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.
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.
Photo @ PWHL - Under The Radar: Meet The Players The PWHL Could Turn Into StarsFor 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.
- Brooke Hobson, D, New York - New York's blueline got a lot of hype as they brought together Ella Shelton, Micah Zandee-Hart, and Jaimie Bourbonnais, but the missing link here is Brooke Hobson. Unless you were a fan of Northeastern University, where Hobson captained the Huskies in her final two seasons, she might be an unknown. Hobson was a finalist for the SDHL's Defender of the Year last season as a rookie with MoDo, and she won silver with Canada's U-18 team in 2017. This season, she'll open eyes across the league. Focus might start on New York's national team blueliners, but as fans get a chance to see the mobile, competitive, puck moving Hobson, she'll take her space in that conversation.
- All of Czechia's players - Five members of the bronze medal Team Czechia enter the PWHL this year, and it's likely that number grows next year. Aneta Tejralova and Dominika Laskova deserve discussion among the top blueliners in the world, and Katerina Mrazova, Tereza Vanisova, and Denisa Krizova will open eyes with not only their offensive abilities, but their tenacious and responsible play off the puck. It's long been a fallacy that Canada and the USA house 'all the best' players in the world. They house the best depth of elite players, but the international talent is strong. If Finland sent their top players to the PWHL, it would be an eye opener.
- Kaleigh Fratkin, D, Boston - She's tough, reliable, can contribute offensively, and is smooth skating. If those sound like attributes you wish all defenders had, you're correct, and Fratkin combines them effectively. Fratkin was certainly the most glaring omission on the blueline from the PWHL Draft, a truly baffling oversight by teams considering she could fit into the top four of any team in the league. Boston got a steal in Fratkin, and when opposing coaches and GMs realize that truth, they'll be kicking themselves for a missed opportunity.
- Kali Flanagan, D, Toronto - Renata Fast and Jocelyne Larocque will take the early headlines on Toronto's blueline, but make no mistake, Kali Flanagan is a smooth skating defender with oodles of offensive capabilities. Her absence from USA Hockey's camps speaks to the lack of scouting and objective evaluation that program has used in recent years. It will be impossible to ignore her as she's certain to grab the attention of Toronto fans immediately.
- Overlooked national team players - There are players who have had cups of coffee on national teams (including Flanagan), who will jump out in different ways. With USA or Canada, there are also players who were asked to play bottom six checking roles, that in the PWHL will take center stage. It's a list that includes players like Jessie Eldridge, Emily Clark, Ashton Bell, Jincy Roese, Hayley Scamurra, and Shiann Darkangelo. These players will each make a far more noticeable impact in the PWHL, which could elevate their national team position, or get them back onto the radar for their national program.