The top tier of players is secured for the new professional women's league, but there are many players who can't be counted out as contributing players. Here's a look at five players the new league should not overlook, as they could be steals.
There will be an abundance of players looking to crack the new professional women's hockey league this season. While the stars from both the PWHPA and PHF will have their spots secured, there is another, much larger group of players, both young and old, who will be fighting for roster and reserve positions.
Here's a look at five players who could become steals in the new league.
Caitrin Lonergan - Few players have scored like Lonergan at the NCAA level, where she finished her career 40th all-time in NCAA scoring. Directly behind her with a similar number of games played were players like Grace Zumwinkle, Gabrielle Hughes, Loren Gabel, and Emma Maltais. That's an impressive group to outscore. Lonergan had a strong rookie season with the Connecticut Whale of the PHF last year recording 18 points in 23 games. She should be capable of contributing in a middle six role on any team in the new league. Twice a member of USA's U-18 national team, Lonergan has been overlooked on the international stage since...but that doesn't mean this will always be the case if she steps in and produces.
Audrey-Anne Veillette - The list of players to score more than a goal per game, and crack the 25 goal plateau in USports hockey is small. With more games in their seasons, Haley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford would have done it. The same could likely be said for Melodie Daoust and Ann-Sophie Bettez. The fact Veillette scored the 7th most goals all-time in a single USports season last year recording 26, it impressive. She's a pure goal scorer who has been on Team Canada's radar for years twice representing Canada, including as an assistant captain at the U-18 World Championships, and this year winning gold with Canada's Universaide team. She was signed to play with the PHF's Montreal Force this season, and would have certainly been a breakout star in the league. USports athletes have traditionally been overlooked, but to sleep on Veillette would be an incredible mistake.
Kassidy Sauvé - We'll admit it, even we overlooked Sauvé last season as she worked to return from injury, but her career stats don't lie. The main issue in the new league is the incredible lack of spots for the plethora of elite goaltenders available. Sauve played in only three games last season with the PHF's Buffalo Beauts, but she was a Canadian U-18 national team backstopper, and followed that up with ECAC and WCHA All-Star honors in the NCAA, and an All-American nod while playing for Ohio State. The 27-year-old posted 29 shutouts, a 1.88 GAA and .937 save percentage across 124 career NCAA games. If she comes to camp healthy and motivated, which she certainly will, it will be hard to overlook Sauvé.
Clair DeGeorge - One of the rare stars to come from Alaska, DeGeorge only notched four points in 18 games last season in the PWHPA, but she was buried behind national team players on Team Harvey's without the opportunity to shine. After captaining a weaker Bemidji State team, DeGeorge thrived with Ohio State en route to a national championship in 2021-2022 scoring 46 points in 38 games. She's a four time Tier 1 Youth National Champion with Shattuck St. Mary's and had the most assists at the 2017 U-18 Worlds for USA winning gold. Follow that with a PWHPA title with Team Harvey's, and it's easy to see DeGeorge is a winner. Her five-foot-eleven frame is advantageous in the modern game, and she'll be a prospect to watch in the new league.
Alena Mills - This seems strange to say, but Alena Mills may be the biggest dark horse out there coming into next season. At 33, she's also one of the older players looking to break into the new league. She's a player however, that would be willing to take at the bottom end of the salary scale, and would contribute in a bottom six role like few could. Physical, skilled in the face-off circle, and a two-way presence who has captained Czechia for more than a decade, leading them from Division 2, to Division 1, to now back-to-back bronze medallists at the top level of the Worlds. Mills was hoping to join the PHF this season, so don't let her retirement from Czechia's national team fool you into thinking she's done with pro hockey.