Swedish Stop Of Euro Hockey Tour Will Be Final Tuneup For Many
More than a dozen PWHL players will make their final appearance in Europe this week before heading to North America at the Lidl Hockey Games, part of the Women's Euro Hockey Tour.
Sweden will host the November stop on the Women's Euro Hockey Tour, the Lidl Hockey Games, in Södertälje from November 6-9. The event will serve as a midseason break for those playing in Europe, but will be a final tuneup for many European players heading to the PWHL, with PWHL camps set to open November 12.
For Team Sweden, four members of their roster, Maja Nylén-Persson (New York Sirens), Lina Ljungblom (Montreal Victoire), Anna Kjellbin (Montreal Victoire), and Emma Söderberg (Boston Fleet) will all be lining up for Sweden. Despite the NCAA season being in full swing, Sweden will also have Josefin Bouveng (Minnesota), Ida Karlsson (Minnesota-Duluth), and Thea Johansson (Mercyhurst) in the lineup.
Following her stellar start in the SDHL this season, it would not be surprising to see Sweden give Ebba Svensson Träff a start in net at the event. Rounding out their blueline for the event will be Linnéa Andersson, Emma Forsgren, Paula Bergström, and Jenna Raunio. Mira Jungaker is a key member of their blueline who will not be in the lineup. She severed a ligament in her ankle in her first game with Ohio State this season, which required surgery. Jungaker is not expected to return for roughly three months meaning she'll also miss the December Women's Euro Hockey Tour event that will for the first time feature Development Team rosters from Canada and the USA.
Up front veterans Hanna Olsson and Hanna Thuvik will play a major role, but are surrounded by a plethora of young talent and emerging players. That group includes Hilda Svensson, Wilma Sundin, Sofie Lundin, Ebba Hedqvist, Felizia Wikner-Zienkiewicz, Mira Hallin, Isabelle Leijonhielm, and Elin Svensson.
Looking at the Swiss Roster, the team will again play without their lone PWHL star in Alina Muller. There should be some built in chemistry to their forward group however as five members of their offense - Lara Stalder, Ivana Wey, Noemi Ryhner, Lena Marie Lutz, and Rahel Enzler - are all playing for EV Zug in the PostFinance Women's League this season. Three others - Sinja Leemann, Alina Marti, and Lisa Ruedi - are playing for the the ZSC Lions. Rounding out their forward group are Cassandra Rensch, Leoni Balzer, Emma Ingold, and Kaleigh Quennec.
Andrea Brändli will be the starting netminder, supported by Talina Benderer and Alexandra Lehmann. The blueline has a strong HC Davos contingent in Alessia Baechler, Stefanie Wetli, Lucie Tenenbaum, and Janine Hauser. The remaining defenders are Zug's Annic Büchi, and Alena Lynn Rossel, Lara Christen, and Alizée Aymon from SC Bern.
The Swiss roster has several new faces compared to their first Women's Euro Hockey Tour lineup, which is part of their progress this season toward building a more competitive roster.
"The first WEHT tournament in August in Kloten was an important benchmark for us," said Swiss head coach Colin Muller. "We were able to gain important insights in our development process from the direct duels with Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic. We need to use these experiences to make progress in the next matches against these strong nations in order to continuously increase the level of Swiss women's ice hockey."
Finland will hit the ice with strength from PWHL players Ronja Savolainen (Ottawa Charge), Noora Tulus (New York Sirens), and Susanna Tapani (Boston Fleet). Up front Finland looks dangerous with veterans Michelle Karvinen, Viivi Vainikka, and Elisa Holopainen in the lineup. Jenniina Nylund has been coming on hot recently as well, and Emilia Vesa, Julia Liikala, and Sanni Vanhanen are all reliable secondary threats. The real growth for Finland however, could come from their young forwards with Emma Ekoluoma, Anna-Kaisa Antti-Roiko, Lisette Täks, and Pauliina Salonen all in the lineup. Each could take a significant step forward this year. Behind their strong forward group however, there are question marks. Both of Finland's top netminders will remain in the NCAA, leaving the crease to Anni Keisala, who is in desperate need of a bounce back campaign internationally, and newcomer Salla Sivula. The blueline will also need to fight to get up to speed without Jenni Hiirikoski, Nelli Laitinen, Krista Parkonnen, Siiri Yrjola, and Eve Savander who were all part of Finland's 2024 World Championship roster. Instead Finland will test run a new group of defenders including Oona Koukkula and Aino Karppinen who are playing in Sweden, along with Ada Eronen, Tuuli Tallinen, and Elli Suoranta. Tallinen is a young player to watch.
Czechia will have their full force of PWHL players together one final time before the season begins, including Klara Peslarova who will look to earn a spot with the Boston Fleet. With expansion coming, Peslarova could be a netminder tabbed to takeover as a starter in the league next season. She'll be backed up by Viktorie Švejdová and Barbora Dalecká. On the blueline, the PWHL pairing of Aneta Tejralová and Daniela Pejšová will cornerstone their defence, followed by Tereza Radová and Sára Čajanová. The biggest absence from their blueline is Andrea Trnkova who remains in the NCAA for this stop on the Women's Euro Hockey Tour. Rounding out Czechia's blueline are Karolína Kosinová, Anna Vaníčková, and Klára Seroiszková. Up front, Czechia's group includes Denisa Křížová and Klára Hymlárová from the Minnesota Frost, Tereza Vanišová and Kateřina Mrázová of the Ottawa Charge, and Toronto Sceptres draft pick Noemi Neubauerová. Michaela Pejzlova will be another key contributor up front as she continues to star in Europe with Switzerland's Ambrì-Piotta. The other key offensive threat in Czechia's lineup is teenager Adéla Šapovalivová. Rounding out their forward group are Hana Haasová, Tereza Pišteková, Tereza Plosová, Vendula Přibylová Lucie Gruntová, and Barbora Juříčková.