Underrated: Here's a look at three PWHL players who quietly made a big impact

Some of the most impactful players in the PWHL this season weren't well known by the average fan when the campaign began. That's all changed.

Coming into this season, the average hockey fan may not have had opportunities to watch the majority of PWHL players prior to this year. If they did, it was a one off game, or perhaps on a poor streaming platform. It opened the door for many players to jump into the PWHL and take the league by storm. For some, it was Ottawa's Katerina Mrazova, or even getting to see Toronto's Emma Maltais take on a new role and play a full season. Other times, it was a much quieter contribution; one that didn't make headlines, but also added value.

Here's a look at some of the most underrated performers from the PWHL's inaugural season.

Kaleigh Fratkin, Boston - Talk about the biggest draft day bumbling of 2023. Fratkin, as many knew she would be, was a rock on Boston's blueline all season, and a key piece of their run to the PWHL finals. The smooth skating blueliner averaged nearly 18 minutes per game, but her biggest impact was in those hard fought games as Fratkin finished second in the PWHL in hits with 44, one of only four players in the league (Renata Fast, Megan Keller, Blayre Turnbull, Fratkin) to top 40. She was too good to be passed over, and it showed.

Kati Tabin, Montreal - After leading the PHF in scoring by a defender last season, Tabin continued to be a top blueliner in the PWHL. She ended up on Montreal's top pairing and played ridiculous minutes alongside Erin Ambrose in the playoffs. Tabin topped all PWHL players with 26 blocked shots this season, and played over 22 minutes per game, which went up exponentially to more than 36 in playoffs. She was also among the league's top players in +/- this season.

Hannah Miller, Toronto - Toronto's big three of Emma Maltais, Natalie Spooner, and Sarah Nurse took the headlines, but it would be hard to discuss the success of Toronto's regular season without including Hannah Miller in the conversation. She finished 19th in league scoring and and 13th in points/60 minutes. Miller did it all playing behind Toronto's household name stars getting less top unit chances on the powerplay, but driving play nonetheless. She was big, physical, and a reliable two-way presence. Miller turned out to be a steal for Toronto.

The list could go on. Blueliners who made a name for themselves in the PWHL this season include Mariah Keopple, Amanda Boulier, Brooke Hobson, Maggie Flaherty, Natalie Buchbinder, and others. In net, it's hard to argue with how effective Elaine Chuli was this season, outperforming Ann-Renee Desbiens through most of the season despite playing limited games. Up front players like Michaela Cava, Maureen Murphy, Rebecca Leslie, and Jade Downie-Landry all claimed important roles this year. When the playoffs rolled around players like Amanda Pelkey stepped into the spotlight as well.

Perhaps the biggest misgiving heading into this season was a false pretence that the PWHPA was where all of North America's best players competed. While it was unquestionably where the bulk of North America's top players were, the depth and many of the key contributors in the PWHL this season who became difference makers came from other leagues including the PHF, NCAA, and Europe. Next season when even more players from across the globe join the PWHL, expect another wave of players to go from unknowns to fan favorites in no time at all.