Top 10 Players To Watch This Season In The SDHL

Several key SDHL stars made the jump to the PWHL this season, but there remains an abundance of talent in the best league outside North America.

Top 2026 PWHL picks include Petra Nieminen, Elisa Holopainen, Viivi Vainikka, Andrea Brandli, Erica Rieder, Jenna Goodwin, and Neena Brick. Others including Sam Cogan, Gabrielle David, Dominika Laskova, and Nadia Mattivi have all signed free agent contracts in the PWHL this offseason.

Outside of the NCAA, the SDHL has become the world's next-best PWHL pathway. 

With Petra Nieminen, Elisa Holopainen, Gabrielle David, Viivi Vainikka, and Sam Cogan all signing in the PWHL this offseason, Noora Tulus is the leading SDHL scorer from last season remaining in the league. Her 17 goals and 39 points tied Cogan for fifth in the SDHL last season, and the former New York Sirens forward looks like she'll be the top offensive threat in the league and top Finnish forward left overseas. 

If there's a player who will outscore Tulus, it's Anna Meixner who is returning to the SDHL after two seasons in the PWHL with Ottawa and Vancouver. Meixner was the 2023 SDHL MVP and Best Forward. She'll be playing alongside Tulus with Brynas, and the duo will be the top offensive pair in the league. Meixner could have still made an impact in the PWHL, and she's going to assert what she gained in North America in a very real way, which could result in a major offensive output. 

The reigning SDHL Defender of the Year, and a member of Czechia's national team, Cajanova is a smooth skating blueliner who has already proven she's at the head of the class in the league on the blueline. Cajanova will be one of the top defenders available in the 2027 PWHL Draft should she declare, and teams from across the globe will be watching her closely. 

If there's any player who can challenge Cajanova not only for interest from the PWHL, but to be the top two-way defender in the SDHL, it's Rantala. She looks poised for a breakout in her third SDHL season, and the veteran Finnish national team member can not only contribute offensively, but she's one of the better actual defenders in the league. If she wants to come to the PWHL next season, which she should, there will be a lineup of teams waiting.

As much as the SDHL still has a handful of current stars and international contributors, the league also annually welcomes future stars. Ebba Hesselvall, Tilia Lindgren, Emma Johnson, and perhaps above all, Moa Stridh. Stridh, a 2010 born 16-year-old forward appeared in 18 games last season for Frolunda recording three points as the youngest player in the league, but was beyond dominant against her peers, both in women's and men's hockey. Internationally, Stridh powered in five goals in six games at her first U-18 World Championships and added 12 points in 11 games for USA's U-18 national team in European competition. She is a bright star on the rise.

Many of the SDHL's top forwards are signed through 2027-28, but not Thuvik. She led all Swedish players in scoring in the SDHL last season, and was a noticeable presence for Sweden at the Olympics. She's a clear PWHL candidate for her diverse skill set, but above all for her ability to provide energy, play a checking game, and contribute offensively. At 24, she's still getting better, but to continue that progression, she will need to leave the SDHL after this season.

Could already be a netminder in the PWHL. It will become harder next season for goaltenders in the PWHL with the wealth of goalies coming to the league via the 2027 PWHL Draft, but Nystrom is a no brainer for any team looking to upgrade their backup spot, or test run a tandem. She'd still be an upgrade for half the PWHL teams out there, so there will be no shortage of interest if she makes her intent to join the league known. She had the best GAA in the league, and second best save percentage behind only Andrea Brandli.

The SDHL Goaltender of the Year, Svensson Träff did more with less than any goalie last year facing more than 300 more shots than any other netminder. Her performance not only in the SDHL, but internationally propelled Svensson Träff into the spotlight. The result was the 21-year-old stealing Sweden's starting job at the Olympics from former PWHL netminder Emma Soderberg and performing brilliantly for Sweden. Whether it's next year, the year after, or the year after that, Svensson Träff will be a PWHL goalie.

Making the jump to Lulea signifies the next step in Hedqvist's development. At 19, she has a very bright future ahead and will look to take another step from the career-high 13 goals and 27 points she scored last season. She's signed through 2028-29, which will make her 22 at the completion of her contract. It could be her target to join the PWHL at that point, and given the fact she's already an Olympian for Sweden, and barring a significant change will play in her fourth World Championship this Fall, Hedqvist's trajectory, who is a former captain of Sweden's U-18 national team, is trending up. 

Along with Nella Berg, Emmi Juusela is the next big name Finnish player to step up from Auroraliiga in Finland to the SDHL. It's where almost all of Finland's top national team stars have come through, and Juusela is a player who could challenge for that. She's had a less than traditional path having never played for Finland internationally at any level. She didn't play at all from 2021 to 2023, and only found her way into four games in 2024. She return for a complete 2024-25 season, and last year broke out finishing second in Auroraliiga with 60 points in 32 games trailing only Emma Nuutinen

Brette Pettet (F, Djurgardens), Emilia Vesa (F, Frolunda), Jennina Nylund (F, Brynas), Sofie Lundin (F, Frolunda), Pia Dukaric (G, Brynas), Emma Söderberg (G, SDE), Ebba Hesselvall (F, Brynas), Kassidy Sauve (G, Frolunda), Barbora Kapickova (F, HV71), Ellen Jarabkova (D, MoDo), Nikita Bergmann (F, Farjestad) Emma Forsgren (D, Skelleftea AIK), Tilia Lindgren (F, Skelleftea AIK), Emma Johnson (D, Linkoping), Nella Berg (D, Lulea).