2018-19 NWHL season

The 2018–19 NWHL season is the fourth season of the National Women's Hockey League. All four teams from the previous three seasons will return: the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, and the Metropolitan Riveters while the Minnesota Whitecaps will enter the league as an expansion team bringing the league to five teams.

League news and notes

 * This is the first full season of the Buffalo Beauts being owned and controlled by Pegula Sports and Entertainment instead of the league.
 * On May 15, 2018, the league announced its first expansion franchise; the Minnesota Whitecaps had been purchased by the league and would join the NWHL for the 2018–19 season. The Whitecaps had played in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) from 2004 to 2011 and then operated independently from any league after the WWHL ceased operations, including playing a few exhibition games against other NWHL teams during the inaugural 2015–16 season.

Format
All teams qualify for the single elimination playoffs. The 4th and 5th place teams meet in the first round. The winner of that game plays the first place team and the 2nd and 3rd place teams play each other in the semifinals. The semifinal winners meet for the league championship.