Ann-Frederique Guay discusses her path from NCAA DIII hockey, to starring in NCAA DI hockey with Maine, and then signing a pro contract in Sweden, all in under a year. A mere decade ago, Sweden’s SDHL (then called Riksserien) was comprised almost entirely of Swedish players. 87% of league’s players were Swedish; close neighbour Norway was the second-most represented country with 5 players, while Latvia boasted 3. The traditional women’s hockey powers of Canada, the US and Finland had only two players each. When the puck drops on opening night, September 13, the SDHL’s demographics will look starkly different. Only 62% of the players lacing up their skates in 2024-25 will be Swedish. Canadians will make up nearly 10% of the league (21 players), followed by Finns (8%) and Czechs (6%). A handful of other countries will be represented, including Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, Slovakia, and Hungary. For many of these players, earning a contract in the PWHL might be the ultimate goal, but the reality is that the league currently boasts only six teams, with 23 active roster spots each. Dozens of very good players find themselves on the outside looking in, and for many of these women, Sweden has become the next best option to continue their hockey careers. The result is a league teeming with both local and international talent. This season promises to be a great one for fans of the women’s game. SOME NAMES TO WATCH IN THE SDHL THIS SEASON: BRYNAS The addition of Norwegian national team netminder and Mercyhurst University standout Ena Nystrøm will certainly help the team after the departure of last year’s starter, Klara Peslarova. Joining Nystrøm in Brynas will be longtime Danish national team star defender Josefine Jakobsen as well as young Czech blueliner Sara Cajanova. American Kaitlyn O’Donohoe will take her first strides in the Swedish league after five years at Colgate University. A pleasant surprise for fans will be the return of recent PWHL New York draft pick and bona fide star Maja Nylen Persson [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/new-yorks-maja-nylen-persson-to-start-the-season-in-sweden]. Nylen Persson captained the team last season, and scored more than a point per game as a defenceman. She is on loan from New York and may be recalled later this calendar year, but Brynas will certainly be happy to have her back for however long she is able to stay. DJURGÅRDENS The team will boast four young Czech forwards this season, including 2006-born Tereza Plosova who scored nine points in six IIHF U-18 World Championship games to help Czechia to a historic silver medal. Former University of Wisconsin captain and Nova Scotia native Brette Pettet returns for her third season with DIF after also captaining the team last season, while fellow Badger Maddie Posick also returns to patrol the blue line. Diminutive Swedish Olympian Ida Boman is back between the pipes after registering an excellent .930 save percentage in 34 appearances for the club last season. Young centre Isabelle Leijohielm will add some offence, after an impressive showing for Sweden at the most recent IIHF U-18 World Championships, where she tallied seven points in five games. FROLUNDA Frolunda will once again boast Canadian Stephanie Neatby in goal. Two years ago, Neatby backstopped the team to its historic promotion to the SDHL, and was one of the league’s top goalies last season, posting a sterling .932 save percentage. Also returning are Frolunda’s veteran international stars, Norwegian Andrea Dalen and Finland's Michelle Karvinen. The pair were once teammates at the University of North Dakota where they honed their skills under the watchful eye of legendary Swedish coach Peter Elander. Their experience will certainly help in the development of Frolunda’s next generation. Swede Alva Johnsson will mark her first games in the SDHL since the 2020-21 COVID season. She most recently played at Penn State University after a four-year stint at Long Island University. After an injury-shortened 2023-24 season, fans should be excited about the return of star Swedish forward Hanna Olsson, who tallied an almost unimaginable 106 points in 29 games to help Frolunda win promotion to the SDHL in 2022-23. A healthy Olsson immediately makes Frolunda a championship contender. HV71 Sharing goaltending duties with Sweden’s capable Lina van Noort will be Czech keeper Viktorie Svejdova, who, despite her young age, brings a wealth of experience. Svejdova has played in Sweden since 2017-18, and has represented Czechia at both the U-18 and Senior World Championships, as well as at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Finnish centre Emmi Rakkolainen will look to improve her scoring this season, after notching six points in 29 games last year. Dublin, Ireland-born sisters Aoife Leacy and Eimear Leacy will return for their second seasons with the club. Swedish national team defender Jessica Adolfsson has joined the team via Linkoping, and will bring a wealth of experience, size, and strength to a relatively young team. LEKSANDS IF Canadian winger Lillian George will make her Swedish debut after a standout career at the University of New Brunswick. After scoring 36 points in 28 games last season, George has the potential to be a difference-maker. Norwegian Emilie Kruse Johansen may be ready for a breakout sophomore season with the club after a strong showing at the IIHF Women’s World Championships Division 1A, where Norway earned promotion. Matilda af Bjur is a veteran Swedish forward who, despite being only 25 years old, already has eight SDHL/Riksserien seasons under her belt, as well as three years of NCAA hockey at Long Island University. LINKOPING A three-time Olympian with Team Japan, Ayaka Hitosato returns for her third season in Linkoping. Both her point total and plus/minus improved last season, and the club is likely to rely on the Hokkaido native to play big minutes. Another intriguing defender to watch will be Lindsay Agnew, former captain of Canada’s U-18 squad. Agnew has seemingly lived her career out of a suitcase, playing her college hockey for the University of Minnesota and later Boston College, then spending her first pro season in China with KRS Vanke Rays before moving to Sweden, where she has laced up her skates for four different clubs. She has drawn comparisons to the NHL’s Mike Sillinger, a valued asset who famously played for 12 teams during his 18-year career. Fellow Canadian Ann-Frederique Guay comes to Linkoping [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/international/ann-frederique-guay-exceeds-expectations-again-and-again] after a spectacular NCAA D3 career at Norwich University, and a graduate season at D1 University of Maine that saw her tally 19 goals and 28 points in 34 games. Ebba Svensson Traff returns between the pipes after posting a stellar .938 save percentage and 2.03 GAA in 23 appearances last season. The promising Lova Blom will look to build on her career-best numbers (23 points in 31 games) from last season. Look for her to take on a larger role with Team Sweden as she continues to mature. LULEÅ The perennial champs will once again feature stalwart Finnish national team veterans Jenni Hiirikoski, Petra Nieminen and Viivi Vainikka as well as newcomers Akane Shiga (PWHL Ottawa) of Japan, and Nadia Mattivi (Boston University) of Italy. Swede Emma Nordin will begin her tenth season with the club, after notching an impressive 43 points in 35 games last year. Fellow long-time Luleå star, and international legend, Jenni Hiirikoski will once again anchor the blue line, bringing grit, experience, and deceptiveness to an already strong backend. Canadian and University of Manitoba grad Erica Reider has arrived after three strong seasons with MoDo, bringing with her fellow Canadian Jaycee Magwood. Newcomer Reece Hunt has joined after a strong graduate year performance at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where the forward notched 34 points in 39 games. MODO The club that brought the world Peter Forsberg and Markus Naslund has another rising star in the form of Czech forward Adela Sapovalivova. At only 18 years old, the young forward boasts an impressive resume including an IIHF U-18 World silver medal, two senior World bronze medals, and countless individual accolades. She was named the SDHL Rookie of the Year last season, and will be looking to build on that success. MoDo has also secured the services of former Clarkson University captain Brooke McQuigge, as well as two-time Olympian goalkeeper Andrea Brandli of Switzerland. McQuigge will start the season in Sweden, but could end up in the PWHL with Minnesota when their training camp opens after the team selected her 21st overall in the 2024 Draft. Swedish Olympian and former Metropolitan Riveters defender Ebba Berglund will bring her strength and experience to a strong MoDo defensive group that also includes former Yale University standout Emma Seitz. SDE Boasting possibly the most diverse roster in the league, SDE will begin the season with players from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Hungary, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States (Finland too, if you count dual-citizen Hilde Pakarinen). Norwegians Mattea Fischer and Emma Bergesen were key in Norway earning promotion to the top division in April [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/international/norway-to-in-top-world-championship-division-for-first-time-since-1997#:%7e:text=But%20after%20beating%20South%20Korea,Championships%20next%20year%20in%20Czechia.], and will bring a wealth of experience to the squad. Liliane Perreault joins from Frolunda, where she played last season after a five year college career at Mercyhurst University. She ended the season as a reserve with PWHL Montreal. Hungary’s national team captain, defender Lotti Odnoga, will look to build on the success of her rookie SDHL season. Odnoga came to Sweden after eight seasons in the US, where she played prep school hockey at Vermont Academy before moving on to college hockey at both Dartmouth and St.Thomas. SKELLEFTEÅ AIK The SDHL newcomers, having won promotion from the second-tier NDHL in April, begin their season with a tantalizing mix of hardened veterans and promising youngsters. Finns Aino Karppinen and Sini Karjalainen join from Leksands and Brynas respectively. Both have World Championship experience with Finland, and Karjalainen also had five successful seasons at the University of Vermont, where she captained the team in her final year. The team also added a pair of Canadians from the University of Saskatchewan, namely goalie Camryn Drever and defender Isabella Pozzi. Highly respected Danish forward Nicoline Sondergaard Jensen will hope to continue scoring for Skellefteå, where she notched 10 points in seven games as the team attempted to win promotion last season. Pernilla Forsgren joined the team in 2023-24 after many fruitful years in Luleå. She is an experienced player who knows what it takes to win in the SDHL. Her experience may prove invaluable as Skellefteå fights to remain in the top league.
