Since Russia was barred from international competition due to the nation's hostile and unprovoked attacks against Ukraine, the calibre of play in the country's top women's league, the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) has steadily declined. Similarly, some of the world's top leagues, including Sweden's SDHL have banned Russian players, further degrading the level of play from Russian women. It's why there were question marks when the Ottawa Charge selected Anna Shokhina and Fanuza Kadirova in the 2025 PWHL Draft. Both were former Russian national team players looking to become the first Russian born players to compete in the PWHL. The Charge also signed Vita Ponaitovskaia as a reserve after she finished her career at Yale. Previously, the Boston Fleet had selected forward Ilona Markova from the ZhHL, but Markova failed to make the Fleet out of training camp and was released. While Shokhina has struggled, and was subsequently traded by the Charge to the Vancouver Goldeneyes, Kadirova's style has proven a match for the PWHL [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/fanuza-kadirova-continues-to-find-her-way-in-north-america] giving new life to the belief there is a talent pool to be mined in Russia for the PWHL. Through 16 games this season, Kadirova sits tied for 9th in the PWHL with six goals, and 31st in the PWHL with eight points. Kadirova's ceiling may continue to rise as she's taken time, like all rookies in the PWHL, to adjust to the vastly greater speed, skill, and physicality of the league. In her last four games, Kadirova has scored four goals. Fanuza Kadirova highlights With the 2026 PWHL Draft declaration period now open [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/pwhl-draft-declaration-now-open-here-s-a-look-at-the-players-who-are-and-are-not-declaring], more Russian players may soon be eyeing a shift to the PWHL, and more PWHL teams may be willing to take that gamble in the draft given Kadirova's success. In 2026, it's believed the league will see the first Russian defenders declare for the draft in veteran national team members Maria Batalova and Anna Shibanova, who both play for Agidel Ufa, the same team that produced both Kadirova and Shokhina. Batalova, 29, led the ZzHL in scoring by a defender this season with 12 goals and 36 points in 36 games. The reigning ZhHL Defender of the Year represented Russia at the 2022 Olympics, the last time the nation was eligible to compete internationally. The 31-year-old Shibanova has won two World Championship bronze medals for Russia and is a former captain of Russia's national team, having also represented Russia at two Olympic Games. Beyond this duo, it's unknown if any other Russians will throw their names into the hat at the 2026 PWHL Draft. Veterans including Landysh Falyakhova, Valeria Tarakanova, Oxana Bratishcheva, and Nina Pirogova could all attempt the move. As could internationally experienced youth like Yelizaveta Shkalyova, Darya Gredzen, Veronika Korzhakova, and Polina Luchnikova. There's also a rising group of young players from Russia who have yet to face international competition since Russia's ban, who could declare this season or in the coming years looking to establish themselves in North America such as Alexandra Nesterova, Yelizaveta Shkalyova, Oxana Mitrofanova, Yulia Nuyaksheva and Anna Sviridova, and teens Sofya Krivosheyeva, Viktoria Burdukova, and Afina Patmanidis. Whether more Russians come to the PWHL is yet to be seen, but the door is certainly open thanks to the performance this season of Ottawa's Fanuza Kadirova.
