The University of British Columbia women's hockey team has perennially become one of the best in the nation. With more members of their roster including star Grace Elliott and captain Annalise Wong declaring for the PWHL Draft, they hope to become a pipeline from U Sports to the pros.
This season, eight U Sports alumni find themselves on PWHL rosters. If the UBC Thunderbirds have their way, that number will grow.
Last season Chanreet Bassi of the Thunderbirds was the lone U Sports player selected in the PWHL Draft. But Bassi didn't make the Vancouver Goldeneyes who selected her, nor did defender Kennesha Miswaggon who attended Goldeneyes training camp as a free agent.
The University of British Columbia roster however, does have a current PWHL player to look up to in Boston Fleet defender Rylind MacKinnon, who captained the Thunderbirds in 2023-2024 before signing with the Toronto Sceptres, and then last offseason inking a free agent deal with Boston.
This season, another group of University of British Columbia grads will throw their name into the hat at the PWHL Draft, and there are a few standouts who could be the next U Sports athletes to step onto the PWHL stage.
Grace Elliott, who was named the U Sports Player of the Year in 2025, and who this season led the nation in goals with 24 in 28 games, is a unique prospect. The 6-foot-2 forward will draw attention from teams, especially those who are willing to work with the promising forward, because her upside is immense. Elliott herself is excited not only for the opportunity to play in the PWHL, but to represent U Sports in the process.
"I want to represent U Sports within the PWHL and help challenge the narrative that it is not a good enough league to play professional women’s hockey," said Elliott. "I strongly believe there are many players within U Sports who have the skill, power, and ability to succeed at the PWHL level, and I want to help break that narrative through the way I play and represent myself."
Elliott feels fortunate to to be playing hockey at a time when a league like the PWHL exists.
"It is such an honour and I am incredibly grateful to be playing hockey at a time where we have the opportunity to compete in such a highly competitive league and receive the representation that women’s hockey truly deserves," she said. "This league has given players at the university and college level, including myself, the chance to push ourselves to be the best we can be and to strive toward the shared goal of playing at the highest level. It has also created so many more meaningful opportunities for young girls to look up to strong role models. Athletes they can learn from and base their own game on as they grow within the sport, it allows for girls to have the desire to play. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to continue developing as a player, to want to challenge myself every day, and to have the opportunity to be part of the growth of women’s hockey."
Elliott will be joined in her declaration fro the 2026 PWHL Draft by current UBC captain Annalise Wong. Wong, a playmaker, finished fourth in the nation in scoring this season with 32 points in 28 games.
"The PWHL is an incredible league that is redefining women's hockey and the dreams of young girls growing up playing the sport," said Wong. "Rather than dreaming of playing in the NHL, young girls have the opportunity to work towards a goal that they can achieve in playing in the PWHL. I am incredibly humbled to have the opportunity to declare for the draft and to play in the league as I want to be a role model to the young girls that they can do no matter what as long as they believe in themselves, work hard, and have fun while doing it. Having the chance to continue playing hockey after my collegiate career in the most competitive women's league is an incredible honour and very exciting to me."
Wong is not only one of British Columbia's top scorers, she was also a key penalty killer for the top ranked Thunderbirds this season, taking on a leadership role in all three zones on the ice, and off the ice as well.
UBC defender Sophia Gaskell is another player who intends to declare, and forward Ilona Markova will eye a return to the PWHL after being drafted out of Russia, briefly attending Boston Fleet training camp, and then returning to Russia after being released. Markova joined the University of British Columbia women's team midseason.