There's no doubt the PWHL is now the world's top league at the senior level, but there are leagues across the globe gaining steam. Here's a look at the top 9 leagues for women globally.

With the birth of the PWHL, the top players from across the globe are descending on Canada and the United States to play. With dreams of bigger things, liveable salaries, and future expansion, it's likely many nations will also see more players targeting the NCAA or jumping to the SDHL as soon as they can. In Europe, the top leagues in Sweden and Switzerland lead the way, but there's growth happening across the continent and in Asia. 

Here's a look at the top pro women's hockey leagues in the world. 

1. PWHL

This is a no brainer. The PWHL has become the world's top league by a landslide. Bottom line players in the PWHL could go to any European league and contribute as top line players. Marie-Philip Poulin, Taylor Heise, Erin Ambrose, Natalie Spooner, and now, international stars like Alina Muller, Susanna Tapani, Ronja Savolainen, Katerina Mrazova, and Maja Nylen Persson. Only a handful of the top players in the world remain elsewhere.

2. SDHL

Prior to an exodus from Lulea this year, the program was a powerhouse. Followed by Brynas, Frolunda, and MoDo, Europe's top teams currently reside in the Sweden. There are plenty of players remaining under contract in the SDHL who could play in the PWHL like Jenni Hiirikoski, Petra Nieminen, Viivi Vainikka, Emma Nordin, Michelle Karvinen, Hanna Olsson, Sara Hjalmarsson, and Andrea Brandli all remain in the league. The SDHL is also Europe's top development league to send younger stars to the NCAA like Adela Sapovalivova and Mira Jungaker. As the PWHL continues to develop, more fringe players will head to the SDHL to develop, or to close out their careers. Globally the game continues to grow and the SDHL is a key piece to this.

3. SWHL

No league has taken larger steps than Switzerland's top league. SC Bern and the ZSC Lions were the top two teams last season, but they're about to get company in the top look with EV Zug joining, a team that includes several Swiss national team players, including captain Lara Stalder. Ambri-Piotta looks like they'll be the fourth team in contention this season in Switzerland after taking the top two scorers from Naisten Liiga in Czech national team star Michaela Pejzlova and Finnish national team member Julia Liikala joining the program. The depth in the league is weak as the top competition is among 1-2 lines per team, but with more international players choosing the league, there's been noticeable gains. If they opened the door to more imports, the SWHL could quickly close the gap toward the SDHL.

4. ZhHL

There's a group of players in this league who could come to North America or the SDHL and contribute. The problem is, the longer they wait to find a way out, the bigger the international gap will be. And there's no telling when or if Russia will ever be readmitted to IIHF competition. Ilona Markova was a PWHL Draft pick this year, and if she succeeds, we could see a rush of Russian players looking to compete in the SDHL and PWHL. 

5. EWHL

If there's one league that has a chance to be a game changer internationally, it's the EWHL. The league features teams from Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Italy. If the league took top teams from Czechia and Germany to form a super league, it would accelerate growth. It's an eclectic mix of players in this league from national team members for Division 1A teams, to young prospects, there's rising hope the EWHL could help the development of national teams outside the top division.

6. NDHL

Sweden's second league has been gaining strength through an increased presence of international players. The league featured players from 25 nations last year, and it's a melting pot for women's hockey players looking to play in a structured and competitive league. The league is the top location for Denmark's best players as well as the bulk of Norway's top skaters. This is primarily a development league, but it's moved players along successfully. If this league condensed into a smaller 8-10 team league instead of 25 teams in four conferences, it could be one of Europe's better leagues immediately.

7. DFEL

Germany's league has the bulk of their national team members, but could make bigger steps forward by targeting a small group of international players to help provide more skill and speed to the league. With Amsterdam already in the loop, the DFEL could similarly target a from Czechia or even France to up the play. The top of this league, whether it's Memmingen or ERC Ingolstadt are quality teams, but the bottom is a noticeable step below. Merging top teams with the EWHL makes too much sense for the future.

8. Naisten Liiga

Truth be told, by the end of next season, Naisten Liiga could be even lower on this list. The league saw all of its top stars bolt for the SDHL and SWHL this season with Elisa Holopainen, Sanni Vanhanen, Michaela Pejzlova, Julia Liikala, Clara Rozier and Julia Schalin all leaving for other leagues. That's six of the league's top ten scorers gone. It's hard to keep talent in Naisten Liiga because there is no pay to speak of, and the competition outside the top handful of players is weak. Finland's top league is a development stop for players looking to earn contracts in Switzerland and Sweden.

9. WCIHL

Gaining KRS Shenzhen was a significant boost to China's top women's league this season. Not only did the league play a new format this year, but they offered better wages than any other international league. Players like Kaitlyn Tougas, PWHL draft pick Minttu Tuominen, and all of China's national team play in the league. 

10. The Rest

There are domestic leagues in every nation in Europe, whether it's England, Norway, France, Italy, Denmark, Poland, or Czechia. There are also leagues in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. In each, you'll find quality players, but the depth isn't there, and the best players from these nations typically move to find better competition. More collaboration among European nations would create a windfall of growth, but nations are still unwilling to fund women's hockey.