The 2024 PWHL Draft was a moment for the PWHL to add talent following their inaugural season, and for teams to plan for the future.
That was the plan.
Everything changed rapidly following the 2024-25 season when rookies still decompressing from their first year in the league, some celebrating selections to the All-Rookie team, others celebrating a Walter Cup title, quickly learned they'd be leaving the teams they were recently selected to play for, many who signed multi-year deals. That shift came with the league's first expansion process, which decimated the 2024 Draft, includeding five of the league's six first rounds picks trading teams in expansion.
The 2024 Draft will go down as one that brought players into the league, not as a draft that helped any specific PWHL team improve. It's a legacy that goes against the purpose of professional sports drafts.
Toronto and Montreal Leave With Almost Nothing
When you look back at the 2024 PWHL Draft, no two teams had a more disastrous result than the Toronto Sceptres and Montreal Victoire.
Montreal saw four of their first five picks - Cayla Barnes, Jennifer Gardiner, Abby Boreen, and Anna Wilgren - all plucked in expansion. They've yet to sign Dara Grieg who will need to win a roster spot in the PWHL this season as a free agent invite to camp. Anna Kjellbin who they picked in the sixth round was traded late in the season for Kaitlin Willoughby. Their final pick was Amanda Kessel, who did not want to play anywhere in the PWHL outside of Boston, which meant that Kessel chose to stay retired despite declaring for the draft. Heading toward training camp, Montreal is without a single member of their 2024 PWHL Draft class in their organization. The only remnant is their signing of depth forward Willoughby as a return from their late season trade.
Toronto is in a similar situation. Toronto's first (Julia Gosling), second (Megan Carter), and third (Izzy Daniel) round picks were all claimed in expansion. Toronto had to shift their fourth round pick Lauren Bernard to reserve midway through the season to accommodate the return of players like Natalie Spooner and Megan Carter, but the move resulted in her signing with the New York Sirens. Toronto's next picks, Anneke Rankila and Noemi Neubauerova also appear as though they won't factor into the team's future as Rankila remains unsigned and Neubauerova bolted for Switzerland. It means the only player from Toronto's 2024 PWHL Draft class still with the organization is their final pick, seventh round selection Raygan Kirk who will enter this season as part of Toronto's goaltending tandem.
Boston could easily find themselves in this group as well. Because they traded up to get Daniela Pejsova at seventh overall, the team already had one less pick. They also selected Ilona Markova, who didn't make the team, and is not returning to their roster this year. After losing fourth overall pick Hannah Bilka and 22nd overall pick Sydney Bard, it left Boston with Shay Maloney, Pejsova, who the team played only sparsely in year one, and Hadley Hartmetz who managed to appear in only two games after recovering from knee surgery.
Of the 24 picks in the first four rounds of the 2024 PWHL Draft, 62.5% of those players are no longer with the team who selected them, or no longer in the league.
Some Teams Were Luckier
At the other end of the spectrum, the Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens were able to hold on to more players than any other PWHL teams. Minnesota lost Claire Thompson and Brooke McQuigge to Vancouver, but still have Britta Curl-Salemme, Klara Hymlarova, Dominique Petrie, Mae Batherson, and Katy Knoll.
New York will retain six players, but they selected eight players in the draft compared to the seven coming from other teams. New York lost Noora Tulus and Gabby Rosenthal, but kept Sarah Fillier, Maja Nylen Persson, Allyson Simpson and others.
Ottawa kept five members of their class in the organization, losing only second overall pick Danielle Serdachny.