separates them:
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- Fewer games played. When tied teams have different games played, the team with fewer games played is ranked higher, reflecting a superior points percentage.
- More regulation wins (RW).
- More regulation-and-overtime wins (ROW). Shootout wins are excluded.
- More total wins (W).
- More points in head-to-head games. If tied clubs have not played an even number of games against one another, the first game played in the city with the extra game is excluded. For a tie involving more than two clubs, the comparison uses the percentage of available points earned in games among those clubs, excluding such odd games.
- Greater goal differential (DIFF) for the season. Overtime goals and goals awarded for shootout wins count.
- More goals scored (GF) for the season. Overtime goals and goals awarded for shootout wins count.
This sequence is in the PWHL’s inaugural-season rulebook announcement, dated January 1, 2024. No later amendment is established here, so it should be understood as the league’s published sequence rather than a newly confirmed revision. See the rulebook announcement.
How the announced 2026-27 format differs
On October 2, 2026, the PWHL announced an expanded format to take effect after the 2026-27 regular season. It is not the format used for the 2026 playoffs.
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| Feature | 2026 playoffs | Announced 2026-27 playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifiers | Four teams with the most regular-season points | Eight teams: the top four from each of two conferences |
| First round | Two best-of-five semifinals | Four best-of-three series |
| Later rounds | Best-of-five Walter Cup Final | Best-of-five conference finals, then a best-of-five Walter Cup Final |
| Opponent selection | First place chooses its semifinal opponent from third or fourth | Each conference’s first-place team chooses its first-round opponent from that conference’s third or fourth-place team |
The October 2, 2026 announcement establishes the conference qualifiers and playoff structure but does not state a conference-specific tiebreak procedure. The published sequence above is the league’s regular-season tie sequence; the announcement does not explain whether or how it will apply within conferences.
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