Women's hockey has not had a proper spotlight for years outside of international competition. That's about to change, and it could turn these overlooked gems into stars.

For the last several years, there were PHF fans, PWHPA fans, and national team fans. From time to time, those groups overlapped, but not always. There were also many players in the NCAA and Europe who were largely invisible outside their regions. Media, in general, only gave regular coverage to the small group of players on Canada and USA's national teams. Those ingredients together mean there are dozens of players in the PWHL this year who will be stepping into the spotlight for the first time, and could become breakout stars in the league. Here's a look at some of the top candidates to take North American fans by storm this year.

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