PWHL Hamilton’s Lineup - Who Plays Where?

Hamilton general manager Meghan Duggan has done a solid job in creating one of the most  balanced and versatile lineups in the PWHL going into next season. The team boasts veterans and young players, scorers and checkers, finesse and power, and looks like they might be the class of the four expansion teams.

With that said, how does coach Kris Sparre put together his lines and defensive pairs on this team? There are a lot of potential combinations depending on chemistry that might appear in training camp, but if we look at familiarity and the style of game that these skaters bring, you could make some educated guesses on the lines that will debut in 26-27.

The one player that is not a question mark at all is the #1 center, Alina Müller. She is clearly the most potent forward, has three years of experience in the PWHL, can drive a line and complement other forwards, and had the best faceoff percentage in the entire league last season. Throw in the fact that she played last season with Sparre in Boston, and no one will be surprised to see her center the top unit at season’s opening. The question of who plays with her is less certain, but Emily Clark’s speed and ability to play along the boards would make her an ideal fit. Clark should have a bounceback year after she played through some injury and didn’t have the numbers she is capable of in Ottawa. She deserves a chance at the top unit at least to start. On the right side, it might shape up as a battle between Peyton Hemp (also from Ottawa) or another sophomore, Abby Hustler. Hustler’s size and strength gives her the edge here, given that Müller is more of a finesse player. With Hustler retrieving pucks, Müller should be able to find the space to create plays and goals.

This is a line that could really provide some spark for Hamilton. Jenner had a fantastic season in Ottawa, and played some of her best hockey at center, so she makes an ideal 2C. She also had a winning faceoff percentage, and puck possession is all-important in the PWHL. Playing behind Muller, Jenner can add some power-play minutes and hopefully continue her solid scoring numbers. Rookie Elyssa Biederman is all offense, so she would be best suited for a top-six role. She’s small, but with Jenner on her line, she benefits from the experience and awareness of a veteran. Biederman’s skill should shine here. And given Jenner and Hemp’s familiarity from the Charge, there could be a natural chemistry between them. Hemp is a two-way forward who can balance the line, and chip in some goals.

A third line that can really play to its identity with rookies Jade Iginla and Megan Woodworth providing energy, and Vasko anchoring them with her experience. Iginla is going to be fascinating to watch; she could play in the top six, but starting her here makes sense. She plays a power game and might surprise with her offensive skills. Woodworth played center at the University of Connecticut and led the team in blocked shots. Vasko can play center as well, and is versatile enough to create plays, but also be responsible defensively.

If coach Sparre wants to use Vaslet at center, the fourth line makes the most sense for her to start. With some sheltered minutes, he can watch how the gritty forward from Penn State adapts to the speed of the PWHL. Kayla Vespa fits here, although watch out for camp invites like Brooke Campbell (who played with Woodworth at UConn) and Sara Stewart from Colgate to challenge for spots. Coach Sparre will likely put free agent signee Anna Shokhina in a bottom line role as well, to see if she can continue to acclimate to the North American game.

On defense, there will be some battles, but again, the #1 role is pretty clear and it belongs to super sophomore Nicole Gosling. After a rookie campaign and playoffs where she started to look dominant, Gosling should step into playing the most minutes and be the power play quarterback for Hamilton. On her right, Allyson Simpson, who is going into her third season, would be a stabilizing balance. Simpson has shown great awareness and looks ready to take on a top pairing role.

After that, top draft pick Nelli Laitinen will be a natural second-pair defender, giving her time to get acquainted with some of the speed and skill of the PWHL. Since she’s played at the international level already, Laitinen’s learning curve won’t be as steep as others, and she might find herself on the power play as well. Free agent signee Anna Kjellbin can play with her, as Kjellbin’s game has grown significantly since she entered the league, and she has the veteran perspective to balance Laitinen’s game.

Zoe Boyd and Riley Brengman are both coming over from Boston and should be well known to Sparre (although Boyd only played 12 games before she was injured). This D pair would be a rugged, unpleasant duo for opposing forwards to face and should be able to shut down power plays against as well.

Two camp invites will definitely be in the mix: defender Maeve Carey, a physical presence who was a captain at Boston University, and Cristina Caliere, the TOI leader in the entire NCAA who played on the blue line at Providence, will both be in the mix for roster spots.

In goal, there’s no doubt that Kayle Osborne can carry a huge workload, as she proved last season with the Sirens. Her steadiness is a perfect fit for a new team, and her ability to play the puck should help Hamilton gain an advantage on breakouts. Backing her up will either be rookie Emma-Sofie Nordstrom or (not yet confirmed) Sandra Abstreiter, who is expected to be in camp. Lucy Morgan is another invited netminder, so there will be some battles to see who moves up in the rotation.

Overall, this roster has the potential to challenge even the top teams, with a lot of options to create offense and a group that has built-in familiarity with each other and the coach. If Hamilton can avoid the chemistry woes that showed up in Seattle and Vancouver last season, they should be right in the mix at the top of the standings.

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