The crop of NCAA players graduating this season is one of the best in memory. Where will they end up at the professional ranks? Here are the top 20 NCAA women's hockey prospects.
The crop of NCAA players graduating this season is one of the best in memory. Where will they end up at the professional ranks? Here are the top 20 NCAA women's hockey prospects.
Chloe Aurard - Photo by Jim Pierce/ Northeastern Athletics - Women's Pro Hockey: 20 NCAA Free Agents To WatchOptions have never been better to play professional women's hockey. The PHF's new salary cap structure has caused excitement among players from across the globe, including among graduating NCAA stars.
While some players will choose to go to the PWHPA and await the launch of their proposed league, and others will head to leagues in Europe including the SDHL, Naisten Liiga, and SWHL A, the PHF will be the hot spot to watch this offseason for most prospects.
Here's a look at the top 20 women's professional hockey prospects to watch from the NCAA.
- Alina Müller, Northeastern - When Alina Müller announced at the IIHF women's World Championships that she'd be staying in North America to play professional hockey, it instantly propelled her to the top of every discussion. Coming out of Northeastern, where she scored 27 goals and 60 points in 38 games, it wouldn't be surprising to see Müller stay in New England, but with a new open market and money to be made, this could turn into a bidding war.
- Sophie Jaques, Ohio State - When you're the reigning Patty Kazmaier winner as the top NCAA player in the nation, and you're the top scoring blueliner in the country, the list of suitors will be long. Both of those descriptors are true for Jaques. Inexplicably, she was snubbed from consideration for Canada's national team this season, despite the fact she's the prototypical type of player Team USA used to beat the Canadians. Jaques is Toronto born and raised. Could she join the Isobel champion Toronto Six? Will she join the PWHPA and wait for a Canadian franchise? Time will tell.
- Taylor Heise, Minnesota - Perhaps the most impactful player in the class, Heise's fate seems destined for the PWHPA, which pushed her lower than the two above who enter free agency with less certainty. Heise was second in the nation in scoring with 65 points in 38 games, and she's regularly emerged as Team USA's top forward. Only a handful of USA and Canadian national team members remain unhindered in their movement by PWHPA contracts that don't expire until September. The decision is hers, but it's unlikely Heise breaks ranks.
- Danielle Serdachny, Colgate - Serdachny won the NCAA scoring title as the only player in the nation to break the 70 point mark. She's big and physical, and got her first taste of the Canadian senior national team at the World Championships, albeit in a limited fourth line role. Although geography is becoming less relevant in the discussion as players are being paid liveable, professional wages, the Alberta product is not tied to any location. Colgate sits an almost equal distance from each American PHF team, save for Minnesota. That said, Serdachny will likely feel the pull of her Canadian teammates to join the PWHPA.
- Chloe Aurard, Northeastern - With 20 goals and 54 points in 38 games for Northeastern, Aurard was eighth in national scoring. It would not be surprising to see Aurard and Müller sign as a package deal somewhere in the PHF. They would instantly step into top six minutes and could continue the chemistry that made them one of the most lethal 1-2 punches in America. For good measure, you can throw the third Northeastern forward to sit in the top ten in NCAA scoring, Maureen Murphy (more on her later) into this discussion as well.
- Emma Soderberg, Minnesota-Duluth - Voted to the tournament All-Star team at the recent IIHF World Championships, Soderberg is one of several prominent European goalies set to come out of the NCAA this season. Given the success Corrine Schroeder had in the PHF last season, teams will be looking to this new wave, which also including Andrea Braendli, Sandra Absteiter, and Blanka Skodova. Soderberg has annually been a finalist for the NCAA's top goaltender honor, giving her the leg up on the competition. While all could stay in North America, goaltending positions are limited. The PHF, or returning to play in the SDHL in Sweden are likely the best options for Soderberg, considering 12 netminders populated four PWHPA teams last season.
- Grace Zumwinkle, Minnesota - Something fascinating happened days before the IIHF World Championships. Team USA announced they would not be bringing back Zumwinkle, the NCAA's third leading scorer with 25 goals and 61 points in 38 games, along with another NCAA standout, Jesse Compher. While national team players have traditionally stuck with the PWHPA, recently, more players who saw themselves cut from teams, have moved to the PHF for more money, and more playing time. Could Zumwinkle follow this path?
- Jesse Compher, Wisconsin - Read everything above, and sub in the name Jesse Compher. Compher used her extra year of COVID eligibility to transfer to Wisconsin and win a national title. Her production dipped compared to her four seasons at Boston University, but that's more because Wisconsin brought a more rounded roster, compared to Compher having to carry the load. It will be an interesting offseason for USA's bubble players.
- Emma Maltais, Ohio State - Similar to other Canadian national team members, Maltais could easily choose to head to whatever offering the PWHPA presents this season, whether it's the rumoured PWHL, or another tour. Maltais had one of the loudest and proudest cheering sections at the IIHF Worlds in Brampton, hailing from nearby Burlington. The Toronto Six will be more limited than others having already signed former Patty Kazmaier winner Daryl Watts to a record $150,000 contract, but with the salary cap expanding, they'd happily spend to bring Maltais back to the city as a hometown hero.
- Theresa Schafzahl, Vermont - Like Müller and Aurard, there is no domestic league for Schafzahl to return to in Austria that would provide her with sufficient competition, or continue her development. The EWHL, which operates in Eastern Europe, also has yet to reach that point. With that in mind, Schafzahl is likely to listen to all offers from the PHF, SDHL, and if the PWHPA figures out their pathway for European players to join. Schafzahl was 23rd in national scoring with 45 points in 36 games with Vermont. Right now, it looks as though Schafzahl is headed to the PHF, with Montreal being the prime candidate.
- Gabrielle Hughes, Minnesota-Duluth - Hughes launched herself onto the scene making Team USA's gold medal roster, stealing a spot from multiple veterans in the process. She'll feel the pull of the PWHPA, or could the Minnesota born and raised, and Minnesota educated athlete stay in the state with the PHF's Whitecaps? It seems more likely Hughes ends up in the PWHPA, but the options have never been greater for graduating NCAA players.
- Sandra Abstreiter, Providence - While Soderberg took top goaltending honors at the IIHF women's World Championship, Abstreiter garnered consideration as well. Her performance holding Team USA to only three goals, and magically keeping an offensively starved German team from relegation was miraculous. Playing in Germany should not be an option if she hopes to take her game to the next level, she'll need to look outside her home country.
- Andrea Braendli, Boston University - Statistically, Braendli is among the top netminders coming out of the NCAA. She also brings big game experience having faced off multiple times against Canada and USA at the World Championships. Without Braendli, Switzerland would not have had a chance to win a medal, and likely would have ended up in Group B. She's a difference maker.
- Ashton Bell, Minnesota-Duluth - Another national team cut, Ashton Bell did not receive an invite back to Team Canada this year after winning back-to-back World Championship gold, and Olympic gold with her country. Those types of cuts hurt. Is it enough to keep Bell away from her former teammates in the PWHPA? Probably not. Is it enough for her to listen to offers for more money elsewhere? Probably. She finished this season with 33 points in 39 games as Minnesota-Duluth's captain.
- Sini Karjalainen, Vermont - Captaining Vermont, Karjalainen is one of the top blueliners available. She's been a staple on Finland's senior national team for three years, and captained her nation's U-18 team prior to that. Karjalainen could choose to stay in North America, but the pull of the Naisten Liiga and playing alongside her Finnish teammates more often could pull her back to Europe.
- Maureen Murphy, Northeastern - The third head of Northeastern's offensive monster alongside Müller and Aurard, Murphy has consistently been one of the top American born scorers in the NCAA the past two seasons. She previously represented USA at the U-18s and could be a player targeted by the PWHPA. She's also Buffalo born, and could return home to play for the PHF's Buffalo Beauts.
- Blanka Skodova, Minnesota-Duluth - Skodova is interesting to discuss, because she only played three games in the NCAA this season buried behind Soderberg in Minnesota-Duluth. That said, she did just win a bronze medal backstopping Czechia. With limited goaltending jobs available, Skodova could return to Czechia or another European league in search of starts. Her performance at Worlds will open those doors.
- Noemi Neubauerova, Providence - Statistically, there are other players who outperformed Neubauerova. Coming out of Team Czechia with a bronze medal around her neck however, Neubauerova was part of a group that showed impact is not always measured in blowout games that pad your stats. Not a single Czechian player finished in the top 35 of IIHF scoring, but they still won. Neubauerova is one of those players that contributes in many ways. With five members of Team Czechia in the PHF, it would be shocking to not see that number rise this year, and Neubauerova could be one of those.
- Sophie Shirley, Wisconsin - Sophie Shirley is a unique player on this list, having played in the CWHL with the Calgary Inferno prior to her NCAA career, being named CWHL rookie of the year. With the CWHL in essence becoming the PWHPA, it would seem logical for Shirley to consider that route (although the majority of her former Calgary teammates are no longer with the PWHPA). She'll have a plethora of options to consider.
- Jenniina Nylund, St. Cloud State - When discussing European free agents, Swedish and Finnish players have more options than others with the growing strength of the SDHL and Finland's Naisten Liiga. Having spent five seasons in Minnesota, however, could the Minnesota Whitecaps look to Nylund to provide an offensive boost? It seems the PHF and Naisten Liiga are the likely paths for Nylund.
While these are some of the top NCAA prospects to watch as the free agency period for women's professional hockey ramps up, there are dozens of additional professional level athletes graduating this year who will all be considering professional pathways.