One Camp Competition Of Note For Each PWHL Team

The PWHL unveiled their full training camp rosters, a list that included 47 free agent invites.

Here's a look at one camp competition to follow for each PWHL team.

Boston Fleet Camp 

Boston has 11 blueliners in camp. It's a group that includes Olivia Zafuto, who has played 35 games in the league. Add in free agent invites Julia Shaunessy, Mia Biotti, and Olivia Muhn, and the competition will be fierce. Draft pick Riley Brengman and Hadley Hartmetz, who saw limited action last year due to injury will need to fend off the push that is going to come at camp. Boston should be able to keep a few of these players around as reserves as well, as Shaunessy and Biotti both played NCAA hockey in Boston last season, and Zafuto was a reserve for the Fleet.

There are going to be spots up for grabs up front in Boston as well, but all eyes will be on their blueline.

Minnesota Frost Camp

Aside from their crease, it's open season in Minnesota for roster spots. Up front they have 16 forwards coming to camp including Peyton Anderson, Madison Mashuga, Alyssa Machado, and Kaityln O'Donohoe. O'Donohoe saw spot duty as a reserve last year, but don't count out Anderson, Mashuga, and Machado who all play Minnesota's brand of hockey. Anderson was one of the top two-way players in the NCAA before taking last year off. She could be a pleasant surprise in the legaue.

Minnesota can get by with any of those forwards up front, but the real focus will be on filling out their blueline. The Frost lost Sophie Jaques, Claire Thompson, Mellissa Chanell-Watkins, and Maggie Flaherty this offseason. It's a lot to fill considering they've only brought in Kendall Cooper and Sidney Morin as players that can begin to fill those skates. Along with draft picks Ava Rinker and Brooke Becker, who are not sure things to stick in the league, the Frost will look to former PWHL blueliner Madison Bizal, and invite Cameron Sikich to compete for a spot and push one of their picks out. Bizal is one to watch to steal a spot.

Montreal Victoire Camp

There's not a ton of intrigue in Montreal's camp. Up front, at least one or two of Dara Grieg and 2025 draft picks Maya Labad and Skylar Irving will find themselves off the opening night roster. This could be a spot where another team scoops up one of these players, particularly the two picks. For all three to make the roster, they'll need to beat an already signed player out of their spot.

With their blueline complete, the other question mark in Montreal is who will win the third spot in net? It might not seem like a major question, but behind Ann-Renee Desbiens, Sandra Abstreiter stands ready, but unproven. Tricia DeGuire had a brief stint with the team last year but didn't appear in a game, but it gives her the inside lane over Megan Warrener.

New York Sirens Camp

Nothing is certain in New York aside from their net where the team is only bringing three goalies to camp, albeit two unsigned. 

Up front, New York is a bit handcuffed as some of their returning players who could be on the bubble are on multi-year guaranteed contracts. It means invites Alexis Paddington, who could be a surprise in camp, and Kira Juodikas who is joining after starting her year in the Swiss league will need to push out a signed player or pick. Kayla Vespa, Anna Bargman, and Savannah Norcross are the three who will fight to keep their spots.

On the blueline, New York already has seven defenders signed, but Dayle Ross is expected to be out until the New Year, so it will open the door for either Olivia Knowles or Nicole Vallario. Knowles has the experience, but Vallario is coming off a strong NCAA career and is a rising contributor with Switzerland's senior national team. She could be a pleasant addition.

Ottawa Charge Camp

Ottawa would undoubtedly like to keep both Alexa Vasko and Alexandra Huszak up front, one for her hard checking energy game, the other for her offensive upside. Vasko should get snapped by another team if she doesn't win her spot back. 

Ottawa's biggest question at camp is which of their signed defenders will lose their contract? It could happen that they stick with the blueline they have locked in, but it's hard to imagine one of Sam Isbell, Jessica Adolfsson, or Emma Bergesen not losing their spot to Kathryn Reilly or Vita Poniatovskaia. Bergesen has a lot of upside and Ottawa felt strong enough about her to not let her enter the draft. It means the other four are fighting for Ottawa's 7-8 positions, and it would be hard to pass on the upside of Reilly and Poniatovskaia.

PWHL Seattle Camp

Seattle has only three goalies in camp, and it's almost unthinkable to believe Emily Zumwinkle or Lily Yovetich will steal a spot on Seattle's blueline beyond a potential reserve spot. Up front however, Seattle's forward depth is their biggest roster need, and it's where all the competition will focus.

Back-to-back Walter Cup champion Brooke Bryant feels like a good bet to add experience down their lineup, but she'll need to beat a draft pick like Jada Habisch or Olivia Wallin, and camp invites Sydney Langseth and Marah Wagner. Wagner might be interested in a reserve spot as a Washington local. Langseth has upside and could outperform either of Seattle's unsigned forward picks. 

Seattle's roster is in a great spot, and they have excellent options up front to fill out their last spots.

Toronto Sceptres Camp

With the tandem of Elaine Chuli and Raygan Kirk minding the crease, there's an opening for Toronto's third spot that will see Jessie McPherson and Sarah Coe fighting for the chance to sign a contract. 

Yes, there will be fierce competition up front with Sara Hjalmarsson, Lauren Messier, Kristin Della Rovere, Kiara Zanon, Clara Van Wieren, Anneke Rankila, and likely signed forward Clair DeGeorge fighting for four spots among seven players. But with Toronto's changes in net, solidifying that position, even at the number three spot, has meaning. 

McPherson was on Canada's U-18 radar playing summer series games for the team before four spectacular season with Vermont, and a fifth campaign with Minnesota State. Few goalies are as focused, competitive, and driven as McPherson. She'll be fighting it out with four-year RIT starter Sarah Coe. She faced a lot of shots on a losing team over her career, but managed to put together solid stats.

PWHL Vancouver Camp

Vancouver has a big camp roster, and there are plenty of items to watch. In net, it's either Kimberly Newell or Erica Fryer who will take their third spot (advantage Newell). On the blueline they are already seven deep, assuming the team signs Nina Jobst-Smith who would be a second pairing defender on most teams in the league. The only blueline competition with that in mind is for a reserve spot.

Up front Vancouver is bringing 18 forwards to camp. With 11 roster spots seemingly claimed up front, it's not going to be easy for the remaining group to win a position, and that includes drafted players like Brianna Brooks, Maddy Samoskevich and Chanreet Bassi. The other players in the running for those final roster spots include invites Katie Chan, who is off to a strong start in Europe, Darcie Lappan who played in the SDHL last year, and former St. Cloud captain Taylor Lind, who knows head coach Brian Idalski well. Malia Schneider is the other forward invite. 

This team has an abundance of depth, and picks Brooks and Samoskevich will be the front runners, but Vancouver's camp invites are all strong players up front.