Why No. 1 Overall Pick Sarah Fillier is Practising With the Boys to Prepare For Her PWHL Debut
The first overall pick in the PWHL draft headed to Power Edge Pro camp, where some of the top talents in the NHL get their skills training.
Sarah Fillier has won three world championships and an Olympic gold medal — and her pro career hasn't even begun yet. So when the first overall pick in the 2024 PWHL draft was looking to push herself this summer, she went back to a familiar place: Power Edge Pro camp in Toronto.
PEP has catered to a laundry list of elite players over the years, from Connor McDavid to Connor Bedard to all three Hughes brothers. This was Fillier's third year at the camp and her second training with the NHL group.
Watching Fillier come in on a drill and roof one on a 6-foot-3 goaltender, it's pretty obvious she has a wicked offensive arsenal at her disposal. But the best in the game are always looking to get even deadlier. At PEP, she gets elite coaching, competition and the chance to use PEP's signature instrument: an obstacle course-like piece of equipment that challenges players to stickhandle around.
"There's a very long list of what I get out of this," Fillier said of PET. "Going through the PEP devices is super-valuable to me, and the pace of what we do everything at elevates my game. I have to compete with NHL guys out here."
Not only are the drills challenging, but the added value of hanging around top-end men's players also gives her new insights into on-ice terms and strategies that often vary from the women's game.
"Every year I learn something new, in that sense," said Fillier. "We talk about evading 6-foot-6 defenders, so if I could bring that to the women's game where I'm playing against 5-foot-11 girls, it will be valuable for me.
"It raises the level of everything I'm trying to do out there. Trying to execute at such a fast pace is challenging, but by Day 3 it feels a little more comfortable. It's cool to do the three days at this camp, then show up to a women's skate later in the week and be able to walk around everyone."
Fillier's focus this summer was on getting more explosive as she prepares for the faster pace of the pro game. A superstar at NCAA Princeton, she was taken first overall by New York at the draft and can't wait to hit PWHL ice.
"It's exciting, it's a new chapter in my life," she said. "I haven't been this motivated in the summer since specialization for the Olympics. Turning pro is something you dream of, so for this to be a reality is super-cool and part of that motivation. I want to show up and be able to help New York win a championship. And it's such a cool city to be in. There's so much to do outside of hockey, so it will be a great mix of both."
This summer brings a lot more positive anticipation for the PWHL, which was still an unknown quantity at this time last year: So many women's pro leagues had fizzled in the past and even player agents were skeptical of the new venture. But once the women took to the ice, all those fears fell by the wayside as the new league broke attendance records and in some cases, filled NHL arenas.
Did the PWHL meet Fillier's expectations in Year 1?
"It exceeded them, for sure," Fillier said. "I watched every game with my friends in our dorm room and we'd cheer on our old Princeton teammates. And just to see the crowds and the sold-out season tickets — it brings a lot of buzz. Even being out here with the guys, everyone's saying 'congratulations on being the first overall pick and the success of the league.' So it's cool to see the hype is spreading to the men's side and it's not just the women caring about it."
Now that Fillier's joining the ranks, the PWHL has a new big name for everyone to care about.