The 2025 PWHL Draft will be held in Ottawa on June 24. There are currently 35 U Sports women's hockey programs across Canada, and the league has shown itself capable of producing PWHL talent.
The list of current U Sports alumni in the PWHL includes Jade Downie-Landry, Emmy Fecteau, Alexandra Labelle, Catherine Dubois, Rylind MacKinnon, Kaitlin Willoughby, and Kelly-Ann Nadeau. Three of those players - MacKinnon, Fecteau, Nadeau - were all in U Sports last sesaon.
Entering the 2025 PWHL Draft, the current roster of U Sports alumni in the PWHL will look to grow.
Several top former U Sports athletes who have been competing in Europe declared this season for the 2025 Draft. That group includes Elizabeth Lang, Joelle Fiala, Maggy Burbidge, Lauren Dabrowski, Erica Fryer, and Alice Philbert.
Bishop's University won their first ever U Sports national title this year and have a strong crop of players on their way to the league, including veteran Maude Pepin who declared this year.
There's a larger contingent of players coming from U Sports hockey directly who declared for the draft this year. In total, 26 U Sports players declared for the draft. Here's a look at the top five.
- Leah Herrfort, Waterloo - Former NCAA player who has represented Canada multiple times at the Universaide. All the upside is there for Herrfort.
- Chanreet Bassi, British Columbia - Her motor rarely stops. Bassi has been one of the nation's top scorers. She's gone four seasons as a point-per-game player or better. Might get a look from PWHL Vancouver.
- Mackenzie Kordic, British Columbia - She's big, she's mean, and she can finish. As a depth player on a PWHL team, her physicality could be a boost.
- Madison Laberge, Nipissing - The best defender available in the draft from U Sports, Laberge has been a consistent two-way contributor. Was a First Team All-Canadian.
- Leonie Philbert, Concordia - On the small side, but thinks the game well and distributes the puck well. A 2025 First Team All-Canadian.
Other U Sports Players To Declare For The 2025 PWHL Draft
- Kaitlyn Ross, Mount Royal
- Malory Dominico, Nipissing
- Maude Pepin, Bishop’s
- Kasundra Betinol, British Columbia
- Scout Watkins-Southward, Toronto
- Kara den Hoed, Nipissing
- Maggie Peterson, Windsor
- Anna MacCara, St. Francis Xavier
- Makenzie McCallum, British Columbia
- Angelique Page, Bishop’s,
- Kamdyn Switzer, St. Francis Xavier
- Camille Enns, Manitoba
- Camryn Gillis, Manitoba
- Kennesha Miswaggon, British Columbia
- Ava Ricker-Singh, York,
- Ilena Ricker-Singh, Windsor,
- Emily Baxter, Toronto Metropolitan
- Madison Desmarais, Nipissing
- Maggi DeWolf-Russ, Windsor
- Emily Eikelboom, Windsor
- Payton Kerr, Toronto Metropolitan