15 NCAA Women's Hockey Rookies To Watch In 2026-27

There is an abundance of talent entering the NCAA this season, in particular, from Europe. With a steady stream of players now leaving for the PWHL, the new cohort of rookies enter the NCAA with new opportunities, and bigger goals to strive for.

Here's a look at 15 incoming NCAA rookies to watch this season.

The hockey world has been waiting patiently for Nela Lopusanova to arrive in the NCAA. The Slovakian national team and All-Time leader in U-18 World Championship scoring alongside Kendall Coyne Schofield has been working on her game at Bishop Kearney and is expected to be an immediate contributor. Her highlight reel goals have made their rounds, and now Lopusanova is taking a major step in her career with the best program in the nation.

Nobody could miss Adrianna Milani at the U-18 Summer Series between Canada and USA, except those trying to stop her. Milani had nine points in three games for Canada and was the main reason Canada beat USA in the series. She's an electrifying talent who is agile, and can strike from anywhere finding her shooting lanes without hesitation. She's a year ahead of her peers as the 2009 born forward fast tracked to the NCAA from the Etobicoke Dolphins program.

The Swiss Player of the Year, Wey was MVP of the PostFinance Women's League scoring 48 points in 28 games in a loop filled with veteran pros, NCAA grads, and Olympians. She was stellar for Switzerland at the 2026 Olympics as a top line talent leading them to bronze. She's physical, she's skilled, Wey is beyond ready for this challenge, and will be a significant player in Northeastern's lineup from day one.

Tremblay is the reigning MVP of Canada's U-18 national championships for Quebec. She represented Canada at the U-18 World Championships, and this summer was one of Canada's best helping her nation beat USA's Collegiate Select roster as a member of Canada's National Development Team. She did not look like a player who had yet to step on NCAA facing the best collegiate players in North America.

A U-18 World Championship All-Star and gold medalist with Team USA, Stickney is also known as the first American woman ever chosen in the WHL Draft. Her play with Shattuck St. Mary's the last four seasons has been nothing short of spectacular, and with Katie DeSa leaving Penn State, Stickney will immediately start her push behind Madison Campbell.

The former Czech U-18 national team member where she helped her team to silver and bronze medals at the U-18 World Championships took a major step in her career this season making Czechia's Olympic roster. She showed consistent growth in the SDHL over the past three seasons with Djurgardens. Following her countrymate Kristyna Kaltounkova's footsteps through Colgate is a solid decision for the forward.

Former Finnish U-18 national team captain and U-18 World Championship All-Star will soon be challenging for a senior national team role with Finland. She's got good size at 5-foot-10 and enters a program that has had good success developing pro ready players. Spent her fifth season in the Auroraliiga last year, and first with TPK.

A physically mature forward who captained RINK Academy and Canada's U-18 national team at the U-18 Worlds where she scored nine points in six games. McDonald is a capable two-way forward who can be bullish on pucks. She was one of the few pre-collegiate players to make Canada's national development team this summer showing the trajectory her nation believes she is on.

At 20, Breton is already mature beyond most incoming rookies, and she'll step into a contributing role on an already strong Quinnipiac blueline immediately. She represented Canada at the U-18 Worlds, and this summer the national development team. She's spent the past three seasons playing for the Limoilou Titans in Quebec. A good distributor of the puck, Breton is ready for her next challenge.

A tenacious two-way forward, Tiller was a leader in the OWHL with 34 goals and 66 points in 35 games for Burlington, and also led the OWHL in penalty minutes by a landslide. She got a late call to Canada's national development team this summer for the final game of their series against USA. An intelligent player who competes hard, she'll be joined by twin sister Chelsea at UConn. Both are former U-18 national team members.

With a World Championship and Olympic Games under Jurickova's belt representing Czechia, along with multiple seasons with HPK in Auroraliiga, the 19-year-old should be an immediate contributor for St. Lawrence. Last season Jurickova finished fourth in Auroraliiga scoring 22 goals and 53 points in 30 games.

Doiron may be one of Canada's most overlooked prospects. She represented Canada at the U-18 World Championships, and went to Shattuck St. Mary's where she scored 22 goals and 57 points in 48 games last season. She's not the biggest forward, but makes up for it with her speed, compete, and game breaking skills. The Nova Scotia product will be a big part of St. Lawrence's future success.

She passed Marie-Philip Poulin and tied Jessica Campbell for most points in a single U-18 World Championship by a Canadian forward last season scoring 15 points in six games, being named a tournament All-Star in the process. Had a huge season with Etobicoke in the OWHL scoring 84 points in 44 games. She's pure offense and will be a key to Penn State's attack in a season the program will be looking for new faces to step up.

At 19, Tothova has already represented Slovakia at four World Championships. Last season the 5-foot-10 forward bounced from the SDHL and EWHL where she showed she can compete against older competition. Tothova was sometimes overlooked in Slovakia's U-18 program alongside Nela Lopusanova, but without the forward, her nation's hopes would have looked very different.

She'll join Minnesota-Duluth this season with the opportunity to mentor under Eve Gascon. She backstopped Canada to a U-18 World Championship gold in 2025 and is a back-to-back QCHL First Team All-Star playing for Limoilou. In Canada's line of goaltenders who could someday challenge for senior national team time, Grenier is one to watch.

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