PWHL unveils expansion draft and signing guidelines for its 2 newest teams

The PWHL’s two newest franchises in Seattle and Vancouver will begin stocking their rosters early next month through an exclusive free agency period followed by an expansion draft.

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.

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.

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.

The expansion teams will join the existing PWHL teams to continue stocking their rosters through the PWHL draft on June 24, followed by the start of the league’s free agency period.

The league, which controls all its franchises, said the expansion guidelines were structured to “promote competitive balance and provide the two new PWHL teams with the opportunity to build a strong foundational roster.”

Finland downs Canada in shootout at ice hockey worlds and Czechs stay unbeaten

STOCKHOLM >> Finland prevailed against Canada 2-1 in a penalty shootout to hand the title favorite its first loss at the ice hockey world championship on Monday.

Patrik Puistola and Eeli Tolvanen converted penalty shots in the shootout, and Kent Johnson for Canada.

Canada outshot Finland 38-22 in the hardest test for the Canadians at the tournament. Canada scored 28 goals in its previous five games while conceding two.

Canada is second in Group A, trailing leader Sweden by two points. The two will meet on Tuesday in their last group game. They have already qualified for the quarterfinals.

In Herning, Denmark, defending champion the Czech Republic shut out Germany 5-0 to stay unbeaten.

The sixth win lifted the Czechs to the top of Group B, one point ahead of Switzerland and three more than the United States in third.

2-time Tour de France champ Vingegaard questions concussion protocol after crash

Two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard claimed he was not properly checked by race doctors after he was concussed in a crash during the Paris-Nice in March.

Vingegaard hurt his left hand when he hit the ground in a climb during the fifth stage of the weeklong race, and the Visma-Lease a Bike team leader later revealed he also suffered a head trauma.

Vingegaard, who has yet to resume racing, said during a press conference on Monday that he was surprised by the lack of precaution after his crash.

“I went to the race doctor because I had some blood on my face,” he said. “I was bleeding, but they never once checked me for concussion, which I find a bit odd, to be honest.

“Like, it was visible that my glasses were broken, I had blood on my face, I even had a little bit of blood here on the eyebrow. For me, that was a bit odd that they didn’t check me for a concussion.”

— The Associated Press