European Wave Headed Directly For The PWHL

The PWHL has stated since day one they intend the league to be best-on-best. It's not there yet, but it's coming. Currently, there remains too many high profile players in the NCAA and Europe to consider the PWHL a true best-on-best situation, but following the 2024 PWHL Draft, the league will take a massive step in closing the gap between promise and reality.

From North America that will include the introduction of players like Cayla Barnes, Hannah Bilka, Sarah Fillier, Claire Thompson, and Danielle Serdachny. 

But it's the anticipated influx of European stars who will make the most significant impact on ensuring the PWHL features not most, but all of the best players in the world. Of course some, including Petra Nieminen, Michelle Karvinen, Jenni Hiirikoski, Michaela Pejzlova, Hanna Olsson, Lara Stalder, and Viivi Vainikka will remain in Europe this year due to contractual obligations, a few of those plan to join as soon as possible, and the list of players from Europe who are coming to the PWHL next year is substantive.

The PWHL has decent scoring power across the board, but with the level of elite goaltending and the soon to improve defensive depth in the league, adding more firepower up front will go a long way to making the league even more exciting to watch. The top European forward prospect at the draft will be Finland's Noora Tulus. A speedster who hates to lose, Tulus is a competitor who has the skating and skills necessary to compete at this level, and coming from the SDHL, there will be little to no adaptation to the body checking rules. Austrian captain Anna Meixner was the 2023 SDHL most valuable player and should add another skilled scoring threat to a team in need of offensive help. Beyond those veterans, other players including Jenniina Nylund (Finland), Noemi Neubauerova (Czechia), Mathea Fischer (Norway), and Michelle Lowenhielm (Sweden) are all planning to enter the draft. Klara Hymlarova played in the NCAA this year, but is also a member of Team Czechia

This will be the biggest impact on the league across the board. Defensive depth was shallow this season, but it won't be for long. There are enough European defenders entering the draft with the ability to immediately impact a roster that the level of competition in the PWHL will take a noticeable step forward. Highlighting this group is a trio of international stars in Finland's Ronja Savolainen, Czechia's Daniela Pejsova, and Sweden's Maja Nylen Persson. It's unlikely any of those defenders makes it out of the first two rounds of the draft in June. Beyond the top trio however, there are plenty of talented players to choose from entering from Europe including Finland's Sini Karjalainen and the Netherlands' Kayleigh Hamers. Norway's Emma Bergesen is coming out of U Sports and Canadian defender Lindsay Agnew who spent the past several seasons playing in Europe is planning to come back as well.

This could be plural, but for now it's singular as Klara Peslarova is the most notable netminder in the world to make her intentions to play in the PWHL clear. She's also been clear she believes the league should rapidly expand to eight teams to house more international players. In other words, Peslarova believes she's a starter in the league without many opportunities to take that role. The truth of the matter is, Peslarova is a superior goaltender to a number of currently rostered goalies in the PWHL, and her entrance to the league could create a true goalie controversy wherever she ends up. She's the type of goalie who can steal games, and aside from Gwyneth Philips, she's likely the only netminder out there with the chance to take a top two role away from someone.