Who will become the first player from the PHF era inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame? It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when and who.
When Caroline Ouellette enters the Hockey Hall of Fame, she'll join Angela Ruggiero as the second ever member of the Minnesota Whitecaps in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Both played for the team in the early 2000s when the Whitecaps were a member of the Western Women's Hockey League.
Eventually, several members of the former National Women's Hockey League will also join the Hall of Fame. Players like Hilary Knight, Brianna Decker, Meghan Duggan, and Megan Bozek, Amanda Kessel, and Shannon Szabados could all someday see themselves inducted or nominated.
Prior to last season however, the NWHL re-branded to the PHF, and with that shift, brought in a new level of professionalism and new leadership. Eventually, someone from the new PHF will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. It's not an if, it's a when.
Here's a look at the leading candidates to someday join the Hockey Hall of Fame as representatives of the PHF.
The Founders
Two players stand out for having played in the PHF and NWHL since the league was founded. Jillian Dempsey and Madison Packer have played in the PHF since day one, and currently sit one-two in all-time scoring. They were the first two women to crack the 100 point mark in the league. Dempsey won U-18 World Championship gold with Team USA before captaining Harvard, where she was a Patty Kazmaier finalist. Dempsey also represented USA's senior national team winning World Championship silver in 2012. Following her NCAA career, Dempsey was named the CWHL's Rookie of the Year with the Boston Blades and won a Clarkson Cup with the team before moving to the Boston Pride of the NWHL/PHF. With the Pride, Dempsey has twice been named league MVP, and is a two-time Denna Laing Award winner, as well as multiple times a PHF all-star. Packer is a two-time U-18 World Championship gold medalist, an NCAA champion with Wisconsin, Isobel Cup champion, and six-time PHF all-star. The Metropolitan Riveters captain's impact extends well outside of the Riveters room as she's become the face of the PHF, and one of the most influential voices in women's hockey. Their impact on women's hockey is undeniable.
The Youth
With the influx of talent to the PHF over the last two seasons, the youth movement will inevitably end in a future Hall of Famer. There are the Patty Kazmaier winners - Loren Gabel, Elizabeth Giguere, and Daryl Watts. Gabel added PHF most valuable player to her resume this year, leading the league in scoring. She has plenty of career remaining to add to the accolades.
The most likely candidate however, as her body of work is already enough to put her into the "likely" category is Alina Müller. A five-time Patty Kazmaier Award nominee, Müller has already represented Switzerland at seven World Championships and two Olympic Games. Three times named the Best Forward at the U-18 World Championships, Müller followed that up being named the Best Forward, leading scorer, and all-star at the 2018 Olympics. She won Olympic bronze with Switzerland in 2014. To add to all of this, Müller is the two-time Swiss Player of the Year, and the 25-year-old has yet to play a shift of professional hockey, where she has the chance to continue to add to her accolades. She'll play for the Boston Pride this season.
Another future player to watch is Emma Soderberg, who cracked the World Championship all-star team this year backstopping Switzerland. She'll play for the Connecticut Whale this season.
The Lock
There is no debating Noora Räty's spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame. When Räty hangs up her skates, she's a first ballot lock. Five times named the best goaltender at the World Championships, an Olympic all-star, with two Olympic bronze medals and five World Championships medals, including a silver, Räty has been a force everywhere she's played. At the NCAA level with Minnesota, Räty won multiple NCAA titles and left the game as the all-time leader in shutouts at the time of her graduation. Add to her resume top netminder awards in the Naisten Liiga and CWHL, and you get a picture of her greatness. Naisten Liiga's Rookie of the Year Award name is already named for Räty.
The Rest
It's impossible to predict the future, so there is a chance for other players to continue their path and claim more awards and accolades. Susanna Tapani's international track record is impressive, and she has plenty of runway left to make a lasting impact in the PHF. The same goes for Olympic and World gold medalist Kali Flanagan who claimed the PHF's Defender of the Year honor last season in her first full campaign in the league. At some point, one of the driving forces behind the PHF will also enter as a builder. Right now, the most obvious person that fits that is commissioner Reagan Carey. If she can continue to drive the league forward, her impact in the PHF, along with what she accomplished with USA Hockey, could someday see her included in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder.