When the New York Sirens step to the microphone at the 2025 PWHL Draft to make the first overall pick, no one would be surprised if the next words involved the team saying they're proud to select from Clarkson University, Haley Winn.
Despite the hype around Winn, the consensus top defender in the draft, who alongside Colgate's Kristyna Kaltounkova will vie for the top draft spot in 2025, Winn has tried to focus on each shift, game, and task at hand this season. Her focus and ability to drown out the distractions is likely a major factor in her success both collegiately, and as a member of Team USA.
"It was definitely a different year, I didn't try to change my mindset too much, I really tried to focus on staying in the present," Winn told The Hockey News.
"It was an interesting year with a lot of unknowns, and there's still unknowns for where I'll be playing net year. So I think my big thing was just staying present and making the most of my last year on and off the ice," she continued. "I tried to end on a high note and making it one of my best years, and just staying present and taking each day as it comes."
Winn scored 46 points in 38 games from the blueline this season with Clarkson and added three points in seven games helping USA win gold at the 2025 World Championships. Her 46 points in the NCAA were second among defenders trailing only Wisconsin's Caroline Harvey, and placed her tied for 14th overall in the nation.
For Winn, the return to the end of one chapter and the beginning of another reminded her of having NCAA scouts come to watch her while she was choosing a school. This time it was pro teams looking at Winn for the PWHL Draft.
"Scouts looking at you again, you're kind of starting all over," she said. "I feel like I'm in grade 9 again when I was trying to make a decision on college, it's kind of funny how it goes full circle. But I don't think anything changed too much with my mindset. Just trying to stay present, focus on the here and now, and try to set myself up best for whatever comes in the future."
Come draft day, Winn is prepared for the nerves, and the excitement of learning where she'll play next year in the PWHL. Whether it's one of the existing six franchises, or one of the league's two expansion teams, Winn will be thrilled to finally know her path, and to get to the PWHL.
"It will be so exciting," Winn said of draft day. "It hasn't been super long, but I'm so curious for where I'm going to go, it will be a lot of nerves, and when that moment comes it will just be so exciting. "It won't even matter where I'm going, I'll be excited either way."
Winn isn't alone in pursuing her PWHL dream. Several members of her Clarkson Golden Knights team have also declared for the 2025 Draft including her defensive partner Nicole Gosling, and forward Anne Cherkwoski, who are both probably top 10 picks in the draft. Other Clarkson players to declare for the draft this season include Jenna Goodwin, Baylee Kirwan, and Andie Proulx.
It's been something Winn and her teammates have talked about all season, and the chance to join the PWHL with players she's suited up with the past four seasons is a unique opportunity.
"I think it's awesome, it's super special, it's something we've all talked about," she said. "We've joked about all wanting to go on the same team, obviously chances of that are pretty slim, but we're all super excited to experience this together. It's something we've been able to bond over and talk about. Nicole's (Gosling) been my D partner the last four years, it's been an awesome experience to be able to play with her."
It's likely Winn will be an opponent of Gosling moving forward, but to even have the opportunity to continue their careers beyond college is something Winn was not sure would be available to her.
"I think it's super exciting, when I came into college, even four years ago, you didn't have this opportunity to play professionally after college," she said. "It's just such an exciting step in the game and something that's so cool to grow the game and inspire girls and show them there's something to work for after college. I'm just so fortunate to be playing in a time like this and have an opportunity to continue playing, to play for a long time, and be able to hopefully make it a career."