With a new season of hockey dropping the puck this weekend, we count down our preseason top 100 PWHL Draft prospects.
The creation of the PWHL, and the return of a professional women's hockey draft has opened new doors for discussion. Primarily, that comes in the form of draft rankings. Both the CWHL and NWHL / PHF had drafts, but the PHF recently did away with theirs acknowledging issues related to forcing players to move cities for non-liveable wages.
The PWHL Draft, however, is here to stay, and following the inaugural draft this year, where Taylor Heise was chosen first overall by Minnesota, and dozens of professional women's hockey players from the PWHPA and PHF were chosen to fill out rosters, future drafts will more closely resemble traditional entry drafts.
It's also expected future PWHL drafts will drastically reduce the number of rounds and picks each team can select.
With drafting soon becoming a key to future roster success, scouting will also become a rapid area of growth in professional women's hockey. And while no Central Scouting exists as it does in most men's leagues, here's a look at graduating NCAA and USports players, along with players competing in Europe on expiring contracts. While no age limit exists for the entry draft, we've focused on players who will have completed their fourth year of university for NCAA and USports athletes, and European players born in 2002 or later.
There are a variety of athletes still under contract in Europe, players like Petra Nieminen and Vivvi Vainiikka who could step into the PWHL as contributors, but they remain under contract until following the 2024-2025 season.
We broke down our top 100 players in position, resulting in 60 forwards, 28 defenders, and 12 goalies being named.
*top prospect with potential to jump to the PWHL next season.
Here's a look at our preseason PWHL Draft rankings:
Forward Rankings
- Sarah Fillier, F, Princeton, NCAA*
- Hannah Bilka, F, Ohio State, NCAA*
- Elisa Holopainen, F, KalPa, Naisten Liiga*
- Michaela Pejzlova, F, HIFK, Naisten Liiga*
- Anna Meixner, F, Brynas, SDHL*
- Danielle Serdachny, F, Colgate*
- Noora Tulus, F, Lulea, SDHL*
- Emilia Vesa, F, Frolunda, SDHL*
- Jennifer Gardiner, F, Ohio State, NCAA*
- Elle Hartje, F, Yale, NCAA*
- Anne Cherkowski, F, Clarkson, NCAA*
- Natálie Mlýnková, F, Vermont, NCAA*
- Casey O'Brien, F, Wisconsin, NCAA*
- Kiara Zanon, F, Ohio State, NCAA*
- Kristýna Kaltounková, F, Colgate, NCAA*
- Klara Hymlarova, F, St. Cloud State, NCAA*
- Julia Gosling, F, St. Lawrence, NCAA*
- Britta Curl, F, Wisconsin, NCAA*
- Sara Hjalmarsson, F, Linkoping, SDHL*
- Jenniina Nylund, F, Brynas, SDHL
- Katelyn Knoll, F, Northeastern, NCAA
- Julia Liikala, F, HIFK, Naisten Liiga
- Kelsey King, F, Ohio State, NCAA
- Theresa Knutson, F, Ambri-Piotti, SWHL
- Noemi Neubauerova, F, Brynas, SDHL
- Anneke Linser, F, Djurgardens, SDHL
- Lauren Bellefontaine, F, MoDo, SDHL
- Izzy Daniel, F, Cornell, NCAA
- Eleri McKay, F, Fribourg-Gottéron, SWHL
- Kaitlyn O'Donohoe, F, Colgate, NCAA
- Jenna Buglioni, F, Ohio State, NCAA
- Dara Greig, F, Colgate, NCAA
- Nara Elia, F, Linkoping, SDHL
- Anna Shokhina, F Dynamo-Neva St. Petersburg, ZHL
- Sara Boucher, F, Mercyhurst, NCAA
- Darcie Lappan, F, Clarkson, NCAA
- Maggy Burbidge, F, St. FX, USports
- Shay Maloney, F, Leksands, SDHL
- Valeria Pavlova, F, Biryusa Krasnoyarsk, ZHL
- Olivia Wallin, F, Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA
- Brett Pettet, F, Djurgardens, SDHL
- Sarah-Eve Coutu-Godbout, F, Frolunda, SDHL
- Mackenna Webster, F, Ohio State, NCAA
- Olga Sosina, F, Agidel Ufa, ZHL
- Olivia Mobley, F, Ohio State, NCAA
- Naomi Rogge, F, SDE, SDHL
- Tatum Amy, F, Leksands, SDHL
- Julia Matejkova, F, HPK, Naisten Liiga
- Shae Demale, F, SDE, SDHL
- Emily Pinto, F, SDE, SDHL
- Leah Heffort, F, Waterloo, USports
- Emmy Fecteau, F, Concordia, USports
- Oxana Bratishcheva, F, Dynamo-Neva St. Petersburg, ZHL
- Shailynn Snow, F, Robert Morris
- Mannon McMahon, F, Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA
- Hanna Thuvik, F, Brynas, SDHL
- Estelle Duvin, F, SC Bern, SWHL
- Fanuza Kadirova, F, Dynamo-Neva St. Petersburg, ZHL
- Rahel Enzler, Maine, NCAA
- Haruka Toko, Linkoping, SDHL
Goaltender Rankings
- Klára Peslarová, G, Brynas, SDHL*
- Gwyneth Philips, G, Northeastern, NCAA*
- Cami Kronish, G, AIK, SDHL *
- Selma Luggin, G, Linkoping, SDHL
- Emma Polusny, G, Leksands, SDHL
- Stephanie Neatby, G, Frolunda, SDHL
- Alice Philbert, G, Wasquehal, France4
- Blanka Skodova, G, HIFK, Naisten Liiga
- Kendra Woodland, G, New Brunswick, USports
- Ena Nystrøm, G, Mercyhurst, NCAA
- Kate Stuart, G, SDE, SDHL
- Michelle Pasiechnyk, G, Clarkson, NCAA
Defenders Rankings
1. Maja Nylén Persson, D, Brynas, SDHL*
2. Cayla Barnes, D, Ohio State, NCAA*
3. Daniela Pejsova, D, Lulea, SDHL*
4. Skylar Fontaine, D, ZSC Lions, SWHL*
5. Ronja Salvolainen, D, Lulea, SDHL*
6. Megan Carter, D, Northeastern, NCAA*
7. Stephanie Markowski, D, Ohio State, NCAA*
8. Lindsay Agnew, D, Frolunda, SDHL*
9. Sini Karjalainen, D, Brynas, SDHL*
10. Anna Shibanova, D, Agidel Ufa, ZHL*
11. Allyson Simpson, D, Colgate, NCAA*
12. Emma Bergesen, D, Mount Royal, USports*
13. Rylind MacKinnon, D, British Columbia, USports*
14. Anna Kjellbin, D, Lulea, SDHL
15. Nina Jobst-Smith, D, Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA
16. Sanni Rantala, D, KalPa, Naisten Liiga
17. Lauren Dabrowski, D, SDE, SDHL
18. Kiira Yrjanen, D, HV71, SDHL
19. Lara Christen, D, Bern, SWHL
20. Anna Kilponen, D, ZSC Lions, SWHL
21. Sydney Bard, D, Colgate
22. Courtney Vorster, D, Leksands, SDHL
23. Linnea Andersson, D, MoDo, SDHL
24. Mae Batherson, D, St. Lawrence, NCAA
25. Ebba Berglund, D, MoDo, SDHL
26. Karolina Kosinova, D, SDE, SDHL
27. Nina Pirogova, D, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, ZHL
28. Lauren DeBlois, D, Providence, NCAA