Leslie’s breakout campaign with the Ottawa Charge was incredibly impressive. After managing just one goal and three points in the 2024-25 regular season, Leslie racked up 14 goals to finish tied for second in the PWHL. Her 23 points were tied for fifth in the league.

Essentially, Leslie went from a fourth liner to a lethal first-line threat in one offseason at 29 years old.

How did this breakout happen? What about Leslie’s game made her effective? Is she a one-season wonder or is this repeatable?

Let’s dive into the circumstances that led to Leslie’s breakout, what she excels at, some potential deficiencies, and what this means for both Leslie and Ottawa going forward.

Skip the “Background” section to “Opportunity” if you want to get straight into the breakdown of Leslie’s season.

Background

Before getting into Leslie’s 2025-26 campaign, I think it’s important to remind ourselves of Leslie’s career leading up to her PWHL breakout.

Leslie featured for Canada at the Under-18s in 2014 and was a prolific scorer with the Ottawa Lady Senators in junior. She attended Boston University from 2014-18 and was an elite NCAA scorer with 171 points in 139 games over four seasons.

After completing her collegiate career, Leslie was drafted 10th overall by the CWHL’s Calgary Inferno and joined the team for the 2018-19 campaign. Leslie was excellent, totaling 26 points in 27 games. She was a finalist for Rookie of the Year as the Inferno won the Clarkson Cup.

In February 2019, midway through that CWHL rookie season, Leslie made her senior national team debut in the Rivalry Series against the United States. She played in all three games on a line with Jill Saulnier and - interestingly enough for her 2025-26 breakout - Brianne Jenner.

All signs pointed towards Leslie - then 22 years old - becoming a regular in the national team picture in the following years, if not a roster mainstay.

Of course, we know that’s not how it played out. Leslie hasn’t played for the senior team since. No Worlds, Olympics, or even additional Rivalry Series games.

In my opinion, the CWHL’s collapse months after Leslie’s Team Canada debut is a significant reason why she didn’t progress onto the national team. She was in a position to develop on a stacked Inferno team and was poised to draw into a major tournament before long. Without the CWHL, she stagnated on the outside looking in with no real opportunity to meaningfully develop.

Leslie was at Team Canada extended roster camps in 2019, 2022, and 2023, and hasn’t been in the fold since amid mediocre PWHL results.

Well, mediocre results until now.

The point of this background section is to show that the season Leslie just had was at one point the level she was expected to eventually reach, rather than the surprise it ultimately was.

If the PWHL began immediately after the CWHL’s final season, I think Leslie’s career would look much different. Multiple young players from that 2019 Rivalry Series roster on which Leslie debuted are no longer playing: Victoria Bach, Brittany Howard, Katelyn Gosling, and Halli Krzyzaniak.

I’m glad Leslie stuck with it and fulfilled her potential, as she could’ve easily been among that group whose playing careers ended before their 30th birthday.

Leslie was drafted in the 12th round of the inaugural PWHL draft by Toronto in 2023. She was coming off a pretty lackluster season in the PWHPA with zero goals and three assists in 20 games.

I spoke to her at Toronto’s first training camp, and she noted the “pretty weird” couple of years in the PWHPA and how she “thrives under a team system.”

It’s fair to say that last part has been proven true.

Opportunity

The simplest way to explain Leslie’s breakout is the opportunity she was afforded.

In 2024 with PWHL Toronto, Leslie played 10:46 per game. In 2024-25 with the Ottawa Charge, she averaged 10:44.

Last season, that jumped to 18:51. That’s a huge difference. Those are prime offensive minutes and power-play shifts that Leslie just wasn’t getting on a regular basis in the previous two seasons.

There’s also the linemate aspect. Not only was Leslie playing significantly more each game, but she was doing so alongside better scorers.

In 2024, her most common linemates - based on my lineup tracking - were Alexa Vasko and Brittany Howard. In 2024-25, it was Anna Meixner and Natalie Snodgrass.

Last season, it was Brianne Jenner and Sarah Wozniewicz. It’s not just the quality of linemates either; it’s the chemistry Leslie developed with them.

The trio of Leslie, Wozniewicz, and Jenner played 25 games together across the regular season and playoffs, which made them the most common line in the PWHL. Last season, Leslie played on four different lines, and only one game was without Jenner as her center. In 2024-25, she bounced between 12 different trios, and in 2024, it was 11.

Leslie had a significantly increased role and linemate consistency. That’s a major reason for her breakout, but solely attributing her breakout to this would be a mistake.

Head coach Carla MacLeod put Leslie with Jenner and on the top power-play unit for a reason. Leslie put a ton of work into improving her shot and speed in the offseason. She showed it in training camp and was afforded the opportunity because of her development.

Here are all of Leslie’s points from last season.

And here are all of Leslie’s points from the 2024-25 and 2024 seasons in reverse chronological order. Notice how much more consistently dangerous Leslie looks in the first video.

“(Leslie’s) always looking for ways to get better. I saw that training with her this summer,” Jenner said in May, according to CBC Sports’ Karissa Donkin. “The way that she came into the season, the way that she was skating, the accuracy with her shot - so many pieces to her game were just so dialed in, I think, from the start of the season.”

Finishing ability

Three full games from Leslie’s season were reviewed for this deep dive, with one chosen randomly from the first half, second half, and playoffs. Those games were Dec. 27 versus the Boston Fleet, March 14 versus the Vancouver Goldeneyes, and Game 1 versus the Montreal Victoire. All of her points over the entire season and playoffs were also cut and reviewed.

Leslie worked on her shot last offseason and did it ever pay off. She showed an impressive ability to challenge goaltenders with her shot and beat them clean. Her jump from one goal to 14 wasn’t due to lucky bounces. A significant amount of her goals came by way of an accurate, powerful, improved wrist shot.

Leslie used her shot significantly more and was rewarded for it. Her shot rate jumped to 10.5 shots on goal per 60, an increase of over four from the year prior. In raw totals, she had 30 shots on goal in 2024-25 and 99 in 2025-26.

The threat of her shot has to be respected by goaltenders now, which creates other opportunities. On both of Leslie’s goals in Game 1 against Montreal, she had a two-on-one rush, delayed, cut in front, and scored amid the chaos that created.

The other key way Leslie generated strong looks last season was with quality weak-side support (the side of the ice opposite the puck) and a willingness to go to tough areas.

Getting premium looks and beating goaltenders clean is the hardest way to score goals. A moving goaltender, a potentially empty cage, and a tap-in? Now that’s a way to be an efficient scorer.

Obviously, Leslie’s shooting percentage jumped notably, in addition to her shot rate. The 3.3% she converted at in 2024-25 and her career mark of 4.5% entering last season were ridiculously low for the quality of shot she showcased last season. Her 14.1% shooting percentage in 2025-26 is on the higher side, but it’s not egregiously high to the point it’s impossible to replicate, especially if she continues to position herself for those Grade A backdoor looks.

It’s great to have a wicked shot, but it doesn’t mean much if you aren’t able to get into positions to use it. Leslie was able to get into those with her speed and supplemented it with smart support routes. She was able to add even more goals with quality weak-side support and a willingness to go to hard areas.

The “how” behind Leslie’s goal scoring makes me believe in her as a legit finisher.

Transition play

For as much of a rush threat as Leslie can be, she isn’t as consistently dangerous in transition as I’d like given her tools.

There were too many zone entries in the games I reviewed where Leslie was essentially flying solo, either taking a low-percentage shot from distance after gaining the blue line or attempting to drive to the net without looking for a pass.

I’d love to see circumstantial patience and better utilization of support on entries.

Take this entry as an example.

Leslie builds pace through the defensive zone and into the neutral zone, creating a two-on-three rush for Ottawa with help coming from the bench. Leslie doesn’t have elite puck skills, but her speed makes any change of direction much harder to defend in this situation. That’s exactly what occurs, as she perfectly times a fake wide and cuts to the middle to create separation just as the defending Marie-Philip Poulin swipes and begins to cross over to her left.

From there, it’s a two-on-two with support left from Brianne Jenner. Leslie has an opportunity to kick it out wide on the entry with a pass through the defending Nicole Gosling’s triangle (the gap between her skates and stick blade).

Instead, Leslie tries to attack Nadia Mattivi one-on-one. She gets stick-checked by the backchecking Poulin, Mattivi possibly gets a piece of the puck on a swipe, and it’s brushed wide. Leslie recovers the loose puck and flings an attempt toward goal that’s blocked, and the rush goes nowhere.

It’s an excellent rush up the ice by Leslie. There’s a brief opportunity to turn an impressive zone entry into an actually dangerous rush if she’s able to get the puck to Jenner and either works a give-and-go or pushes the D back to provide Jenner space to walk into a shot from the slot.

Ultimately, it results in nothing. Even after the failed move, a rim on the recovery to try to get the puck to Jenner on the left would be better than the fairly futile effort towards the net.

That’s not to say Leslie never distributes on entry. There were a couple of drop passes I quite liked, both resulting in high-quality chances for teammates.

The transition element that stood out most positively to me was Leslie’s defensive zone exits.

As a winger, Leslie supported well and used her blend of speed and compete to exit the defensive zone. She didn’t bat 1.000 - nobody does - but I thought it was a generally positive aspect of her transition game.

She did it in a multitude of ways: Carries, battles through contact, passes, a flip into space for a teammate. The examples here, for the most part, allowed Ottawa to exit the zone with possession.

The main thing I’d like to see from Leslie is for her to look for more give-and-goes or kick outs on entries. While Leslie shows flashes with her speed, it’s likely best for her to be paired with linemates who are better distributors in transition to play into Leslie’s strengths as a finisher and rush supporter.

That’s exactly what Brianne Jenner and Sarah Wozniewicz did last season, and it’s a characteristic to look for in Leslie’s next center, be it Gabbie Hughes, Katerina Mrazova, Jordan Ray, or an unexpected contender.

Awareness

Leslie is a very direct player. Positives from that are that she’ll drive to the net and doesn’t overpass from premium scoring positions. Negatives are that she can have a bit of tunnel vision (as shown above with her tendency to shoot on entries from low-danger areas) and can puck-watch at times defensively.

Take this Vancouver rush as an example.

Ottawa is positioned well defensively. Claire Thompson is breaking the puck out, but Ottawa has three players above the puck and some pressure coming from behind in Sarah Wozniewicz, albeit not immediate. Leslie’s path can make this routine defensively, or it can allow Vancouver to turn it into a dangerous rush. The strong side of the ice is well covered. The only real threat is Hannah Miller on the weak side. If Leslie picks her up, it’s unlikely this breakout results in anything notable for Vancouver.

Instead, Leslie drifts toward the puck carrier to apply pressure. It could be a fine situation if Leslie continues to cut off the passing lane, but she doesn’t, as Thompson pulls the puck back and connects with Miller, who has plenty of ice to work with on the left wing. If Leslie picked Miller up on the weak side, that pass is either unavailable or much harder for Thompson. Instead, Leslie is covering nothing notable (shown by the fancy red oval) as Izzy Daniel already has two defenders on her and Leslie isn’t preventing the weak-side pass.

Vancouver gets a three-on-two with Miller bypassing Leslie and a good rush chance.

I like Leslie’s direct play circumstantially, but would like to see more shoulder checks and general awareness in instances like this. She has a tendency to get drawn into the puck. Maintaining off-puck support is key, both offensively and defensively. I like what Leslie did offensively in terms of weak-side support, but found similar aspects to be lacking at times in other zones.

Compete

Leslie’s competitiveness is a trait often talked about by her coaches and teammates, and for good reason. You always want players who play with a bit of fire and Leslie brings that in her forechecking, net-front engagement, and defensive effort.

“What Rebecca has been able to accomplish in the first 16 games for us is nothing short of impressive,” Charge head coach Carla MacLeod said in January. “But what I love the most about her is just her fire. She’s a fiery player, she’s competitive. She’s getting that puck on her stick and she’s helping us create chances, if not scoring goals.”

Leslie wasn’t always F1, but when she was, she was quick on defenders and forced rushed decisions that resulted in bad passes and turnovers. She’s an effective forechecker, as you would expect with her speed and tenacity.

Leslie had a couple of very impressive moments harassing two elite defenders in Megan Keller in the first clip above and Haley Winn in the first clip below. She also aggressively closed down in five-on-six situations, directly forcing the turnover that led to three empty-net goals last season.

Those are situations where Leslie’s direct play is a significant positive. Hunt down a puck, harass a defender, force a rushed play. A singular objective. In settings like being F1 or even in those five-on-six situations, it’s pretty clear what Leslie needs to do, and she does it quite well.

There are times that that aggression burns her, of course. Take this example, where Leslie tries to close on Nicole Gosling quickly off the draw, but Gosling evades and creates a juicy rebound. Even still, Leslie does a good job to impede Gosling.

Repeatability of success

All of this - the look at her background to the look at her compete level - comes back to the question of just how repeatable her 2025-26 results are.

As noted when discussing her finishing ability, Leslie scored on 14.1% of her shots last season, up from her previous career mark of 4.5%.

18 players have scored at a 10% rate or above in consecutive seasons: Hannah Brandt, Alex Carpenter, Michela Cava, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Britta Curl-Salemme, Catherine Dubois, Jessie Eldridge, Taylor Fox, Gabbie Hughes, Brianne Jenner, Megan Keller, Mannon McMahon, Hannah Miller, Marie-Philip Poulin, Theresa Schafzahl, Ella Shelton, Susanna Tapani, and Daryl Watts.

Of that group, four have done it in all three seasons: Hughes, Jenner, Poulin, and Watts.

I think a slight dip to 8-10 goals is the most likely outcome. The losses of Brianne Jenner and Emily Clark likely mean Leslie becomes even more of a focal point offensively, which could balance out potential regression in efficiency with more volume. That being said, Leslie already ranked fourth in shots on goal last season, so I lean towards others rising with the opportunity.

An interesting aspect that I haven’t really touched on is Leslie’s efficient results in the 2024 campaign with Toronto. Leslie mainly played a fourth-line role with some forays up the lineup, yet managed the same amount of points (nine) as teammate Blayre Turnbull. In fact, her per-minute percentile ranks across most stats except for her assist rate are fairly similar in 2024 and 2025-26.

We only have total ice time available - there are no splits by strength - so the five-on-five rate stats are artificially boosted for players who don’t play special teams and are dragged down by players who play in all situations. Still, this gives us at least some deeper insight.

It’s also important to note the 2025 playoffs. Leslie had just two goals and three points in eight games, but that was more goals than she had in the regular season and the same amount of points. Emily Clark and Brianne Jenner were the only other Charge players to score multiple goals in that run. It feels like that performance helped push Leslie in summer training and gave the staff a positive feeling about the direction her game was trending.

The Charge made the bold play to protect Leslie in Phase 1 of expansion over Emily Clark and others. General manager Mike Hirshfeld explained his confidence in Leslie after the protection lists were announced, and I think it sums everything up quite well.

“No one works harder than (Leslie),” Hirshfeld said. “She put in a ton of offseason work on her skating and her shooting. So we know she’s a motivated, driven player. She hasn’t necessarily shown it in the first two seasons in the PWHL, but this is a player who’s been on the Team Canada radar early in her career. She has the skill set, and now she’s worked hard and has the confidence to deliver. We’re excited about what’s ahead for her, and we have full confidence that she’s gonna be the same player she was this year.”

I’m fascinated to see who Leslie plays with next season. Three out of four primary linemates that Brianne Jenner had in 2024 and 2024-25 had career years, with their production dipping the following campaign. Those were Katerina Mrazova (0.78 points per game to 0.5), Shiann Darkangelo (17 points to eight), and Tereza Vanisova (15 goals to four). Daryl Watts is the exception.

Ultimately, I think an expectation in the 15-18 point range is fairer than expecting a repeat of 14 goals and 23 points. Even with the qualities I like about Leslie’s game that I detailed, losing a playmaking linemate the quality of Jenner is a lot to overcome. On the other hand, there are ways for Leslie to become even more of a threat that could result in her being just as or more productive.

What can’t be lost is that one year ago, Leslie had three career goals and a career average under 11 minutes. It’s within the realm of possibilities that Leslie maintains her scoring rate, but even if she doesn’t, double-digit points would still make her a significantly more valuable piece than the fourth-liner she appeared to be not long ago.

Leslie exploded thanks to a combination of factors all coming together at once: A solid base, hard work, opportunity to seize, the right linemates, faith from those around her, and maybe most important, confidence.

“(The Sceptres are) an incredible veteran-presence team, and they’ve had really good seasons the last couple of years,” Simms said at the Sceptres’ Summer Camp on Thursday. “I think my game, specifically, is a creative, offensive-minded forward who likes to bring their skill. I pride myself on my hockey IQ as well, so I think it’ll be awesome to get to be with those girls and kinda get to bring that aspect of my game out there.

“Also, I like to entertain. I think Toronto and their fanbase is a great crowd to get to entertain, so I’m just excited to hopefully bring that starting Day 1.”

Simms entertained often over the past four years at the University of Wisconsin. She concluded her collegiate career in March as one of the most productive Badgers ever, with her 1.57 career points per game bested only by Daryl Watts, Brianna Decker, and Hilary Knight in program history.

In addition to being exceptionally skilled, Simms showed up repeatedly for Wisconsin in key, clutch moments. She potted the only goal in the 2023 national championship game as a rookie and scored in three straight Frozen Four semis from 2024-26. She had a three-point effort with the overtime winner this year against Penn State.

But easily the best was her performance in the 2025 national championship game. Wisconsin trailed 3-2 with 20 seconds left after Simms assisted on a second-period tally. The Badgers were awarded a penalty shot after a review for a skater covering the puck in the crease, and legendary head coach Mark Johnson asked the bench, “Who wants it?”

Simms’ hand went up. She buried a disgusting move to send the final to overtime, which she subsequently ended, scoring off a rebound to win Wisconsin another national title and cap a three-point game.

Simms credited her skill development and confidence in pressure moments to her foundation playing boys hockey.

“When you’re playing with the guys, you kinda want to do anything you can to be better than them, especially at the young ages,” Simms said. “I’m somebody that really honed into my skillset and worked on that, because guys are just naturally bigger, stronger, and a little bit faster than you. So what can I do to kinda shine in those moments?

“So throughout there, you kinda learn confidence, and you have to have confidence to play with the guys, cause you know how they can be sometimes, especially at the younger ages. And I think it just carried on. Now, I just enjoy the game and have fun doing it, so I don’t even see it necessarily as pressure. I see it as, ‘This is why I play,’ cause this is the fun part of it and this is when you really get to enjoy it and just like soak it all in.”

Toronto was in desperate need of scoring, having lost multiple contributors this offseason, including leading scorer Daryl Watts, after an already frankly putrid offensive season where the Sceptres scored under two goals per game. Simms being available at eighth overall was a dream scenario for Toronto given their needs.

“When you’re confident in what you do and just have a process, and you work on things so much, and you trust what you’re doing and put the work in, it’s a lot easier to become confident when you put in all that work in certain aspects of your game,” Simms said. “Obviously, there’s tons of places for me to grow too in my game as well, but those places that I know I’m confident in and know that I’m successful with, it helps when you know what you’re doing and you’re confident with it.”

Simms - a childhood fan of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, whose current favorite player is Nikita Kucherov - loves to score, and she isn’t afraid to show it. She said she’s got a few “cellies” up her sleeve next season, and was encouraging the campers in the 2013-2019 division at the Sceptres’ Summer Camp to do the same.

“I keep trying to tell them, when you score a goal you gotta celly,” Simms said. “You have to celly. Just give me something, please!”

A member of the U.S. national team since 2024, Simms won Olympic gold in February and followed it up with her third NCAA title less than a month later.

“It’s been a whirlwind for sure,” Simms said. “It's like, we won Olympic gold, four days there, then get back and I’m playing a playoff game on Friday. I’m like, ‘What’s going on, this is nuts.’ But yeah, I mean, obviously the Olympics is an incredible experience. To get to play alongside all those girls who have been part of the U.S. team for 10-plus years now, obviously achieved a dream of mine as a kid.”

Simms’ next chapter in Toronto has some familiar faces. She’s skated with and played against fellow Michigan natives Emma Gentry and Clara Van Wieren over the years, and is reunited with high school teammate Kiara Zanon.

“I’m excited to see what happens,” Simms said. “It would be awesome to get an opportunity to play alongside (Zanon) and see how that works, just cause I have played with her a little bit in high school and kind of gotten a feel for her and her game. She’s obviously a very skilled player, very high hockey IQ, and just a great player overall. So it would be very cool just to see how that works, see what happens potentially. I’m excited to try whatever they put in front of me and whatever they give me to do what they need.”

Simms is also looking forward to playing with some Team Canada players for the first time, namely defenders Renata Fast and Ella Shelton.

“It’s gonna be incredible. No pinches from them, I’m getting breakout passes from them, neutral zone regroups from them, don’t have to see them on an entry, they’ll be on the entry with me hopefully, like it’ll be night and day,” Simms laughed.

Simms has yet to attend a PWHL game. Her PWHL debut later this year will be her first time experiencing the PWHL in person in any capacity.

She’ll have a pretty good view. And should it go the way Simms hopes, it’ll coincide with at least one sweet celly.

Over 200 women of color of all ages and skill levels participated in this year’s event, which featured PWHL player-coaches Sophie Jaques of the Vancouver Goldeneyes, Mikyla Grant-Mentis of the Seattle Torrent, and Jade Iginla, recently drafted by Hamilton.

“I think for me, I’m just super grateful to get this experience with the girls,” Jaques said. “As much as I’m a mentor for them, they teach me so much and just make me appreciate all the little things and being a part of the game is special.”

The free three-day camp, held at the Ford Performance Center in Etobicoke, Ontario, is designed to introduce BIPOC women to hockey and strengthen connections within the game.

“I really believe, obviously, that women of color in sports and in hockey are underrepresented, but also underfunded,” Iginla said. “So I really love what the WCHC is doing in actually providing funding and paying for girls to get into the sport, doing scholarships and sponsorships. I think it’s unbelievable.”

Founder, former player, and current broadcaster Saroya Tinker explained that the rebrand to WCHC was in an effort to make their inclusivity even clearer.

“I think we were always open in being inclusive to everyone and our allies and everyone was welcome, but our brand didn’t necessarily reflect that,” Tinker said. “I think that just led people to ask questions and wonder if they were invited. So we just wanted a brand that was representative of everybody and nobody had to ask a question whether they were invited or not, just because we know what it’s like to have to ask for an invite, and we don’t want them to feel like that. That’s been the progression. We service so many more girls than just Black women, so it’s been important for us to show that that’s exactly what we do.”

The camp is as much an opportunity for kids to continue to grow in the sport as it is a chance for others to find or rekindle a love for the game in the Learn to Play division.

One of those stepping on the ice for the first time in years was Kiran Basra, who flew from Vancouver to Toronto and suited up in full gear for the first time since she was six years old.

“It’s so different when you’re in community,” Basra, a Goldeneyes season ticket holder, said. “It just makes a difference in terms of the joy, the excitement, and just how deep it gets into it. It’s not just hockey; it’s something bigger.”

Basra plans to continue playing back home, using the encouragement and tools from the camp as a springboard.

“Just to watch the girls grow, as people and hockey players, it’s so special,” Jaques said of the camp’s progression and repeat attendees. “And then even to watch girls go from campers to now coaching with us or doing our social media and helping out in all aspects of things is a lot of fun.”

Iginla is going into her third year as a WCHC board member, but this was the first time she was able to attend the camp.

“I was in a unique position growing up in my family that I was like, ‘Oh, of course I belong.’ I’m looking around and these people look like me and they’re playing,” Iginla said, whose father, Jarome, played 20 seasons in the NHL and is a Hockey Hall of Famer. “But I didn’t appreciate that not everyone has that, so to get to be a part of that and provide representation for people and be a role model, I think is something that I appreciate more and more.”

Grant-Mentis, meanwhile, has been at all four iterations of the camp.

“I think it’s important because growing up, I didn’t have anybody to look up to,” Grant-Mentis said. “I didn’t have camps where it was all people that look like me to go to. So having this, having 215 girls, to be able to be comfortable all together all in a safe space is something that’s so magical, you can’t even think about it. And in a sport that doesn’t have a lot of people of color as well, it’s just something that people have dreamed of, and now it’s come true for a lot of girls.”

The PWHL and e.l.f. partnered with the WCHC to put on this year’s camp.

“PWHL and e.l.f. have been imperative for this year,” Tinker said. “It allowed all of our girls to attend camp for free. It allowed us to give out our rolling grants throughout the season and throughout the year. And it allows these girls to have access to things that they wouldn’t have had access to, like a professional media day or professional coaches and whatnot. It’s really about creating that access, but without the PWHL and without e.l.f. sponsoring this, I don’t think we would’ve been able to make this happen.”

Sophie’s Sisters began this season in Vancouver. The WCHC program brings a group of girls aged 8-18 to a Goldeneyes game, followed by a meet-and-greet with Jaques. The program ran for six of Vancouver’s nine games at Pacific Coliseum in 2026, including the last three home contests of the campaign.

“It was special being able to run an event and connect with the girls and allow them to experience PWHL games,” Jaques said. “I really do want to continue to grow that program in Vancouver and hopefully even have (a camp) like this out there one day to make it possible for those girls.”

Tinker and Jaques held the first camp in 2023 after realizing they were both free on the same weekend. Since, Jaques has blossomed into one of the elite blue-liners in the game. She’s won two Walter Cups, silver at the Olympics and World Championship with Team Canada, and is the PWHL’s all-time leading scorer among defenders.

“We both just have the same vision,” Tinker said. “I think we share a lot of what we want to do together, and we love the community aspect of it. So to watch Soph grow, I mean, we knew she was gonna be a star, but to see her literally be one of the best defenders in the PWHL right now, I think shows our girls that they can be that. I love working with Sophie; I think it’s so fun to work alongside other people who have like-mindsets like you. Mikyla Grant-Mentis and Jade (Iginla) also have that same mindset, but Sophie’s really been the right hand on the board and really put the camp vision together with me.”

Jaques and the WCHC are headed to Jamaica later this month for a ball hockey initiative. A group from Kenya came to the 2025 camp, and Jaques hopes to do a WCHC trip to the African nation in the future.

“A good amount of us do have Jamaican heritage, so kind of like being able to connect to our roots and go back there is something we’re super excited for,” Jaques said.

If you’re interested in supporting the WCHC, there are ways to donate and connect regarding partnerships on their website, and you can follow them on socials.

Additionally: “Be an ally,” Tinker said. “I think when people advocate for us, we welcome allies to our events as well; come out and see how amazing our community is. We want to welcome everybody and kind of change hockey culture.”

The news cycle has been jam-packed with signings and player movement due to the expansion process, which has kinda put the entry draft on the backburner. Even I’ve been caught off guard at times with how rapidly the draft is approaching.

This is a draft that will go down as a historic class for the league. We’re talking about players at the top of the board who will be winning major awards for the next decade, and I feel very comfortable projecting one to the Hall of Fame already. There are five (!) players from USA’s gold medal-winning team in this draft, including the Olympic MVP.

Several European stars are also entering the league, including the Olympic Best Goaltender.

This draft is loaded due to a couple of factors converging at once. First, this class still includes players who gained a fifth year of eligibility due to COVID. If not for that, someone like Abbey Murphy would’ve been in last year’s draft, and she would’ve gone first overall.

Next, you have a small number of players who centralized for the 2022 Olympics and didn’t use a year of NCAA eligibility. Centralization is no longer due to the PWHL, and had that been the case in 2021-22, Caroline Harvey would’ve finished her NCAA eligibility in 2025, for example. Both of those are factors for Murphy, as she would’ve entered the draft in 2024 if not for centralization and COVID.

Lastly, expansion has resulted in top Europeans being more willing to come over with more roster spots and more certainty when uprooting their lives.

My viewings of these players are pretty much limited to what’s available online. I don’t have InStat or anything like that to watch as much tape as I want. I wish I could do deeper dives into game film, but that’s not the reality I have right now. Instead, I’ve put hours and hours into compiling clips and highlights for these players from what’s available to anyone else, and as a result, I feel I have a good surface-level knowledge of everyone listed here. I have a deeper familiarity with the top players.

Enough preamble, let’s dive into the list.

In the table below, you can view my top 72 in a quick, easy-to-digest format. 72 players are ranked, as that is the length of the draft. There are also 28 players listed as honorable mentions at the end of the list, who I would consider inviting to training camp with varying degrees of interest. So that’s 100 total players listed, with write-ups on the top 72.

You can tap/click on a player’s name to jump to their section and read their blurb if they are ranked in the top 72. Or you can continue on down and read through the whole thing.

Please note that Brette Pettet isn’t ranked as she withdrew from the draft.

1. Caroline Harvey, LHD, Wisconsin (WCHA), 5-foot-8

Harvey became the third defender ever to win the Patty Kazmaier this year, joining Angela Ruggiero and Sophie Jaques. She won Olympic MVP in February. She’s a two-time Best Defender at the Worlds and a three-time tournament All-Star.

The Harvey stat that always gets me is the all-time scoring list at the Worlds. She already has as many career points at the tournament as Megan Keller (in 21 fewer games). The only defenders with more points than Harvey are Jenni Hiirikoski and Angela Ruggiero.

And it’s not like Harvey only accumulates points against the weaker nations, either. She’s scored a goal in three straight gold medal games at the World Championship against Canada.

Harvey’s 64 points in 33 games this season are the second-most ever by an NCAA defender. She’s second to Ruggiero in career scoring among defenders, and the two are the only ones to eclipse 60 points in a single season (both did it twice). Harvey’s plus-75 rating in 2024-25 is the best ever by a defender, according to Elite Prospects, with the caveat that plus/minus wasn’t tracked for Ruggiero.

It kinda blows my mind that there’s even a discussion at first overall. Yes, there are other great players in this draft. Nobody has the generational, game-controlling talent that Harvey does. When Harvey retires well down the road, I wholeheartedly believe she’ll be regarded as the best defender in the history of the women’s game. That’s the kind of talent we’re talking about here.

Harvey is an exceptional skater, and it’s the root of what makes the rest of her game click. I have no qualms calling her the best four-way skater in the sport. Offensively, she can fly by the opposition or just as easily juke opponents out while walking the blue line. She has the vision and scoring ability to maximally capitalize on the advantages that her skating creates.

Her skating is just as much of an asset defensively. Harvey recovers like few defenders can because of her speed. She can maintain tight gaps and will cut off entry plays incredibly well.

Harvey isn’t just a Defender of the Year candidate as a rookie; she’s an MVP candidate. There’s a case that she’s the best player in women’s hockey today, period. You don’t pass on this kind of talent.

Tap/click here for highlights.

2. Abbey Murphy, RW, Minnesota (WCHA), 5-foot-5

Murphy decimated the NCAA this season to the tune of 40 goals and 66 points in 31 games. She led the nation in points per game. She’s one of eight players since 2010 to notch 40 goals in a season.

The Illinois native broke Nadine Muzerall’s record for career goals at Minnesota, and she’s second in all-time program scoring behind Hannah Brandt.

Somewhat quietly, Murphy is sixth in World Championship scoring since 2022, behind only Hilary Knight, Caroline Harvey, Alex Carpenter, Marie-Philip Poulin, and Taylor Heise.

I lead with statistical notes for each player, but I think it’s particularly important for Murphy. Her reputation as an agitator typically precedes talk about her skill and scoring ability. That takes away from the caliber of talent that Murphy is. She’s got legit high-end skill and can score in many different ways.

Murphy plays with so much pace, and she has the hands to keep up with it. She’ll step into the PWHL as one of the league’s biggest threats off the rush. Her ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations is very impressive. She also has a lethal shot from the left flank on the power play. The rookie record for goals is 13 by Sarah Fillier. That’s in jeopardy next year.

But it’s Murphy’s physicality that seems to be pushing her into the conversation at No. 1. According to Elite Prospects’ NCAA database, Murphy is the all-time leader in penalty minutes with 357 in 170 games. She plays on the edge (and over it), antagonizes opponents, and she’ll embellish to get calls. It’s all on the table for Murphy. She’s mind-numbingly annoying to watch play against your favorite team.

Just look at how she got into Team Canada’s heads at the Olympics between her scoring, talking, and - to put it politely - drawn calls. That side of her game can be and is an asset when harnessed correctly.

Murphy is a unique talent in the women’s game. I’m very interested to see how her extracurriculars play in the pro ranks, how the officials handle her, and how that evolves. But when it comes down to it, it’s her elite offensive ability that makes her the caliber of player she is.

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3. Laila Edwards, RHD/RW, Wisconsin (WCHA), 6-foot-1

Edwards is the most unique player in hockey.

As a forward, she won MVP at her debut World Championship in 2024, and she led the NCAA in goals in 2025. As a defender, she won gold at the 2025 Worlds and 2026 Olympics while playing on the top pairing. Oh, and she’s taller than literally every skater in PWHL history to date.

In the NHL, we’ve seen players like Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Burns transition from forward to defense and find significant success. This aspect of Edwards’ story is rare, but not unheard of. What makes it so unique is that Edwards is an elite, elite forward who is still making the transition, and yet she could be even better as a defender long term.

Edwards’ totals last season - 12 goals and 45 points in 28 games - are obviously strong, but they aren’t as ridiculous as Abbey Murphy’s goals or Caroline Harvey’s overall production. She split time this season on defense and at forward, missed time due to an injury, and, of course, spent a few weeks in Italy winning a gold medal. You look back one season, though, and there’s a 35-goal, 71-point forward with more goals and points than Murphy despite being two years younger.

It’s almost unbelievable that Edwards has still never played a full season as a defender. She played 23:30 in the gold medal game this February and 29:33 in last year’s World Championship final as a defender, all while never dedicating a full campaign and year of development at the position. What could she look like in, say, five years if she becomes a full-time defender and exclusively plays and trains at the position?

Edwards declared for the draft as a defender and, in recent interviews, has made it pretty clear she wants to play a full season as a defender. I’ve come around to viewing her more as a defender than a forward. Previously, I thought Edwards was better suited to be put in more offensive situations to maximize her unique goal-scoring potential. And while I still think there’s a strong case for that, Edwards is on the ice quite a bit more as a defender, and she can still get premium scoring looks on the power play.

The Ohio native has the best shot in the draft. It might be the best shot in women’s hockey, period. It’s certainly gotta be the most powerful. Edwards’ one-timer is a rocket, which makes her the caliber of cross-seam threat on the player advantage that is rare in women’s hockey. She also has a lethal wrist shot off the rush. She gets the puck off her stick with so much power that even relatively harmless shots from the perimeter can become chances because of the potential for juicy rebounds.

Edwards is 6-foot-1, and her physicality and strength are huge assets. Focusing on how that helps her as a defender, Edwards can physically handle forecheckers more easily than most defenders in the league. She has a huge reach defending the blue line, and she can clear the front of the net.

Where Edwards’ game can still come along is her skating. She isn’t the most fleet of foot, but it hasn’t been a hindrance defensively so far, which has come as a slight surprise to me. I do think she can be susceptible to attackers with speed, and improving her all-around mobility will be the next key in her development. Again, she’s literally never played a full season or spent a year of development playing defense. If that’s the focus this summer and through her rookie PWHL campaign, I’m confident she’ll improve her defensive skating.

There’s a very real case for Edwards at second overall ahead of Murphy. Defender is a more premium position than wing, Edwards is two years younger, and she outscored Murphy the last time she played forward full-time. In fact, I had Edwards ranked ahead of Murphy in December when I put out my ranking of the top 25 prospects in women’s hockey.

I have Murphy with the slight edge now due to her speed. I’ve gone back and forth on it a lot.

Edwards is truly one of the most interesting players and personalities in the sport. Whoever lands her on draft night is getting a franchise-defining player for the next decade-plus.

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4. Kirsten Simms, RW, Wisconsin (WCHA), 5-foot-6

Simms is fourth in Wisconsin program history in career points per game behind only Daryl Watts, Brianna Decker, and Hilary Knight. She accumulated 100 goals and 238 points in 152 games with the Badgers, including two campaigns with over 70 points.

The Michigan native suited up for USA at the Olympics in February but was largely used as the team’s extra forward. She didn’t play a shift in the gold-medal game, though she did score her only goal of the Olympics against Canada in the preliminary round.

Simms is an outstanding offensive player. She’s a superb playmaker who can also snipe it herself from the half wall and slot. I love how Simms uses her strong edgework to create space and open better shooting and passing lanes. Her puck skills are ridiculous. She will be an elite scorer from Day 1 in the PWHL and a weapon on the power play.

For the better part of two seasons, Simms starred on a line with now New York Sirens star rookie Casey O’Brien at Wisconsin. Both have raved about the chemistry they had together. When I spoke with O’Brien before the 2025 draft, she called Simms her favorite linemate she’s ever had.

Simms’ 2025 national championship game is one of the best clutch performances I’ve ever seen. She assisted on Caroline Harvey’s goal that got Wisconsin within 3-2 of Ohio State in the second period. Then, when the Badgers were awarded a penalty shot with 18.9 seconds left, Simms raised her hand and scored a filthy goal after coach Mark Johnson asked the team, “Who wants it?” Simms capped the game by netting the national championship-winning goal in overtime.

She’s yet to break through into a major role on the U.S. national team, and I think that might have some underrating the impact she can have at the next level. Simms is also one of the younger players in the draft. She’s an August 2004, making her more than two years younger than players like Abbey Murphy and Lacey Eden.

I fully expect Simms to be one of the most prolific scorers in the PWHL over the next decade. She’s a high-end offensive talent that in most years would be in serious consideration to go No. 1.

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5. Tessa Janecke, C, Penn State (AHA), 5-foot-8

The first Nittany Lion to finish as a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier, Janecke notched 26 goals and 48 points in 31 games to lead Penn State in both categories. She also added five assists at the Olympics en route to gold.

Janecke was well over a point per game every year at Penn State. She’s by far the best player in program history, owning a 64-point advantage as the program’s all-time top scorer.

Her arrival at State College directly coincided with Penn State’s ascent up the women’s hockey ranks. The Nittany Lions won their first conference tournament in Janecke’s rookie season and went on to win their conference tournament every year she was on the team.

Janecke’s path with Penn State is different than essentially every other top prospect. The Nittany Lions play in the AHA, a conference from which only two players have been directly drafted to the PWHL (Vanessa Upson and Lyndie Lobdell). The lack of competition at the top of the conference has consistently been a knock against Penn State and Janecke’s totals.

Any worries I had about the quality of competition aspect have dissipated over the past year. Janecke was trusted on Team USA’s top line at the 2025 Worlds and scored the gold-medal-winning goal in overtime against Canada. This year, she potted two goals against Wisconsin in the Frozen Four semis as Penn State took the eventual champs to overtime.

Sure, the sample size against the elite NCAA teams is smaller than that of someone from the WCHA. But Janecke’s shown up in big spots and has an exciting toolkit as the best center in the draft.

For all the talent this year, there’s a lack of no-doubt centers. Janecke is a no-doubter down the middle, even if she fits well on the left wing, too. She’s so good at entering the zone with speed. She’s responsible in the defensive zone. And she wins a ton of draws - 65.8% this season, to be exact.

I think Simms is a higher-end offensive player, which is why I have her one spot ahead, but I did seriously consider Janecke at No. 4. Her two-way ability will be a factor many teams will covet, and her status as the top center might sway a team at No. 3 or No. 4 if they have a significant need down the middle.

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6. Lacey Eden, RW, Wisconsin (WCHA), 5-foot-8

Eden isn’t talked about enough, considering how productive she was in the NCAA. She led the nation with 77 points and a plus-70 rating in 41 games, and she scored over 50 points in her junior and senior campaigns as well (she was a fifth-year senior this past season). Eden is also the only player ever to win four national championships, which she accomplished over five seasons.

The 24-year-old has already played at five World Championships with Team USA, but was notably cut from both the 2022 and 2026 Olympic teams. Eden has never really played a top role on the national team, instead typically filling a third-line or depth role.

I do think Eden’s usage on the national team, plus the fact that she was cut from the last two Olympic teams, has left her a bit underrated in public perception going into the draft. This is a player who was extremely productive at a top program, has a strong work ethic, plays a responsible two-way game, and is highly versatile. She ticks every box in what a coach wants, and I think her game will excel at the next level.

Eden is very well-rounded. I don’t see a clear weakness in her game, even if some aspects aren’t as high-end as others ahead of her here. She has good speed, a good shot, and she’s a great puck retriever. She can play both wings and all situations. Eden can be an excellent complementary piece with a star, or she can be the primary driver. She fits with any linemates.

I don’t think she has quite the offensive creation or high-end tools as my top four. Janecke gets the edge for being a legit center. I could see a team falling in love with Eden’s overall game and taking her before six.

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7. Emma Peschel, LHD, Ohio State (WCHA), 5-foot-10

Peschel was Ohio State’s top blue-liner for the past two campaigns. She notched 39 points in 34 games last season, a notable jump in points per game even from her 34 points in 40 games the prior year.

The Minnesota native was on USA’s 30-player Olympic camp roster. Peschel sustained an injury before the roster was released. Had she not been injured, I do wonder if she would’ve got the nod for the last spot on D.

So far, she’s yet to play at a senior IIHF event for her country, but that will change soon. Peschel’s been knocking on the door for two years now, and at 22 years old, she’s right in the wheelhouse to be reaching her prime for the 2030 Olympics. I would be slightly surprised if we didn’t see her at the Worlds in November in a depth role.

Peschel is a prototypical top-four defender. She has impressive size and reach at 5-foot-10. Those physical attributes make her one of the better play-stopping defenders in the class. She’s added more of an offensive element to her game over the past two years to where she can capably quarterback a power play. I’m not sure she’s a true PP1 QB in the PWHL, but she can certainly give you PP2 reps.

She’s a top-four defender from Day 1, and I expect her to log notable minutes wherever she ends up. Depending on the blue line situation where she’s drafted, she could find herself on a top pairing immediately.

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8. Andrea Braendli, G, Frolunda (SDHL), 5-foot-7

Braendli is coming over to the PWHL at the perfect time, with four starting gigs becoming available due to expansion. I believe in Braendli as a PWHL starter, and a quality one at that. She was good in the NCAA, has been even better in Sweden, and she’s coming off a legitimately dominant Olympics.

The Swiss netminder posted a .953 save percentage in February, helping her nation to a bronze medal. Braendli allowed five goals on 50 shots against Team USA in her opener, then essentially transformed into a brick wall. She stopped 116 of the next 119 shots she faced - that’s a .975 SV% - over the next three games against Finland, Canada, and Sweden. She was fittingly named Best Goaltender.

Braendli had the best save percentage (.945) and goals against average (1.49) among qualified goaltenders in the SDHL this season. Last year with MoDo, she won the league’s Goalie of the Year award.

The big thing for me is Braendli’s numbers against USA and Canada. Since 2024, Braendli has a .924 SV% in six starts against the two powerhouses at the Worlds and Olympics while facing an average of 48 shots per game.

For context, Klara Peslarova, another goaltender many feel should be a starter in the PWHL (myself included), has an .895 SV% in six games in that span against the same teams. For Sanni Ahola, it’s an .861 SV% in five games.

Detroit, Las Vegas, and New York lack a starting goaltender right now. I would fully expect Braendli to be between the pipes for one of three on opening night. I have her ranked eighth on talent, but where she actually goes on draft day will largely depend on where those goalie-needing teams are slotted, which could see her potential range vary significantly.

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9. Sydney Morrow, RHD, Minnesota (WCHA), 5-foot-7

Morrow ranked third among all NCAA defenders in scoring with 38 points in 39 games. She’s been one of the best offensive blue-liners in the collegiate ranks for three years.

The Connecticut native began her NCAA career at Ohio State but transferred to Colgate for her sophomore season, then transferred again to Minnesota for her final two campaigns. Her most productive year was actually her lone season at Colgate, when she put up 39 points and a whopping plus-48 rating in 34 games.

PWHL teams are constantly looking for defenders, and Morrow is one of the top options in the class. She has legit skill with the puck and is an impressive distributor. She jumps into the rush, activates in the offensive zone, and walks the blue line. She can quarterback a power-play unit in the PWHL.

If Morrow gets prime offensive reps such as PP1, she could put together a very impressive rookie campaign. Conversely, I could see her needing time to find comfort and struggling through a first season as she figures out what she can and can’t get away with as a pro.

Sydney’s older brother, Scott, plays for the New York Rangers, and her younger sister, Sophie, just finished her freshman campaign at Penn State.

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10. Sara Swiderski, RHD, Ohio State (WCHA), 5-foot-9

Swiderski enjoyed a career year with eight goals, 27 points, and a plus-40 rating in 33 games. Her goal and point marks were more than double her previous best.

The British Columbia native played two seasons at Clarkson before transferring to Ohio State in 2024. Swiderski featured on the Buckeyes’ top pairing with Emma Peschel this season, and she’s been on Canada’s national development roster her entire collegiate career.

Swiderski is a very impressive skater. Her mobility makes her an especially intriguing player long-term with further skill development. She’s a strong defensive player because of her skating. Her puck skills are a bit lacking. Swiderski’s base with her skating gives her clear top-four upside, and if her puck skills come along, she could legitimately develop into a Canadian national team defender.

Swiderski’s defensive potential is why I have her ranked here. She could be one of the best rush defenders in the game. The skating that makes her so adept at that end also gives her untapped offensive potential. I like the steps we saw this season and it makes me hopeful that Swiderski’s game can continue to take off in the coming years.

There’s a real chance Swiderski is the youngest player drafted as a November 2004. That developmental runway is also key when projecting how much of her potential she can reach.

The skating and defensive profile of Swiderski, plus the fact that she’s right-handed in a draft class lacking in RHD depth, has pushed her into the top 10 for me. Maybe I’m just drinking the Ohio State/Nadine Muzerall Kool-Aid and this is too high. But when considering the positional need across the league, the player type, the tools, and her age, I just kept pushing Swiderski higher.

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11. Issy Wunder, LW/RW, Princeton (ECAC), 5-foot-11

Wunder ranks second in NCAA goals per game over the last two seasons, behind only Abbey Murphy. She has 53 goals in 66 games since 2024, having exploded offensively as a junior. She led Princeton in scoring the last two seasons after Sarah Fillier’s graduation.

The right-handed winger was a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier in back-to-back campaigns. This season, Wunder had 27 goals and 43 points in 34 games and averaged just under five shots per game.

Wunder has good hands and is an impressive finisher. She battles through contact well, thanks in large part to her height advantage. She lacks speed but still has some good power moves. Wunder entered the zone with control and scored off the rush a fair amount despite her lack of speed. Still, I don’t view her as the primary transitional driver on a line in the PWHL.

The Toronto native has top-six upside. She’ll work best with a pacey, playmaking center who can push defenders back off the rush to give Wunder space to shoot. Wunder can play both the left and right wings, so that gives her some lineup versatility. I could see her playing multiple positions on the power play as well.

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12. Elisa Holopainen, LW, Frolunda (SDHL), 5-foot-5

Holopainen arrived in the SDHL in 2024 and wasted no time becoming one of the league’s best talents. In fact, she won MVP in her first season in Sweden, tallying 45 points in 36 as Frolunda won the SDHL title.

This season, Holopainen notched 42 points with a league-leading 27 goals, again in 36 contests. Over the last two campaigns, Holopainen’s 51 goals are the most in the SDHL. It’s two more than Petra Nieminen (albeit in nine more games) and 22 more than another notable SDHL draft entrant in Viivi Vainikka.

Holopainen did go pointless in five games at the Olympics. She did lead all Finnish forwards in scoring at the 2025 Worlds with five points in seven contests.

I really like Holopainen's speed and shot. She’s a dangerous player entering the zone with possession. She could be effective from the left flank on the power play. She has a couple of goals against Team USA on her resume from the 2024 Worlds. Holopainen is a thrilling player but it’s very fair to wonder how much of her scoring will translate to the PWHL. If she puts in the work, I think she has the tools to break through significantly better defenses and overcome the league’s physicality.

I think Holopainen is the biggest wild card in the draft. I could see her becoming one of the league’s most exciting rush threats and a first-line weapon. I could also see her struggling like the previous top SDHL forwards that have come to the PWHL. Noora Tulus and Michelle Karvinenx both came over with notable expectations and ended up spending time on their respective teams’ fourth lines. Selecting Holopainen in this range could be considered a risk. The upside is too much for me to pass on here.

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13. Petra Nieminen, C, Lulea (SDHL), 5-foot-7

Nieminen tallied 24 goals and led the SDHL in scoring with 45 points despite missing nine of the 36 games. She’s led the Swedish league in scoring twice (2025, 2026) and in goals three times (2023, 2024, 2025). Nieminen is a five-time champion with Lulea.

With Team Finland, Nieminen is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist and has won five medals at the Worlds (one silver, four bronze). She’s a two-time All-Star at the Worlds as well.

Nieminen has a very strong resume, both with her club team and national team. It all comes down to how her game translates to the PWHL, because as noted, the track record isn’t great for European-trained forwards.

Noora Tulus scored 61 points in 36 games - a 1.69 points per game rate - in 2023-24 before she came over to the PWHL. She struggled to fit with the New York Sirens, managing only two points in 30 games, and went from a top-six player to begin the season to a fourth-liner by season’s end. For comparison, Nieminen just produced 1.67 points per game this season.

Notably, Nieminen is a couple of years younger than Tulus was when she came over, and she’s much more of a goal scorer.

It almost goes without saying that I like Nieminen’s skill and scoring ability. She’s crafty with some sweet mitts and was able to work inside with her skill in Sweden. That’s going to be much harder to do in the PWHL. She’s up for the challenge.

Even with my hesitancy regarding European-trained forwards, Nieminen is clearly the No. 2 center in the draft. That keeps her in this range for me. I considered her as high as No. 8 at one point, but I kept coming back to worries about how the other top SDHL forwards have produced in the PWHL. I might regret this one. I gave Holopainen the edge due to her being younger and speedier.

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14. Elyssa Biederman, RW, Colgate (ECAC), 5-foot-1

Who led the 2024-25 Colgate Raiders in scoring? Most would probably guess Kristyna Kaltounkova, considering she was drafted first overall by the New York Sirens after that campaign.

But it was actually Biederman, albeit marginally (51 points in 39 games versus 48 in 37). Kaltounkova had more goals, but outproducing a first overall pick while playing on the same team is quite notable.

Biederman had two 50-point campaigns at Colgate, but finished her NCAA career with a slight tick down to 44 points this past campaign. That was to be expected with Danielle Serdachny and Kaltounkova graduating in consecutive years, leaving Biederman as the top dog in 2025-26.

So why isn’t Biederman ranked higher? After all, Kaltounkova went No. 1 in 2025, and Serdachny went No. 2 in 2024.

Biederman is one of the smallest players in women’s hockey. There’s one player listed at 5-foot-1 in the PWHL, defender Amanda Boulier. Kendall Coyne Schofield is listed at 5-foot-2.

I’m actually not really concerned about Biederman’s lack of size. She plays fearlessly. She will fly at top speed towards the net with a much taller defender on her hip. She uses her agility to evade defenders on the cycle and open up lanes. I love Biederman’s motor and she has the tenacity to be effective despite her height.

Biederman is a tier lower than the aforementioned Kaltounkova and Serdachny as I don’t view her as the same potential top-of-the-lineup driver. She can score from dangerous areas, but I don’t think she’ll be a consistent scorer from range. She’ll be at her best as the second or third-best player on a line rather than the primary driver.

If Biederman slips down the board as teams put more value into size, someone will get a steal on draft day.

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15. Nelli Laitinen, LHD, Minnesota (WCHA), 5-foot-7

Laitinen finished her NCAA career with 10 goals and 30 points in 33 games to go with a plus-32 rating. Each was a career high.

The 24-year-old also featured for Finland at the Olympics for the second time in February, where she played on the top pairing.

Laitinen has a good enough shot to finish in premium opportunities, but I don’t think she’s a true shot threat from the point. Her skating is definitely an asset, both offensively and defensively. She’s a solid puck mover and had a couple of nice assists working in the offensive zone.

I view Laitinen as a defender who is average at a lot of things, with her skating ticking above average. That’s a solid base and makes for a defender who could munch minutes in a top-four role. I worry she lacks a true defining quality to be a top-four driver and is instead just a fine complementary option or a good third-pairing defender.

Laitinen is two and a half years older than Swiderski, which is a key factor why I have Swiderski ranked higher. I feel Swiderski has a higher-end trait in her skating and also has the developmental runway to exceed Laitinen’s impact.

Admittedly, I’m lower on Laitinen than what I’ve seen out there. I debated having her lower than this at points. Ultimately, her fairly safe projection to be a 4-5 type is enough to keep her in my top 15, but I don’t see the skill or premium traits to warrant a top-10 selection.

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16. Jade Iginla, C/RW, Brown (ECAC), 5-foot-8

Iginla bounced back this year after a surprisingly down junior campaign. She netted 17 goals and 33 points after managing only six goals and 16 points the season prior.

I’m higher than consensus on Iginla for multiple reasons. Let’s begin with the loyalty part. Iginla could’ve easily entered the portal as a big name, transferred to whichever top-ranked team she liked, and almost surely would’ve put up bigger numbers. She didn’t do that.

Iginla committed to a Brown program that hadn’t had a winning season since 2005-06 and she saw it through the entire way, even after offensive struggles as a junior. The result: Brown had a winning season for the first time in 20 years in Iginla’s final NCAA campaign.

Next is how Iginla finished the season. She began her NCAA career with 17 goals in 29 games on a team where the next-highest scorer had five goals. With rookie totals like that, it would’ve been fair to expect Iginla to have had a more productive NCAA career. Well, I think we saw her take that step this season.

After a slow start to the campaign, Iginla tallied 16 goals and 29 points in 19 games from November 30 through the end of the season. She averaged 4.7 shots on goal per game, too.

Iginla carries the puck in transition, she works give-and-gos, she can score off the rush, and she’ll drive to the net. She has good size at 5-foot-8. She’s adept down the middle, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she shifts to the wing as a pro.

As an October 2004, Iginla’s also one of the younger players in the draft. She still has a long developmental runway, and I think we saw her start to find her stride from December onwards. I see her as a third-liner who could become a top-six piece. I’m really looking forward to seeing her alongside higher-end talent in the PWHL.

Of course, Jade is the daughter of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla and the older sister of Utah Mammoth prospect Tij Iginla. Those bloodlines are a positive, and her NHL ties will put an extra spotlight on her.

I expect Iginla to go lower than where I have her ranked, though I would love to see a team snap her up in the second round. I think whichever team selects her will be rewarded.

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17. Viivi Vainikka, LW, Brynas (SDHL), 5-foot-5

Vainikka played six seasons in Sweden and won the SDHL title five times. She was among Lulea’s best scorers from 2020-25 before moving to Brynas last offseason. There, she led her SDHL team in scoring for the first time with 40 points in 36 games, then was dynamite in the playoffs. Vainikka tallied five goals in a three-game sweep of Frolunda in the final to win Playoff MVP.

The 24-year-old has featured with Team Finland since the 2019 Worlds. Vainikka tallied 10 points at the 2023 Worlds when Finland was in Group B, but she hasn’t had that level of production when facing the top nations.

I struggled with where to slot Vainikka. I think I started with her right around the top 10, then she was outside of my top 20 entirely at one point. I’ve settled here at 17, and I still don’t know how I feel about it.

Much of it comes back to my reservations about the top European scorers. Vainikka is on the smaller side, and she was injured on a big hit by Marie-Philip Poulin at the 2025 Worlds, an injury that knocked her out of the rest of the tournament.

Vainikka also hasn’t produced much internationally as of late. She has two goals and zero assists in 14 games with Finland across the 2024 Worlds, 2025 Worlds, and 2026 Olympics.

And yet! I find myself really into Vainikka’s shiftiness, quickness, and hands. She’s a good playmaker and could fit very well with a shooter and linemates who are more of a physical presence. Vainikka only had 11 goals this season, but she does have a pair of 23-goal seasons under her belt. She also far outproduced Holopainen when the games mattered most in the SDHL Final. Maybe I’m just dumb and overthinking it and I’m underrating Vainikka’s ability to adapt to the PWHL.

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18. Vivian Jungels, LHD, Wisconsin (WCHA), 5-foot-7

Jungels was a plus-218 in her 162-game career at Wisconsin. She was never an impactful scorer, but she played her role and played it well. Jungels was paired with Caroline Harvey for much of their time with the Badgers.

The Minnesota native never scored more than 21 points in a season across four years at Wisconsin, but she was never really tasked with the offensive side anyway. Jungels’ assignment was typically to be the defensive mind that allowed Harvey to cook.

Jungels moves well, she has a good stick, and she closes out plays defensively. She’s not a flashy player, but she can get a breakout started effectively. I do wonder if there’s a bit more offense if she’s on a more balanced pairing rather than being the obvious B-side with an elite talent. Not to say she could be a power-play quarterback, but something as simple as encouraging her to make more plays with the puck.

I’m curious to see where Jungels goes on draft night. I could see her going as high as the end of the first round with her defensive acumen and experience at Wisconsin.

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19. Avi Adam, RW, Cornell (ECAC), 5-foot-9

Adam notched 12 goals and 29 points in 33 games this season to lead Cornell in scoring for the second straight season. She ended the season with goals in three straight through the ECAC playoffs.

I really like Adam, as evidenced by my ranking her as a second-round prospect. Her shot off the rush jumped out to me. Despite only scoring 12 goals, she’s got a quick release on one-timers, and she can clean up rebounds, too. I think there’s some potential to be unlocked as a goal scorer. She’s got solid size, has some good pace to her game, and will engage physically.

Adam’s shot rate went from 2.3 shots per game in 2024-25 to 4.1 last season. That impressive jump didn’t show up in her totals - she had the same number of points and only two more goals compared to her junior campaign - but this shows me the process is there and trending in the right direction.

The Nova Scotia native looks like a top-nine winger to me. I could see Adam becoming a complementary top-six piece, and that’s what pushes her higher up my list. I think her skill set fits really well as a second or third option on a line rather than the primary driver. If I were to highlight some players most likely to outperform their draft slot as a rookie, Adam would be one of the first on that list, assuming she goes in the 20s or later.

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20. Grace Dwyer, LHD, Cornell (ECAC), 5-foot-8

Dwyer had a consistent NCAA career as she scored 14-24 points every season. As a senior, it was 20 in 33 games. Go back a year, and she had 18 points with a plus-24 rating compared to Rory Guilday’s nine points and plus-18 rating in 30 games on the same team.

The Pennsylvania native has some sneaky good hands and a solid shot. Dwyer moves pretty well and is adept at playing both sides. That versatility is a big asset. I’m not sure she has the offensive chops to be a power-player quarterback. I could see her being on a PP2 unit on a team that lacks offensive defenders.

I’ve had Dwyer as high as 15 throughout this process and as low as 23. This is a tight group of defenders for me.

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21. Tia Chan, G, UConn (HEA), 5-foot-6

Chan, a right-handed catching netminder, posted a career-best .951 save percentage in a career-high 37 games this season. She won the national Goaltender of the Year award and was a finalist for it in 2024-25 as well.

The Hamilton native has a .944 save percentage in 106 games since 2022. That’s second to Gwyneth Philips among goaltenders with at least 50 games played in that span.

Chan briefly played for the Chinese national team. She backed up Kimberly Newell at the 2022 Olympics, then started at the 2022 D1B and 2023 D1A tournaments before Team China decided to stop naming imports to its roster.

Athleticism. That’s what jumps out about Chan’s game. She has an impressive highlight reel of desperation saves. Too many desperation saves are a red flag. That’s not the case for Chan, given her ridiculous save percentage. She’s stopping the easy ones and she’s stealing some. Her track record at UConn is elite.

Chan’s probably best suited to begin her career as a backup or as a 1B in a pairing, similar to how Hannah Murphy was used this season. She could be pushed into a starting role immediately if she goes to a team in desperate need of a goaltender. Chan certainly has starting upside, and she’ll be one of the most enjoyable goaltenders in the league to watch.

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22. Sloane Matthews, RW/C, Ohio State (WCHA), 5-foot-6

Matthews racked up a career-high 20 goals and 44 points last season at Ohio State. She more than doubled her goal and point totals from her junior campaign. It was a nice return to form, considering she totaled 13 goals and 28 points in 39 games as a sophomore.

The Minnesota native captained the U.S. Collegiate Selects team last summer, and she wore an “A” for the Buckeyes this season. Being trusted with a letter by both programs is the kind of elite character that teams covet.

Matthews played some center in her time at Ohio State and was solid in the role when called upon. She won over 59% of her 325 faceoffs this season, and given the lack of legit centers in the draft, she could be selected by a team with the intention of using her down the middle in the PWHL. I think she fits better on the wing, but she’ll likely play both throughout her pro career.

You kinda know what you’re getting when you draft an Ohio State Buckeye, and Matthews fits. She’s a competitive, responsible player who will hunt pucks, go to hard areas, and succeed in doing so.

I wonder if she could have a similar impact as Sarah Wozniewicz. Matthews was more productive than Wozniewicz in the NCAA, but I see some comparable traits.

Matthews screams third-liner who could find success pinch-hitting higher in the lineup.

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23. Jules Constantinople, LHD, Northeastern (HEA), 5-foot-5

Constantinople’s goals, assists, and points increased each year at Northeastern, culminating in seven goals and 24 points in 39 games. She won Best Defender in Hockey East this season and made the Hockey East All-Tournament Team for the third straight year.

The Connecticut native blocked 89 shots as a senior, which ranked fourth in the NCAA. She blocked 10 shots in Northeastern’s double overtime loss to UConn in the Hockey East championship game.

Constantinople is more of a defensive defender, especially when projecting to the next level. She has a pretty good one-timer, but I’d be surprised if she became a notable power-play option at the next level. Instead, she’s a defender who looks to feature in penalty killing situations.

Constantinople is a good skater and it’s a key component of her game. She can jump into the rush and that’s an area where she could create more offense in the future. Defensively, she doesn’t have a huge reach, so maintaining tight gaps with her skating will be important. Just look at the Frozen Four semis as an example. For two goals against versus Ohio State, Constantinople was well-positioned but was unable to break up the shot or pass with her stick.

I think Constantinople easily projects onto a third pairing with PK responsibilities while also having top-four upside.

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24. Jordan Ray, C, Yale (ECAC), 5-foot-7

Ray finished top 10 in NCAA scoring with 49 points in 36 games. The only players to score more points than her in this draft are all locks to go in the first round: Lacey Eden, Abbey Murphy, Caroline Harvey, and Kirsten Simms.

Ray showed some good flashes in transition. I like her heads-up play in the offensive zone and off the rush. She has enough speed to be a threat in transition. I like her with the puck on her stick entering the zone. She didn’t wow me with her puck skills, but she can make some nice plays.

I think Ray has a base to potentially stay as a center entering the PWHL, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see her start on the right wing. She was a center at Yale this season, where she won 52.4% of her draws, but she played more as a winger in her first three seasons. Ray fits as a probable third-liner with offensive upside.

I can see Ray going earlier in the second round if a team feels she’s a long-term center. Elle Hartje had a somewhat similar profile coming out of Yale with a less productive senior season. She went 25th in 2024 and has mainly featured as a winger in the PWHL.

Ray will be the first PWHL player from Florida.

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25. Casey Borgiel, RHD, Colgate (ECAC), 5-foot-7

Borgiel is the fourth right-handed defender on my list and the last I view as having top-four potential. It’s a thinner class for the position group, and it could push Borgiel higher on draft night than where I have her.

The Michigan native played two seasons at Holy Cross and transferred to Colgate in 2024. Borgiel flourished in her first season with the Raiders, posting 29 points and a plus-25 rating in 39 games after accumulating 18 points in 68 contests at Holy Cross. Her totals dipped slightly this season - she had 21 points in 36 games - but that was largely the case across the Colgate roster.

Borgiel is comfortable with the puck on her stick and can make some nice rushes up the ice. She’s a good skater and distributor. Borgiel’s probably a third-pairing defender next season, but it’s not impossible she could play her way up the lineup before long with her tools.

PWHL Detroit general manager Manon Rheaume was involved with the Little Caesars program as Borgiel made her way up the ranks and into college. That’s a connection to potentially watch for on draft night.

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26. Emerson Jarvis, C, Quinnipiac (ECAC), 5-foot-4

Jarvis erupted for 17 goals and 38 points in 41 games this season. She had 15 goals and 27 points in 87 contests in her NCAA career going into her senior campaign, for context. It’s not like it was just a shooting-percentage bender either. Jarvis had 151 shots on goal - 59 more than the season prior - for an 11.3% shooting percentage.

The Alberta native actually started at Ohio State. Jarvis played down the lineup and she only played in half of the Buckeyes’ games, which resulted in her transferring to Quinnipiac.

The big question for me is whether this is a one-season anomaly or if Jarvis took a legitimate step this season. I lean more to the latter, which is why I have her ranked in the mid-20s.

I really enjoyed watching Jarvis’ tape. She’s fast, has good hands, and showed an ability to score in the slot. She was a handful for defenders in transition on some end-to-end rushes. There were times when she was faster than her skill could keep up with.

Jarvis won 52% of her draws this season as a right-handed center. I could see her shifting to the wing, but she could stick down the middle. I like her as a bottom-six player who brings speed, and I think the leap we saw from her this season at Quinnipiac shows there’s more to be unlocked. She’s also on the younger side of the draft as an October 2004.

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27. Carina DiAntonio, LW, Yale (ECAC), 5-foot-3

Fun fact: DiAntonio’s stat line of 26 goals and 22 points is the exact same as last year’s first overall pick, Kristyna Kaltounkova, and she did it in the same conference (ECAC).

DiAntonio doubled her goal total from her junior campaign. She did it by literally doubling her shots on goal, going from 92 to 184. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone score twice as many goals as the year prior while posting the exact same shooting percentage.

The Mississauga native is a smart player. DiAntonio is very good at finding soft ice in dangerous areas of the offensive zone. She has the finishing ability in tight to convert on the chances she creates by losing her defender. Her hand-eye is also quite impressive.

DiAntonio is small, and I wasn’t blown away by her speed or shot. In fact, I had her a fair bit lower early in my process. I think it can be easy to be infatuated by tools - size, skating, shooting, etc. - and overlook the actual results.

That’s kinda where I landed with DiAntonio. Her ability to find soft space in the offensive zone or even just present her blade as a passing option around the crease doesn’t leap out the same way as blazing speed or a nasty wrist shot would. But it’s a trait that could be even more important than those sexier tools.

Get DiAntonio some good passers and a center who can drive transitional play, and you could be cooking. I also like her as the bumper on a PP2, maybe even a PP1 down the road.

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28. Thea Johansson, LW, Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA), 5-foot-7

Johansson’s transfer to Duluth from Mercyhurst helped her draft stock. She scored goals at the highest rate of her NCAA career last season, despite moving from the AHA to the tougher WCHA.

The Swede netted 17 goals in 30 games, but she only added six assists, so her point totals didn’t improve overall. Still, those 17 goals led the Bulldogs, even over rising Canadian star Caitlin Kraemer.

Johansson excelled at the Olympics with Team Sweden. She played over 17 minutes in five of seven games - including 21:34 in the bronze medal game against Switzerland - and she totaled four goals and seven points.

It was by far Johansson’s best showing with the national team. She had just three points in 17 World Championship games over three tournaments entering the Olympics. At the 2025 Worlds, Johansson played over 11 minutes in only one game, which was in an 8-0 drubbing of Norway.

Johansson is at her best when she’s playing direct. Straight line, drive the net hockey. She has solid speed and at 5-foot-8, she can be a handful for defenders when she drops her shoulder and gets inside. I don’t think she’ll be a consistent scorer from distance. Instead, she’ll rely on good positioning with playmaking linemates plus rush opportunities to score at the next level.

I think Johansson’s best suited as a third liner, but I can see her finding success higher up the lineup as a complementary winger with talented passers.

The 23-year-old signed a two-year contract with HV71 - the Swedish team she played with before she came to the NCAA - in April. Johansson is likely to start the season in the SDHL, play a dozen or so games, feature at the Worlds, and then arrive at PWHL training camp.

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29. Zoe Uens, LHD, Quinnipiac (ECAC), 5-foot-9

Uens broke out in 2025-26 with 10 goals, 19 points, and a plus-28 rating in 41 games. It’s rare to see a defender score more goals and assists, but that’s what Uens accomplished last year.

She did so partially with a rocket of a one-timer. Uens scored with it from the right flank as a left shot a couple of times on the power play. It was really interesting to see that powerful a shot considering she had four career goals entering her senior campaign.

Uens is also physical and has a strong frame at 5-foot-9. I like her defensive profile more than her offensive upside, despite the intriguing goal total this season. Quinnipiac has produced notable defenders like Kendall Cooper, Kati Tabin, Zoe Boyd, and Kate Reilly. I can see Uens being a Boyd-type defender.

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30. Josefin Bouveng, LW, Minnesota (WCHA), 5-foot-9

I really struggled with where to rank Bouveng. The production versus what I saw from the player probably differed more with Bouveng than with anyone else on this list.

Bouveng just scored 15 goals and 43 points in 31 games while playing in the WCHA. She had 50 points in 2023-24. Bouveng racked up 46 points in 28 SDHL games at 20 years old, and she had 13 goals in seven SDHL playoff games at 19. And she’s even got a solid frame at 5-foot-9!

Everything about that statistical profile suggests a first-round grade.

So why is Bouveng here? Well, the tough conclusion I came to is that Bouveng is a fine complementary player. She’s racked up a ton of points getting to play with Abbey Murphy. In the SDHL, she got to play with elite scorers Lara Stalder and Katerina Mrazova.

There’s nothing wrong with being that type of player, and in fact, being someone who plays well with great players is a good skill to have. I just didn’t see enough consistently out of Bouveng to suggest she’s the caliber to justify riding shotgun with those types at the next level.

My concern was only exacerbated by her Olympic performance. Bouveng was dropped to Sweden’s bottom six and she played under 10 minutes in the bronze medal game. Compare that to Thea Johansson, who scored 20 fewer points than Bouveng in the same NCAA conference, but was trusted by Sweden’s staff to play over 21 minutes in that bronze medal game.

Bouveng is also 25 years old. She’s the second-oldest NCAA player in the draft.

She does have some finishing ability, and she gets in good spots for her elite teammates to find her. Bouveng has some solid speed, too. Maybe it continues to work alongside high-end players and she’ll find success in that role in the PWHL as she has in the SDHL and NCAA. I just wouldn’t bet on it until the third round.

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31. Tova Henderson, LHD, Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA), 5-foot-8

Henderson only scored three goals this season, but she sure made a couple of them count. She netted back-to-back overtime winners against Minnesota to end the regular season with a sweep of the Golden Gophers at Ridder Arena.

Despite that huge weekend, Henderson’s offensive totals dipped this season compared to her junior campaign. Instead of building on her six-goal, 20-point year, she regressed to notch three goals and 13 points in 38 games this season.

The British Columbia native featured on Canada’s national development roster last summer, as well as in 2023.

Henderson projects as a third-pairing defender who can give you good defensive minutes. She has top-four potential with her solid skating and strong defensive stick. I would like to see more offense to project her as a top-four defender.

PWHL GMs are constantly looking for capable defenders, and that is only going to increase with this year’s expansion. Henderson feels like a safe projection onto any team’s third-pairing.

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32. Lily Shannon, C/RW, Northeastern (HEA), 5-foot-10

Shannon is one of the easiest players to root for in this year’s draft. She was born with moderate hearing loss and wears hearing aids, including while playing. Shannon had two Division I offers coming out of high school, with one being to walk-on as a redshirt at Northeastern.

She’s battled and overcome the odds to be where she is today. Shannon didn’t end up redshirting as a freshman, showing the coaching staff enough to play right away. She’s made an impact for the Huskies since.

Shannon captained Northeastern last season and had a career year with 19 goals and 43 points in 39 games. A far cry from the walk-on redshirt status she had a few years prior.

The Massachusetts native is a strong finisher and a great fit around the net. Shannon has some quick hands and can find and bury loose pucks. She lacks speed, and I think that will prevent her from being a center at the next level. She was also under 50% on her draws in college. If she were someone that I viewed as a legit PWHL center, I would push her a couple of spots higher on my list.

I think Shannon can find a role as a bottom-six winger who can take the odd draw. She has the size to be adept at winning battles and the scoring ability to chip in some secondary offense. She could also be a fit on a PP2 at the net front. Shannon is also incredibly durable. She played every game for Northeastern over the past four seasons. As they say, the best ability is availability.

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33. Sydney Healey, LW, Boston University (HEA), 5-foot-7

Healey could be one of the steals of the draft. She led Boston University in scoring 12 points, and she had 10 more goals than her next closest teammate.

I really like Healey’s shot. She scored some absolute snipes this season off the rush. She operated at a 20.5% clip this season, which is obviously unsustainable. But over her NCAA career, she was a 16.6% shooter with 45 goals on 271 shots. She was a highly efficient scorer her entire NCAA career and that makes me hopeful she can continue to be a threat at the next level.

Healey has sneaky speed and was able to create a handful of breakaway opportunities due to her defensive play and burst. She also wins puck battles. I really like Healey’s profile as a third-line winger who can give you minutes in multiple scenarios and can give you some depth goal scoring.

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34. Alyssa Regalado, LHD, Cornell (ECAC), 5-foot-7

Regalado had a consistent tenure at Cornell. She was a regular in the top four and produced 10-20 points every season. She tallied six goals and 19 points in 33 games last season.

The Mississauga native is a fine player in many regards. It’s enough of a package to feel good about her as a third-pairing option and possibly on a second pairing at some point, though I’m not sure she’s quite good enough offensively or defensively to realistically see that. If she did become a top-four option, it could be in a similar way to how Mellissa Channell-Watkins has done it.

Solid mover, solid distributor, solid defensive stick. Nothing really standout or elite in Regalado’s profile, which slid her down my board as I finalized it from the late 20s to this spot.

Regalado has pretty similar stats to the aforementioned Grace Dwyer. I have Dwyer higher as I like her tools and impact at both ends better.

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35. Jamie Nelson, LW, Minnesota (ECAC), 5-foot-8

Nelson transferred from Minnesota State to Minnesota last offseason. She had been productive with the Mavericks for three seasons, and she remained effective in that regard with the Golden Gophers, notching 11 goals and 42 points in 39 games.

She screams bottom-six winger to me. Nelson competes and gives you solid two-way value. She scored 20 goals in 2023-24 but that seems to be a bit of an anomaly given her goal totals for the rest of her NCAA career.

Nelson will be 24 years old when she’s drafted, as she received a medical redshirt and an extra year of eligibility due to COVID. I like her fit as a depth player. She probably fits better in the bottom six than some others in this range, but also lacks the potential to be an impact player higher in the lineup like those players. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her go earlier than this.

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36. Alexis Petford, RW, Colgate (ECAC), 5-foot-5

Petford has a good chance to become the first NEWHA alum to play in the PWHL. She won’t be drafted out of NEWHA - Petford transferred to Colgate in 2024 after two seasons at Stonehill - but it will still be a big success story for the conference.

The Saskatchewan native has a weapon of a shot. 18 goals is nothing to scoff at, but I was still surprised that Petford’s goal total wasn’t higher when watching her rifle pucks towards the net. Her one-timer from the left flank in particular wowed me, yet she only had five power-play goals this season. Petford also has a quick-release wrister.

Increasing her shot volume will be key. Petford shot 15.5% as a junior and 17.6% this past season, which I view as indicative of the quality of her shot (that’s not to suggest she’ll consistently score at that clip in the PWHL). She had 102 shots on goal this season. Fewer than three shots on goal per game isn’t enough for a player with that quality of a shot.

Petford did finish this season hot. She had a run of three straight two-goal games (in each of which she had four or five shots on goal) before she was held off the scoresheet in Colgate’s last contest.

I think Petford’s shot is a threat even at the PWHL level. If the team that drafts her gets her power-play looks and helps her put more pucks towards the net, she could become a real draft-day steal.

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37. Hailey MacLeod, G, Ohio State (WCHA), 6-foot-0

MacLeod is the tallest goaltender in the draft among those projected to be selected. She’s mistakenly listed at 5-foot-7 on some sites, but Ohio State has her at 6-foot, and she looks the part in the crease.

The British Columbia native posted a strong .932 save percentage in 30 games as the Buckeyes’ clear starter. MacLeod will be the third Ohio State goaltender drafted in the PWHL. Raygan Kirk had a .945 SV% in 2024 and went 42nd to Toronto. Amanda Thiele had an .887 SV% last year and went 42nd to Boston. So I guess whoever has the 42nd overall pick has to take MacLeod?

MacLeod actually had a better save percentage than Thiele while backing her up in 2024-25. That was MacLeod’s first season with the Buckeyes after transferring from Minnesota-Duluth. Note that MacLeod had a fantastic sophomore season as a Bulldog with a .948 SV%, slightly outperforming then-rookie Eve Gascon in slightly fewer games.

As one of the younger goalies in the draft, MacLeod has lots of time to continue developing. I view MacLeod as a backup for next season, not as a starter or tandem netminder, but she has the potential to get there in the future.

MacLeod could easily go earlier than this, given the need to backfill goalies after expansion and the number of teams that will need a capable backup. Goalies went 14th, 28th, and 42nd in 2024, and 15th, 28th, 37th, 41st, and 42nd in 2025. The need only increases this year, and I think we’ll see MacLeod slot in somewhere in the 25-40 range.

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38. Reichen Kirchmair, RW/LW, Providence (HEA), 5-foot-8

Kirchmair led Providence in scoring the last two seasons. She notched 19 goals and 37 points with a plus-20 rating in 35 games as a junior, but saw those dip to 14 goals and 25 points with a minus-14 rating also in 35 games this season.

The Oakville native is a shot threat. Kirchmair scored double-digit goals every year in college, and she had more goals than assists in three out of four seasons. She has a nasty wrister and is especially dangerous cutting from the right wing to the middle off the rush. Kirchmair also has some nice hands and the size to drive inside.

Kirchmair’s weakness is her skating. She has below-average speed, and that is a worry as she reaches the next level. It could limit her ability to get into positions to put her exciting skills on display. She could be a top-nine winger, especially if her skating improves.

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39. Katie DeSa, G, Penn State (AHA), 5-foot-8

DeSa took over as Penn State’s starter during her sophomore campaign. She racked up 25 shutouts in 80 games over the last three seasons. DeSa is a two-time AHA Goaltender of the Year.

Interestingly, two shutouts this season came when facing some of the highest workloads of her campaign. DeSa had a 36-save shutout against UConn in the regional final and a 35-save shutout against Cornell earlier in the year.

DeSa is an average-sized goaltender. I like her athleticism and ability to block the lower third of the net. I think she easily slides into a backup role. I’d be surprised if she were a starter this season or next. I do see tandem upside. I get some Elaine Chuli vibes.

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40. Laura Fortino, LHD, Torino (Italy), 5-foot-4

I really struggled to figure out where to put Fortino. On one hand, she’s 35 years old and has played sporadically in Italy for three seasons, with her notable games coming largely against third or fourth-tier national teams. On the other, she’s still a great skater who logged huge minutes for Italy at the Olympics and didn’t look out of place whatsoever.

Ultimately, this spot felt fair for what I think Fortino can bring to a team. I believe Fortino can be an effective third-pairing defender who brings a ton of experience. I even think there’s a chance she could push into a top four with her skating, although that’s very much on the optimistic side.

Look, the PWHPA was a long time ago now, but Fortino was among the top scoring defenders in its last season in 2022-23. Does that mean anything today? Probably not? But it at least shows me that Fortino was still a very capable player after falling out of the Canadian national team picture.

If Fortino hadn’t featured at the Olympics, I likely would’ve left her off my list. That showing with Team Italy at least proved to me she’s still very mobile and can handle playing at that level.

I have no idea if Fortino is even going to be drafted, so my ranking might look silly if that’s how it goes down on draft night. I would look at Montreal with Team Italy GM Daniele Sauvageau, plus Fortino’s hometown Hamilton, as the two destinations to keep an eye on. Fortino works as the Brantford Bulldogs’ director of player development, which could be a factor.

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41. Oxana Bratishcheva, C, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (ZhHL), 5-foot-5

Bratishcheva was among the more pleasant surprises when making this list. I wasn’t familiar with her game at all, but came away quite liking what I saw.

My top-ranked Russian, Bratishcheva has consistently scored around a point per game in the Russian league for years. She popped for a career-high 56 points in 41 games in 2023-24. She totaled 19 goals and 37 points in 36 games this year to lead Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in scoring.

Bratishcheva played at two Worlds and the 2022 Olympics for Team Russia.

The 26-year-old plays down the middle and I think she could be a fourth-line center with some upside to play as a third liner. Last year’s Russians - Fanuza Kadirova and Anna Shokhina - were more boom-or-bust type picks. I don’t really view Bratishcheva that way, as I don’t think she could be a top-six offensive contributor. Instead, she has a good motor, battles around the net, and I like her ability to gain the zone with control.

It’s hard to fully gauge players from the Russian league considering the variance in quality of competition, but I would be comfortable taking a shot on Bratishcheva at this spot given the lack of centers.

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42. Brooke Disher, LHD, Ohio State (WCHA), 5-foot-8

Disher primarily featured on Ohio State’s third pairing, though she rotated into the top four situationally. She notched 15 points in 41 games with a career-best plus-28 rating this season.

A captain for Canada at the U18s in 2022, Disher actually scored the most goals (7) and points (17) of her career as a rookie at Boston University. She transferred to Ohio State before the 2024-25 season.

Disher isn’t flashy and likely won’t put up notable point totals in the PWHL, but I like her skating and defensive play. She looks like a pretty safe bet to be a third-pairing defender.

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43. Maddy Christian, LW, Penn State (AHA), 5-foot-7

Christian racked up 40 goals in 77 games over the past two seasons. She had only six in her first two campaigns at Penn State, so it’s been a big offensive glow-up for Christian.

I like her in transition and as a finisher. I’m a bit wary of her 20% shooting percentage over the past two seasons. It could be down to her finishing great looks in premium spots, but that’s something to note.

Christian has six shorthanded goals over the last two years, including four in 2024-25. She could be someone who chips in on a penalty killing unit.

You may notice I have Chrisitan ranked here, but teammate Roberts only listed as an honorable mention despite similar production. I like Christian’s skating significantly more than Roberts, which I think could allow Christian to be a more effective player in a bottom-six setting.

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44. Daria Gredzen, G, Krasnoyarsk (ZhHL), 5-foot-9

The players we’ve seen enter the PWHL draft from the Russian league have all been 26 years old or older, and are entering the PWHL as more established, veteran types. That’s not the case with Gredzen.

Gredzen is still only 22 years old. She’s a 2004, making her the same age as the likes of Hailey MacLeod and Katie DeSa. That’s big considering the likely adjustment period coming over to the PWHL and significantly better players.

In 2022, Gredzen was named to Russia’s Olympic team. She was only 17 years old at the time, which broke Hall of Famer Vladislav Tretiak’s record as the youngest goaltender to compete at the Olympics for Russia. Gredzen got into two games, stopping all 19 shots she faced in 11 minutes of action against USA, then making 30 saves on 34 shots in 31 minutes versus Canada.

Gredzen has played her entire career to date in Krasnoyarsk. She posted a .928 save percentage in 30 games and was very good in the playoffs with a .942 SV% in eight games. Over the past three seasons, Gredzen has played over 1,000 more minutes than the next closest goaltender in the league. She’s also played 11 more playoff games than any goaltender in that span.

Gredzen is an athletic goaltender. She’s made some impressive saves over the years in the Russian league. The question is more about Gredzen being able to stop the typical PWHL shot at an above-average rate. I think her athleticism gives her a shot to be a notable goalie in the league. She might need to start as a third-stringer, but I feel she even has starting upside down the road if things click. I wonder what the perception of her game would be if we had four years of World Championship experience to draw from.

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45. Maria Batalova, LHD, Ufa (ZhHL), 5-foot-8

Batalova is one of the top defenders in the history of the Russian women’s league. According to Elite Prospects, she ranks third in all-time scoring among ZhHL defenders with 334 points in 389 games over 13 seasons.

The 30-year-old is an eight-time Russian league champion, and she’s won back-to-back Best Defender awards. She was also named the league’s Best Player this season.

It’s difficult to evaluate players from the Russian league, even more so for defenders. The closest reference point we have is Aneta Tejralova, and she was last in the league in 2021-22.

The quality varies widely in Russia, and we don’t have any recent international fixtures to draw from. I think the unknown factor was evident in how Fanuza Kadirova performed compared to Anna Shokhina, despite their difference in Russian league scoring and draft slot.

In reviewing Batalova’s film, I was almost shocked by how often she was up and involved in the play. She activates often and so deep into the offensive zone that she looks like a forward at times. I caught a moment during the final playoff game where Batalova, while shorthanded, swung up the right wing into the neutral zone as a passing option with all three of her teammates in the defensive zone trying to manage the puck.

She’s almost more of a rover or a floater than a traditional defender. Batalova’s going to have to rein in some of it against much better competition, but I also think that whoever drafts needs to allow her to play her game to an extent if she’s to flourish in North America.

Batalova is confident on the puck, and her shot looks like an asset. She has some nice rushes up the ice.

She’s already 30, making her one of the oldest players in the draft, and the transition to the PWHL won’t be easy, particularly defensively. Batalova isn’t my highest-ranked Russian due to my hesitancy over how her game translates to the PWHL, but I will say she has the highest upside of the Russian skaters, given her offense.

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46. Megan McKay, LHD, Clarkson (ECAC), 5-foot-10

Tall defenders who do enough to play a regular role will always be in vogue. McKay fits the bill at 5-foot-10.

The Indiana native transferred from Mercyhurst to Clarkson before last season. McKay produced five goals and 15 points in 35 games, and she led all Golden Knights defenders with a plus-17 rating.

McKay could find a role as a stay-at-home defender on a third pairing. Her height and strength will be the key to her becoming an everyday defender in the PWHL. McKay isn’t the most mobile defender or the best puck mover, but I think she does so at an adequate level to where she can play an inoffensive depth role and chip in in defensive situations. I remember liking some of the jam she played with at the U.S. collegiate series camp last summer.

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47. Kyla Josifovic, RW, UConn (HEA), 5-foot-11

Josifovic scored more goals and points in her senior year than she had in her previous three seasons combined. It was a massive campaign for the tall winger with 16 goals and 40 points in 39 games. She had six goals and 17 points in 36 contests the year prior.

It’s a particularly cool development story considering Josifovic had zero goals and two assists in her rookie season at UConn. She saw the process through, going from almost a complete non-factor to the Huskies’ leading scorer and captain. It’s increasingly rare to see a four-year progression like that while remaining at a single program, so a tip of the cap to both Josifovic and the UConn coaching staff.

Josifovic was a good finisher around the net this season. She can lean on defenders and power through contact. Continued development utilizing her size will only see that become more of a strength. Josifovic was mostly used on the right flank on the power play rather than the net front. She scored a couple of nice goals from that spot, but I think she’s better suited as a net-front option rather than a half-wall sniper if she’s to get power-play reps as a pro.

A Burlington native who also played for the Barracudas, it would be very cool to see Josifovic end up in Hamilton’s bottom six.

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48. Jane Kuehl, RW, Princeton (ECAC), 5-foot-6

Kuehl consistently built over her NCAA career. She scored seven points as a rookie, 14 as a sophomore, 19 as a junior, and 27 last year as a senior. It’s the kind of linear progression a lot of people expect, but rarely actually see.

The Minnesota native has quick first few steps, but I wouldn’t call her a burner. Kuehl scored a handful of goals around the net this year and has good enough hands. She created a couple of breakaway goals with smart plays in the defensive zone, combined with her solid burst.

Kuehl is a fine player. I could see her filling a depth role in the PWHL. I don’t expect her to be a notable scorer at the pro level, but she’s got enough aspects to her game where she could be useful at the bottom of a roster. Bring energy, play smart, that kind of thing.

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49. Kendall Butze, LHD, Penn State (AHA), 5-foot-3

Butze looks to be the second Penn State defender drafted into the PWHL after the Seattle Torrent snagged Lyndie Lobdell last year.

I actually thought Lobdell played well for Seattle down the stretch as she got more minutes. That helps Butze’s case in the draft, as it can be unfairly easy to dismiss some of a Penn State defender’s results, considering the quality of competition in the AHA.

Butze had a strong season with 33 points and a plus-35 rating in 39 games. She’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-3, which limits some of her defensive upside. The only PWHL defenders listed at 5-foot-3 or under last season were Cayla Barnes, Savannah Harmon, Amanda Boulier, and Sydney Bard.

I like Butze’s skating and puck-moving ability, but I don’t see her as a top-four defender. I think she can play a role as an effective puck-mover on a third pairing. Some teams will welcome that, others will prefer to build a third pairing around bigger, more physical blue-liners.

That could make Butze a solid value pick in the back half of the draft. I can definitely see her going in the fourth round, especially if we get a couple of runs on defenders.

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50. Stephanie Bourque, LHD, Union (ECAC), 5-foot-4

Bourque isn’t just looking to be the first Union player drafted into the PWHL, she’s looking to be the first Union player to play in the league at all.

She would also be the first New Brunswick native drafted in the PWHL after Sarah Bujold and Marlene Boisonnault signed and played as undrafted free agents.

Bourque is a crafty offensive defender. She’s comfortable on the puck and will make moves at the blue line to create shooting and passing lanes. The question is how much of that ability will still be effective in the PWHL.

As mentioned before, some teams just simply prefer a different style of player on their third pairing. I feel Bourque’s ability and comfort on the puck could result in her being a positive impact player on a third pairing. I also wouldn’t be surprised if she goes undrafted and has to fight for a contract in a training camp.

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51. Nina Pirogova, LHD, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (ZhHL), 5-foot-9

Pirogova played last season in Far East Russia. We’re talking just north of Japan. The Google Maps result showed a 127-hour drive to Moscow!

A two-time Olympian, Pirogova has lots of international experience despite Russia not participating in any IIHF events since 2022. In addition to the 2018 and 2022 Olympics, Pirogova has featured at five World Championships, and she played at four Under-18s. She’s still only 27 years old, showing how much Russia leaned on her early in her career.

Pirogova accrued 29 points in 36 games last season for her lowest-scoring campaign since 2019-20. She’s actually the all-time leading scorer among defenders in the Russian league with 116 goals and 395 points in 400 games over 13 seasons.

To be perfectly honest, nothing about Pirogova’s game really stood out when I watched some of her tape from this season. She’s got a solid frame at 5-foot-9 and she looks like a fine skater, but I never saw the high-end offensive flashes I was hoping for, given her track record in Russia.

I was hoping to come away from watching Pirogova with the feeling she could be a legit top-four PWHL defender. I didn’t, and instead have her ranked here as a potential third-pairing defender. When I watched Maria Batalova’s tape - the other Russian defender in the draft - I was left intrigued. When I watched Pirogova’s tape, I was left a little underwhelmed.

Pirogova is without a doubt the “safer” pick of the two. She plays a much more typical game for a defender than the roving Batalova. But I would be more inclined to take a chance on Batalova’s more unique profile.

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52. India McDadi, LW, Brown (ECAC), 5-foot-4

McDadi concluded her collegiate career with her first double-digit goal total (11) and a career-high in points (28) after captaining the Bears. She stuck with a building Brown program for all four years and is graduating with the team in a better place than when she arrived in 2022. That’s valuable experience to bring to the next level when she’ll be fighting for a roster spot and minutes.

The Mississauga native is on the smaller side but makes up for it with a high motor. She’ll chase down pucks, force turnovers, and go to the net. McDadi has some speed - not elite, but definitely noticeable - and has solid hands.

McDadi profiles as a bottom-six winger. I largely view her as a fourth-line type, but she might have enough tools to be an effective third-liner over time. I think she has the pace and relentlessness to be a useful energy player down the lineup.

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53. Sena Catterall, LW, Clarkson (ECAC), 5-foot-5

Catterall potted double-digit goals each of the past three seasons at Clarkson. She had 17 goals and 33 points in 35 games this campaign to rank second on the Golden Knights in both categories behind star rookie Sara Manness.

The Montreal native is a couple of years older than most other prospects entering the draft out of the NCAA, as she will turn 25 years old early in her rookie season. That bumps her slightly down my board.

I like Catterall’s profile as a fourth-liner. She brings energy and is comfortable in hard areas around the net. I don’t view her as a higher-potential player, but she brings attributes that are useful at the bottom of a lineup.

Catterall is a dual athlete. She plays center field for Canada’s women’s baseball team, having featured at the 2024 World Cup. Catterall was named to the All-World Team, leading the tournament in stolen bases and runs scored, and she also won Best Defensive Player. She most recently featured for Canada in May at the World Cup Qualifying Series against Puerto Rico.

Catterall is committed to hockey and that will take priority over her baseball career. The WPBL begins play later this year. I’d love to see Catterall play in both leagues at some point in the future, but it may be too logistically difficult.

Emily Baxter was drafted by Boston in the WPBL after going undrafted in the 2025 PWHL Draft. Kaitlyn Ross put her baseball career on pause in 2025 as she pursued a PWHL contract.

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54. Neena Brick, C, MoDo (SDHL), 5-foot-8

Brick played last season in Sweden after going undrafted in the 2025 PWHL Draft. She tallied a modest 11 goals and 19 points in 35 games, then had two goals and three points in four playoff contests.

Before heading to Europe, Brick played at Colgate. Her biggest campaign came as a junior in 2023-24, when she had 18 goals and 40 points in 40 games. Notably, Brick shot at a 23% clip that season, and she came back down as a senior. She had eight goals and 27 points in 39 games in 2024-25 before going undrafted.

Brick has a solid frame and I like do like her finishing ability. I think she can be a fourth-liner, and honestly, I could see her becoming a third-liner if she improves her shot volume. For example, Brick had 53 fewer shots than Djurgarden top scorer Brette Pettet with only two fewer goals. I’d also like her to become a smoother skater. But there’s a base here that I like.

Despite graduating in 2025, Brick is actually younger than several NCAA prospects in this draft, including fellow forwards Lily Shannon, Thea Johansson, and Jamie Nelson, to name a few mid-rounders. I like that she has this different experience at the same age as others in this draft.

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55. Leah Stecker, RHD, Penn State (AHA), 5-foot-9

Stecker is the fifth Penn State player on this list and the second defender after Kendall Butze. She didn’t have gaudy point totals, instead steadily building over her collegiate tenure to finish with 20 points in 39 games.

The New Jersey native doesn’t have great puck skills, but I still like that she’s not afraid to make moves at the blue line and attack downhill. She can make a breakout pass and has a solid frame at 5-foot-9. As a right-handed defender, sometimes that’s really all you need to play a consistent role on a third pairing.

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56. Grace Elliott, LW, UBC (Canada West), 6-foot-2

Elliott is easily the most interesting development project in the entire draft. At 6-foot-2, Elliott would be the tallest player in PWHL history, regardless of position. No forward in the PWHL last season was even listed at 6-foot. She’s six inches taller than the average height for a forward in the PWHL.

Of course, height isn’t everything. What makes Elliott so intriguing to me is that she isn’t just tall; she was highly productive at UBC. She won the Brodrick Trophy as the U SPORTS Player of the Year in 2025 after scoring 22 goals and 42 points in 28 games. Last season, she was named Canada West Player of the Year for the second straight season after totaling 24 goals and 37 points in 28 games.

Elliott is a unique threat around the net. There just aren’t defenders who can handle a player that tall in Canada West. Her ability to screen goaltenders, particularly as the net-front player on a power play, made her incredibly effective. That’s an element of her game that will still be a factor at the next level. She was a great finisher at the U SPORTS level. The question is how much of that scoring ability and physical advantage will translate making a big jump up to the PWHL.

The biggest hurdle for Elliott to overcome is her skating. She’s lacking in speed and agility, and she’ll have a tough time creating her own looks in the PWHL. If I drafted her, I would get her with a skating coach as soon as possible.

The Vancouver Goldeneyes drafted Chanreet Bassi out of UBC with the last pick in the 2025 draft, and Elliott is a much more intriguing pro prospect to me. I’m curious if the Goldeneyes dip into the UBC pool again, or if someone else scoops up Elliott. I’d love to see her work with Francois Methot in Boston, given his track record as a skating coach. Or maybe Elliott goes undrafted, and I’m overrating the appeal of her height with some of my U SPORTS bias.

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57. Emerson O’Leary, C, Princeton (ECAC), 5-foot-7

O’Leary enters the PWHL draft after a bit of a down season that has likely seen her slip down draft boards. She had consecutive seasons scoring over 30 points entering her senior season, but saw her total slip to 24 points in 34 games this year.

Most notably, O’Leary scored only two goals and ended the campaign on a 20-game goal drought. She literally hasn’t scored a goal in 2026. It would be fair to point to her 2.4% shooting percentage and expect her to rebound to an extent.

My concern is that O’Leary scored at under a 9% clip before her senior campaign, and her career NCAA shooting percentage is down to 6.9%. Scoring in the PWHL is very hard. If you can’t do it consistently in the NCAA, you probably aren’t gonna do much of it in the pros.

Now, there are definitely aspects of O’Leary’s game to like. She’s a solid distributor. She can force turnovers by breaking up breakout passes with an active, good stick. O’Leary won 54.8% of her draws this season, so she could be a fine depth option down the middle.

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58. Emma-Sofie Nordstrom, G, St. Lawrence (ECAC), 5-foot-10

Nordstrom has posted good numbers everywhere she’s played. A three-year starter at St. Lawrence, her 90 NCAA games since 2023 rank fifth among goaltenders. She has a .932 save percentage in that span.

The Dane was limited to 18 games this season, in which she had a .931 SV%.

Internationally, Nordstrom has played quite well for Denmark, having taken over as the national team starter in 2023. She’s had a .925 SV% or better at all four events as a starter, including a .950 SV% at the 2025 D1A to get Denmark back into the 2026 World Championship later this year, which will actually be hosted in her hometown of Herning and Esbjerg.

A tall goaltender at 5-foot-10, Nordstrom has an enticing size profile between the pipes. She’s more of a blocking goaltender than the smaller, athletic types. Her style is more so calm, controlled movements.

Nordstrom comes from a family of goaltenders. She’s cousins with Carolina Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen and Utah Mammoth prospect Melker Thelin.

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59. Sara Stewart, C/LW, Colgate (ECAC), 5-foot-3

Stewart’s stock slipped after a down senior campaign. Her point total was cut in half from her junior season, and she swung from a plus-22 rating to a minus-12.

Despite that, Stewart actually scored more goals, albeit only one more. Of her nine goals this season, seven came on the power play. That led all Colgate players.

Stewart’s net-front ability surprised me, considering her size. Most of her goals came on deflections or by burying a loose puck around the crease. I was pretty impressed by her hand-eye and how she was able to gain position against taller, stronger defenders. I also like her quickness and motor.

It’s hard to see Stewart being anything more than a fourth liner, but I like her skill set to be exactly that. I would consider drafting the Nova Scotia native with a late pick or would certainly give her a camp invite.

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60. Gracie Gilkyson, LHD, Yale (ECAC), 5-foot-7

Gilkyson flourished playing with rookie Molly Boyle for a career campaign, notching nine goals and 27 points in 36 games. She had tallied 11 points the prior season and 15 as a sophomore.

The Calgary native has some speed and is a fine puck mover. I could see her being a No. 6 or No. 7 defender in the PWHL. I’m not sure there’s enough offense or defensive value to be more than that.

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61. Erica Rieder, LHD, Lulea (SDHL), 5-foot-9

If you’re a player who goes undrafted this year, look to Rieder as an example of what you can still accomplish in your hockey career.

Had the PWHL existed in 2019 when Rieder finisher her time at the University of Manitoba, she wouldn’t have been drafted. Had the PWHL existed in 2020 after Rieder’s first season in Sweden, she wouldn’t have been drafted again.

Rieder’s progression the last few years to become a steady defender on a championship contender in Sweden is really impressive. She’s notched 20 or more points in the SDHL each of the last four seasons. Last year, she had 20 points in 34 games and led the entire league with a plus-32 rating.

I think Rieder could play on a third pairing, especially with the need for more defenders after expansion. She will turn 30 years old early next season, so the lack of runway versus NCAA prospects pushes her down my list a little bit.

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62. Rhea Hicks, C, Clarkson (ECAC), 5-foot-5

Late on the board here, it’s all about having at least one standout attribute. For Hicks, it’s that she’s a right-handed pivot who can capably win draws, doing so at a 59.9% clip this year.

Hicks has a fascinating NCAA progression. She began at Syracuse, then transferred to Clarkson and barely played as a sophomore. Hicks then erupted for 14 goals and 38 points in 40 games as a junior in 2024-25. This season was a bit of a comedown with seven goals and 18 points in 30 games.

I didn’t see a lot of creation out of Hicks. A good amount of her totals from 2024-25 seemed to come from what Anne Cherkowski, Haley Winn, and Nicole Gosling were doing, and when those three graduated, Hicks’ totals dropped notably. Hicks did a fine job of cleaning up some rebounds or loose pucks around the net. She could maybe be a fourth-liner or a nice development project to stash on reserve. Again, being a right-handed center helps.

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63. Mckenna Van Gelder, C, Cornell (ECAC), 5-foot-7

Right-handed centers! Van Gelder won 61% of her draws this season, making her a viable option as a fourth-line pivot. She was very consistent at Cornell, notching 23 points in three of her four seasons, but she also never found a higher level in terms of her offensive production.

Van Gelder does everything to a fine enough level where she can be an inoffensive player at the bottom of the lineup who wins draws. She’s a player in the draft who’s probably shown you what she is, considering her lack of progression offensively in the NCAA.

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64. MK O’Brien, LW, Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA), 5-foot-4

O’Brien struggled offensively as a fifth-year senior with only three goals in 38 games. She had 17 points, down from seven goals and 25 points the prior year.

I like O’Brien’s motor and compete level. She fits as a fourth liner in that way, it’s why I’d consider her here despite her lack of production this season. It’s definitely a worry that she only scored three goals this year despite putting 114 shots on goal. It could also be a sign that she’s doing the right things to get pucks on net and that she’ll rebound from the 2.6% shooting percentage. She scored at a 7.5% clip in 2024-25.

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65. Grace Wolfe, RHD, St. Cloud State (WCHA), 5-foot-9

As a fifth-year senior, Wolfe more than doubled her production from her 2024-25 season with 21 points in 37 games. She was St. Cloud State’s top-scoring defender.

Wolfe scored more than St. Cloud State alum Dayle Ross did before being drafted into the PWHL, but I like Ross’ defensive profile more. Wolfe is also older than Ross by a couple of months despite having still been in the NCAA last season.

The Minnesota native has a pretty good slapshot, though she won’t be an offensive factor at the next level. If she makes it, she’ll be a depth defender who leans into the defensive side of her game. Right-handed defenders with a fine profile will always get looks with the league-wide desire for defensive depth.

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66. Saskia Maurer, G, SC Bern (PFWL), 5-foot-5

I wasn’t quite sure where to rank Maurer, or if at all. She’s a slightly smaller goaltender and doesn’t have a huge international sample size having been Andrea Braendli’s backup on the Swiss national team.

Maurer had a two-year stint at St. Thomas where her .914 save percentage in 32 total games was pretty good considering she faced 38 shots per 60. Annoyingly, save percentage isn’t tracked in the Swiss league, so we don’t have a barometer there.

With Team Switzerland, Maurer had a standout Olympics that put on the radar as a name to potentially watch for the PWHL. She made 51 saves on 55 shots against Canada, and kept Canada to only one goal through two periods.

Maurer also excelled in the placement game against Sweden at the 2025 Worlds, where she stopped 34 of 36 in a win.

There isn’t enough of a sample size of elite play from Maurer for me to rank her higher. That could be a blind spot for the Swiss league, but she did shelled by EV Zug in the playoffs. I’d consider her a potential third stringer entering the draft but there are eight backup gigs up for grabs and she could be a candidate to snag one.

67. Grace Campbell, G, Boston College (HEA), 5-foot-7

Campbell was a three-year starter at Boston College, taking the reins from Abbey Levy after backing her up for one season as a rookie. She never reached the heights of Levy’s career-best .947 save percentage, but Campbell was a solid, consistent netminder for the Eagles.

The Maryland native posted a .923 SV% as a sophomore, a .930 SV% as a junior, and a .927 SV% this past season. Campbell was a workhorse, leading all NCAA goalies by playing 104 games over the last three years.

I wasn’t able to watch a ton of Campbell, so I could definitely be off here. Her stats at BC were good, not great, and the handful of Campbell clips I was able to find didn’t jump out to me. She could be a backup, but I would more likely slot her in as a third stringer for now.

68. Naomi Boucher, C, Yale (ECAC), 5-foot-6

Boucher tripled her assist total from her junior campaign to score 27 points in 36 games this season. Both her six goals and 21 assists were career highs.

She was never a notable goal scorer in college, as evidenced by 20 career goals in 131 games. Instead, Boucher is a solid distributor with a good motor who could potentially fill a depth role.

Boucher won 61.4% of her draws this season, and her 487 faceoff wins ranked fifth in the nation. There’s a potential role for the Montreal native as a pro if she can win draws and play responsibly in her own zone, somewhat similar to the role that Alexandra Labelle has carved out.

Naomi is the daughter of longtime NHL coach Guy Boucher.

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69. Lara Beecher, RW, Clarkson (ECAC), 5-foot-5

Beecher reached double-digit goals and eclipsed the 20-point mark for the first time last season after transferring to Clarkson. She led Vermont in scoring the previous campaign.

The Buffalo native is one of the youngest players in the draft as a November 2004. She’s almost three full years younger than fellow Clarkson teammate Sena Catterall, who is also in this year’s draft.

Beecher plays with some quickness and she has a decent shot. She looks like a potential fourth liner.

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70. Payten Evans, LHD, Mercyhurst (AHA), 5-foot-9

A late addition to my board, Evans popped a bit at Mercyhurst this year with eight goals and 20 points in 37 games from the blue line. She transferred to the Lakers last summer from Merrimack, where she had managed just 12 points in 72 games the prior two seasons.

I like Evans’ size and skating profile as a bit of a developmental defender who could pitch in on a third pairing.

Evans’ older brother Ryker plays for the Seattle Kraken.

71. Tereza Pistekova, C, SDE (SDHL), 5-foot-9

The youngest player on my board, Pistekova only turned 21 earlier in June. It was a pleasant surprise to see her declare for the draft at this point in her career, which I think is a really intriguing move as if she goes undrafted, she then can control where she signs in the future as an undrafted free agent.

But that’s only if she goes undrafted, and I think there’s definitely a case to select Pistekova now.

Pistekova tallied six goals and 25 points in 34 SDHL games last season with SDE. She played with Djurgarden the prior year and had a similar stat line. Pistekova has played for the Czech national team in a depth role since 2023.

I like Pistekova’s compete. She works for the puck and she has the frame to win puck battles. She moves the puck around pretty well on the cycle. Pistekova definitely needs to be become a better goal scorer, but at 21 years old, she has time for that side of her game to come around.

I think at least one more year in Sweden is probably best for Pistekova’s development. I’d love to use a pick on her, stash her in the SDHL so she can play top-six minutes, then bring her over. That’s not really a viable strategy, though, given the PWHL’s rules about draft pick rights.

Pistekova coming over to the PWHL now does open up big developmental opportunities. She wouldn’t get nearly as much ice time, but she would be working daily in practice against the best of the best with lots of development time. I can see Pistekova being useful as a fourth-line center or extra forward this season.

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72. Laurence Frenette, RW, Quinnipiac (ECAC), 5-foot-7

Frenette put 140 shots on goal this season but only managed six goals. You could look at that as an inability to finish or that she’s due to convert at higher than a 4.3% rate. I view it more as the former, but there’s enough that I’d consider her late in the draft.

The Quebec native ranked third on Quinnipiac with 29 points in 41 games. It was a tick up from her 18 points the year prior, but a tick down from her nine goals.

Frenette began her collegiate career at Clarkson and transferred to Quinnipiac in 2024. She’s a potential fourth liner or reserve forward.

Tap/click here for highlights.

Ryan has been with the national team for almost a decade, and he’s been head coach for six years. It would’ve been a surprise if Ryan were kept on as head coach for another four-year run through the 2030 Olympics, regardless of the outcome in Italy. Coaches don’t really manage a national team for that long.

Canada’s eight-game losing streak against the United States just makes the decision easier for everyone.

Ryan told me and other reporters Thursday that this is “probably the right time for change” regarding his role as head coach. He then told The Associated Press’ John Wawrow on Friday that it is “very unlikely” he will coach at the next World Championship in November.

While it isn’t official that Ryan will step down as Canada’s head coach, it couldn’t be clearer that this is the direction things are going in.

Ryan has taken a lot of heat recently. Some of it is fair. Some I found to be misplaced. But what has been lost in the recent discussion about Ryan and his tenure is just how successful it was.

I think people have forgotten where the national team was when Ryan took over in 2020. Canada had lost to Finland in the semis at the 2019 Worlds and hadn’t won a major IIHF event since the 2014 Olympics.

Ryan built the Canadian national team back to a level of success it hadn’t seen in well over a decade. Fans remember the Olympic triumphs for Canada, but in between, there was a lot of American dominance at the World Championships. Canada was one for nine at the Worlds from 2008-20 before Ryan took over.

Under Ryan, Canada won three World Championships and had the most dominant offense in Olympic history en route to gold in 2022. Canada hadn’t won four major events in a five-tournament span since 2001-07 before its run of success with Ryan from 2021-24.

Even as the American team became more dynamic, more skilled, and more potent than Team Canada over the past 365 days, it was the Canadians who excelled in the final at last year’s Worlds and this year’s Olympics, despite the outcomes. A lot of credit should go to Ryan for those two performances.

Now we look ahead to November and what the next four years will look like for Team Canada in lead up to the 2030 Games in France.

Hockey Canada has two choices: It can copy its model from the men’s side and primarily use coaches from the top pro league, or it can revert to the pre-PWHL model, where the national team head coach is hired on a full-time basis.

There are pros and cons to both. Obviously, we see lots of success with North American men’s teams using NHL coaches. We also saw Team USA have immense success with John Wroblewski as its head coach, which is his only gig.

I don’t have a good feel for which direction Hockey Canada will go. Ultimately, getting the best coach matters most. If that means PWHL involvement, then go that route. If that means hiring someone full-time, then go that route.

I think a lot of USA’s success at these Olympics came because it was building for four years, and that’s due in large part to Wroblewski’s hiring and his remaining in the role through the entire quadrennial. This is a massive decision upcoming for Hockey Canada, and they have to get it right as it ushers in a new wave of exciting young talent.

Enough rambling. Who are the coaches you should know? Here are 15 names that I think could be in the running. Note that this is ordered by I view as most to least likely, and that this is not a report. I’m just spitballin’ here.

1. Kori Cheverie

Current role: Head coach, Montreal Victoire

Cheverie is the clear top candidate. She’s young at 38 years old and has lots of Team Canada experience as an assistant on the national team since 2021. She’s seen firsthand the details and preparation that go into the Olympics, both in 2022 and in 2026. It would make for an easy transition period as well.

The Nova Scotia native works daily with top Canadian talent in Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, Ann-Renee Desbiens, and Erin Ambrose with the Victoire.

If Hockey Canada decides it wants a model similar to that on the men’s side, where the staff would be primarily comprised of PWHL talent, it’s frankly hard to see how it isn’t Cheverie who gets the gig.

Montreal has been the PWHL’s best regular-season team through three seasons, which has been guided by Cheverie from Day No. 1. The knock against her PWHL success would be the playoffs, where the Victoire have only one win in seven games despite being the No. 2 seed in 2024 and the No. 1 seed last year.

They’ve all been tight games - each has been a one-goal loss, with all three in 2024 being in overtime. There are lessons learned from experiences like that, which can make Cheverie a better coach in similar situations going forward, but I can see the other argument where that would be considered a knock against her candidacy.

I think it’s very likely that Cheverie is tabbed as Canada’s next coach. The two ways it doesn’t happen to me are if Hockey Canada wants a head coach solely focused on the national team, or if they want a complete fresh start and retain nobody from the current staff (which I think would be very unlikely).

2. Caroline Ouellette

Current role: Assistant coach, Montreal Victoire

I would be pretty surprised if Ouellette isn’t still on Canada’s coaching staff in November. Whether it’s as an assistant, the role she currently holds on the national team, or as the head coach, is the big question to be answered.

Ouellette is the No. 1 candidate as Canada’s next head coach if Hockey Canada hires a full-time coach. It would require Ouellette to leave her assistant role with the Victoire, but it is much more likely that an assistant would leave the league for this role than a head coach.

The 46-year-old’s experience speaks for itself. Ouellette is a Hockey Hall of Famer who won four Olympic gold medals and six World Championships. She played most of her career as a forward, but even played as a defender at the 2006 Olympics. Ouellette knows the ins and outs of competing at the highest level in a Canadian jersey, something that is a big boost over other candidates.

Ouellette has been on the national team’s staff for five World Championships and this past Olympics. As a coach, she’s witnessed Canada lose to Finland and only take bronze, she’s seen Canada win the Worlds, and she’s seen a heartbreaking Olympic defeat.

I don’t see another head coach who brings the wealth of experience that Ouellette does.

3. Vicky Sunohara

Current role: Head coach, University of Toronto

Another former Team Canada player, Sunohara played at eight World Championships and three Olympics, and she’s in the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Sunohara has been the head coach at the University of Toronto since 2011, where she has overseen a perennial OUA contender. And while that experience is certainly helpful, it’s Sunohara’s recent job with Canada’s U18 program that vaults her up the list as a potential head coach with the senior team.

The 55-year-old has been Canada’s U18 head coach for the past two years, and she was an assistant for two of the three years before that. Sunohara has watched Canada’s next wave of talent closely and has coached the top players who will be breaking into the national team soon.

There’s an injection of youth coming for Team Canada before long. Sunohara has significant experience coaching young players with the Varsity Blues, and those players coming into the national team have already been coached by Sunohara at the U18 level.

Sunohara has also been a coaching consultant with the Toronto Sceptres for the last two seasons, so there’s a familiarity with Troy Ryan for a potential transition period as well.

4. Carla MacLeod

Current role: Head coach, Ottawa Charge

MacLeod is a very interesting candidate to me. She has coached at the Olympics with Japan and Czechia, but was also a longtime Canadian national team player. Nobody else on this list has the combination of knowing what it’s like to play on Team Canada and what it’s like to coach against Team Canada.

Czechia’s rise in recent years started with Tomas Pacina. MacLeod took over in 2022 and helped the group realize its potential and win two bronze medals. But the last two years have not gone to plan for Czechia, which lost the bronze-medal game in dramatic fashion on home ice at the 2025 Worlds and was knocked out of the Olympics in the quarters.

As much as I think MacLeod is an intriguing option, it’s a bit hard to see Hockey Canada tabbing a coach whose team just underperformed at the Olympics as its newest bench boss. MacLeod’s tenure with the Ottawa Charge has had its ups and downs as well. I’d still give her serious consideration.

5. Britni Smith

Current role: Head coach, Syracuse

I already noted Canada’s two other assistants, Kori Cheverie and Caroline Ouellette. Smith was the third assistant and has been on Troy Ryan’s staff for the last two years.

Smith has been Syracuse’s head coach for four seasons after being an assistant at Clarkson for eight years. At Clarkson, she helped develop defenders like Renata Fast, Ella Shelton, Erin Ambrose, and Savannah Harmon. She even had touch points with Haley Winn and Nicole Gosling early in their collegiate careers.

The Orange haven’t had a lot of success under Smith, who is only the second head coach in program history. Syracuse won the conference title in Paul Flanagan’s last year, but hasn’t made the final since.

Smith is in the mix as an assistant on the current staff, but the other two assistants feel like clearer fits as the next head coach for Canada.

6. Haley Irwin

Current role: Assistant coach, Ottawa Charge

I think it’s only a matter of time before we see Irwin on Canada’s coaching staff in some capacity. A veteran of five World Championships and three Olympics as a player, Irwin has emerged recently as a top head coaching candidate in the PWHL as an assistant with the Charge.

Irwin has been on Carla MacLeod’s staff for all three PWHL seasons. When MacLeod was unavailable for a game in December as she underwent treatment for breast cancer, it was Irwin who stepped into the role as acting head coach.

Irwin’s candidacy as head coach is most likely if Canada hires a full-time head coach. Otherwise, I think Irwin is a strong fit to join the staff as an assistant.

7. Tara Watchorn

Current role: Head coach, Boston University

Watchorn was an assistant at Boston University for four seasons, spent two years at Stonehill, and just finished her third campaign back at BU as head coach.

The 35-year-old helped turn things around at Boston University. The Terriers went 11-20-3 in Brian Durocher’s last season in 2022-23. Two years later, BU went 24-12-2 in Watchorn’s second season and won Hockey East to send the program to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015. That being said, the Terriers did take a step back this season, finishing 11-21-3.

Watchorn is one of the younger candidates on this list. Notably, she was on Canada’s U18 staff from 2020-24, which culminated in her head coaching the team in 2024.

As a player, Watchorn featured at three World Championships and the 2014 Olympics with Team Canada. Once again, that kind of experience as a player is valuable to have on a resume.

8. Nadine Muzerall

Current role: Head coach, Ohio State

If a national team head coach can maintain a gig in the NCAA, then Muzerall should be much higher on this list. I just have a hard time seeing Canada’s national team head coach splitting time with the NCAA.

So then the question becomes whether Muzerall would leave the mighty Ohio State program she’s built to take over Team Canada. She signed a five-year extension in 2024 to stay in Columbus.

Under Muzerall, the Buckeyes went from a team that had never even made a national tournament to a program that has two NCAA titles and has made the championship game four straight years (it will probably be five in a few weeks).

Muzerall has never been on the bench for Canada at an IIHF event, though she was an assistant for the development team at one point. She also never played for Canada at an IIHF event, despite her massive totals at Minnesota.

The 47-year-old is intense and has high standards. Her approach has gotten the best out of a lot of players, and I would love to see what she could do on the international stage. Muzerall is probably the No. 1 person I want to see in the role; I just have a harder time seeing it happen compared to some other candidates.

9. Ali Domenico

Current role: Head coach, University of Ottawa

Domenico is the head coach of Canada’s development team, the group of collegiate players that compete in the summer series against the United States. In 2024, the team also played in one part of the Euro Hockey Tour.

The 38-year-old was an assistant on Troy Ryan’s staff at the 2022 Olympics and 2022 Worlds.

Domenico is in her second season at the University of Ottawa after three years as an associate head coach at Providence and many more as an assistant at Ohio State, Syracuse, and Providence.

I would only call Domenico a serious candidate at this stage if Canada wants to hire a full-time head coach for the national team.

10. Jessica Campbell

Current role: Assistant coach, Seattle Kraken

Campbell is easily the highest-profile option Hockey Canada could pursue, but it’s hard to see her choosing to leave her NHL job.

Her impact as an assistant first in the AHL with Coachella Valley and now for the last two years with the Seattle Kraken has been immense. At only 33 years old, Campbell has broken down barriers and given women in coaching someone to look up to, and has shown what is possible.

The Saskatchewan native played at the 2015 World Championship, and she starred at the U18 level. I would have to think that the opportunity to return to the national team as the head coach would at least draw Campbell’s interest.

But the reality is that it’s impossible for Campbell to take the gig and remain with the Kraken. She’s probably only an actual option if Seattle misses the playoffs and shakes up its coaching staff again.

11. Kris Sparre

Current role: Head coach, Boston Fleet

Sparre’s Fleet have been the PWHL’s most impressive team this year. Boston has been top of the standings nearly all campaign despite being projected to finish at the opposite end before the season started.

The 39-year-old has rolled four lines and has leaned on an elite top pairing and goaltender. It’s worked, and Sparre is deserving of some attention for this role.

The biggest concern is that Sparre is a first-year head coach, and he’s never been on a Hockey Canada staff. In fact, this is Sparre’s first season in women’s hockey. It’s very hard to see Hockey Canada tabbing someone with such a small sample like this.

12. Greg Fargo

Current role: Head coach, New York Sirens

I’ve been impressed by Fargo over two seasons with the Sirens, despite the team missing the playoffs last year. I think he did a great job to come in and help the Sirens become a more cohesive group after New York’s tough first campaign. He’s shown he will trust young players, and that could be a key element for Canada’s next head coach if Hockey Canada wants to lean into youth like USA did.

Fargo coached at the U18s as an assistant in 2016, which is his only experience at an IIHF event.

I think Fargo would be a great fit as an assistant for Canada. His lack of touch points with the national team makes it harder to see him jumping in as head coach.

13. Matt Desrosiers

Current role: Head coach, Clarkson

The number of top defenders who have come through Clarkson have all developed under Desrosiers. He’s been with the Golden Knights since 2006, starting as an assistant, then as co-head coach, and then as the sole head coach in 2014.

Desrosiers was an assistant for Canada at the 2019 Worlds, and he’s currently an assistant on the national development team.

Clarkson is a consistent contender to make the national tournament, but the Golden Knights were upset in the first round of the ECAC playoffs this year by Union. A national team opportunity could be more tempting than usual coming off a season like that.

14. Doug Derraugh

Current role: Head coach, Cornell

Derraugh has been head coach at Cornell since 2005. He built the Big Red into one of the NCAA’s elite programs and has helped Cornell reach the NCAA tournament 10 times, reaching the national championship game in 2010.

The 57-year-old has had a few opportunities with Hockey Canada. He was head coach at the 2015 Worlds, he was an assistant at the 2012, 2021, and 2023 Worlds, and he was an assistant at the 2022 Olympics.

Derraugh’s accolades are obvious and plentiful. The question is largely whether he would consider leaving Cornell after 20 seasons to become the national team head coach.

15. Rachel Flanagan

Current role: Assistant coach, Toronto Sceptres

Flanagan has worked with Troy Ryan as a Sceptres assistant since the league’s first season. She’s also been an assistant with the national development team.

Before joining the PWHL, Flanagan was the longtime head coach at the University of Guelph. She has a wealth of experience as a head coach, just not in the pro ranks.

Flanagan’s experience under Ryan makes her a worthwhile name to note here, but she’s someone who is much more likely to be in consideration for an assistant role, not the head coaching position.

There’s been little talk about what the next American roster will look like in 2030 due in part to the celebration of what Team USA just achieved, but also because such a significant part of the roster is in its early to mid 20s and are obvious candidates to remain on the team in France.

That being said, there are some notable changes that will occur in four years. Namely, Hilary Knight won’t be there, if we take her at her word. There’s also the likelihood of an expanded 25-player roster, opening up an extra two roster spots that weren’t an option in 2026.

So what could USA’s roster look like for its gold-medal defense in 2030? Here is my way-too-early projected roster.

Forwards (14)

Hannah Bilka. Her speed is such a weapon. Bilka can absolutely fly, and it opens up so much for both herself and her linemates. She’s had consistent success when playing with Heise internationally, and I’d like to see this duo remain together in particular. Bilka will be 28 years old by the next Olympics, which has her right in the prime of her career.

Taylor Heise. One of the best centers in the game today, and she’ll be one of the best centers in the game in four years. Heise is probably the best pure playmaker in the game right now. I’d love to see her utilize her shot more, because she can rip a puck, too. The obvious No. 1 center for USA for the foreseeable future, as she’ll still be 29 come 2030.

Abbey Murphy. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This line was sublime at the Olympics, and I could see it becoming a fixture of the American lineup for years. Murphy really rounds out this group well. She’s a fantastic finisher, but also an underrated passer. Everyone knows about the agitating side of her game, too. Murphy will be even better in 2030, which is a terrifying thought for every other nation. It’ll be her third Olympics, and she’ll be just 27 years old.

Joy Dunne. The St. Louis native has sky-high potential. Dunne’s size and skill make her a nightmare to defend, and she’s only going to get better as she ages and figures out how to use her height to her advantage more and more. She was elevated to the first line for the gold-medal game last week as a 20-year-old. Dunne will almost certainly be the first overall pick in 2027, and I expect her flourish in the pro ranks. She’ll be only 24 years old in 2030.

Casey O’Brien. If O’Brien has no fans, that means I’m dead. I’m a big believer in her game, and she’s shown already in the PWHL that she can be trusted to win faceoffs and play important minutes. I was disappointed she got very little opportunity in the Rivalry Series and hope to see her enter the fold at the World Championship soon. O’Brien called Simms her favorite linemate when I spoke with her before last year’s PWHL draft. I’d love to see that duo reunited with Team USA. O’Brien will be 28 years old in 2030.

Kirsten Simms. The one young forward who has struggled to push higher into USA’s lineup has been Simms. She scored an OT winner against Canada at the Worlds in 2024, but we’ve seen her healthy scratched and used as a 13th forward over the past two years. She dressed and didn’t play a shift in last week’s gold-medal game, for example. But come 2030, when she’ll be in her fourth PWHL season and be 25 years old, that will all be history. Simms is a highly talented forward, and it’s only a matter of time before her skill and scoring result in her getting more minutes with Team USA.

Jane Daley. The breakout star of this January’s U18s. Daley broke the single-tournament record with 12 goals in six games, which included three straight hat tricks to begin the event. Daley is headed to Ohio State for the 2027-28 season, and I expect her to become one of the top players in college hockey before long. USA has welcomed young forwards with high potential into the national team in recent years, and Daley fits the bill as someone who could similarly be brought into the fold early. She will be 20 years old and in her third NCAA season in 2030.

Alex Carpenter. I have little doubt that Carpenter will still be a top forward in four years when she’s 35. She’s such a smart offensive player and is adept as both a goal scorer and playmaker. I love the idea of Carpenter centering two kids like this. 2030 would be Carpenter’s fourth Games.

Bella Fanale. She ranks second on the Golden Gophers in goals as a rookie behind only Abbey Murphy. Fanale has a lethal shot and has put together a very solid rookie NCAA campaign. I think she’ll continue to rise at Minnesota, and by the time the 2030 Games roll around, she’ll be in her first PWHL season as a 22-year-old.

Lacey Eden. There is nobody I hope makes the 2030 American roster more than Eden. She’s made every Team USA roster since 2021 except for two: The 2022 Olympics and the 2026 Olympics. Being one of the final cuts for two Olympic rosters has to be gut-wrenching. Eden can play both wings and projects more as a penalty killer for the national team. She’s been used as a fourth liner for much of her time with Team USA, and I think it’s caused her offensive game to become underrated. Eden became the fourth player ever to score 100 career goals in Wisconsin program history over the weekend. She’ll be a first-round pick in the PWHL this year, and I think she’ll excel in the pro ranks.

Tessa Janecke. A versatile, speedy forward who has featured on USA’s first line as well as its fourth-line center. Janecke will be 25 years old in 2030 and be in her fourth PWHL campaign. She could easily feature higher in this projected lineup.

Grace Zumwinkle. It would be her third Olympics in 2030. Zumwinkle fits well in a bottom-six role as a scoring threat who plays smart defensively and can chip in on both special teams. As much as I like her scoring ability, she hasn’t been productive with the national team since being added again in 2025. I’d like to see her generate more in her coming national team opportunities, even if I think her PWHL results will be more than good enough to warrant a spot in 2030 when she’s 30.

Britta Curl-Salemme. A strong, physical player who can play up or down the lineup. We saw that at this year’s Games, where she featured on the top line and on the bottom line. She’s already become a top PWHL producer and will be a fixture on USA’s roster for a number of years to come. She’ll be 29 years old in 2030.

Cassie Hall. One of the more underrated NCAA players right now playing behind some top talents at Wisconsin. Her 3-goal, 4-point game against Minnesota on Jan. 31 was incredibly impressive. I think we’re going to see Hall explode next season as the Badgers’ top dog with multiple players graduating. By 2030, she’ll be 24 years old and in her third PWHL season. Her speed and versatility are strong attributes as an extra skater.

Defenders (8) & Goaltenders (3)

Caroline Harvey. There’s a case to be made that Harvey is already the best blue-liner in the world today. Just how good will she be in four years? I’m enamored with Harvey’s game. She’s the best four-way skater in the sport and has the skill and offensive instincts to do damage with it. A true treat to watch. Her resume is already one of the best in women’s hockey history among defenders, and she’s just getting started. She’ll be only 27 years old in 2030.

Laila Edwards. I’m fascinated to see whether Edwards plays forward or defense in the PWHL. She continues to play forward at Wisconsin under Mark Johnson, who experimented with her on the blue line earlier this season before moving her back to the wing. She’s also been a quality defender on the national team under John Wroblewski. As long as Wroblewski is USA’s head coach, I have to imagine Edwards will play on the backend. She’ll be 26 in 2030.

Megan Keller. The gold-medal hero in Italy is the future captain of the national team. Keller will be 33 years old in 2030 and should still be a top-pairing quality defender. She’s such a good all-around defender with her defensive positioning, physicality, skill, and booming shot.

Haley Winn. The top four from 2026 remain unchanged for my 2030 projection. I was very high on Winn before the 2025 PWHL Draft as my No. 1 prospect, and even then, she’s exceeded my expectations. She leads all PWHL defenders in usage as a rookie and projects to be among the top minute munchers for years to come. It’s hard to believe Winn will still be only 26 years old in 2030.

Emma Peschel. A final cut on the backend from this year’s Olympic orientation roster. Peschel looks primed to make her senior IIHF debut sooner rather than later. She’s been phenomenal as the veteran anchor on Ohio State’s blue line this season, and I expect her to be drafted in the first round of the PWHL draft in a few months.

Rory Guilday. Physical and mobile. Guilday is perfectly suited to a key defensive role on the national team in a third pairing, and could push higher as needed. I don’t anticipate Guilday will ever be a top offensive producer, but she plays such a steady game that is valued by all coaches. She’ll be 27 years old in 2030 and firmly in the prime of her career.

Chyna Taylor. A Kentucky native on the national team? It would be incredible to see Taylor climb the ranks this quickly and crack the Olympic roster in 2030. She’ll only be 20 years old then, so a more veteran option could get a nod here instead. Taylor has exciting potential with her skating ability, and she’s headed to Wisconsin for the 2027-28 campaign, where she will surely flourish. USA has found success leaning into its youth over the past four years, so I don’t see it shying away from a young player like Taylor if she’s as good as I think she could be in four years.

Maggie Averill. The 5-foot-11 defender is headed to Princeton this fall after captaining Team USA to gold at the U18s in January. Averill drew comparisons to Lee Stecklein during the U18 broadcasts, which I think is apt, and not just because she wears No. 2 as well. Averill is a tall defender, uses her size well, and showcased an improved offensive touch this year compared to her 2025 U18s. This final roster spot could go to a number of veterans like Cayla Barnes, Anna Wilgren, or even a then-35-year-old Lee Stecklein. But I’m high on Averill, and in four years, when she’s 21 and in her senior season at Princeton, I think she’ll have developed to the point where her ability is worthy of an Olympic nod.

Aerin Frankel. The Green Monster will only be 30 years old in 2030. There isn’t much more to be said about Frankel than what has been written plenty over the past couple of weeks after her performance in Italy. I fully expect Frankel to be the starter again in 2030.

Gwyneth Philips. It’s a luxury for USA to have Philips as an option behind Frankel. It’s a tall task to usurp Frankel as the No. 1 goalie with the national team, but if anyone has the talent to do it, it’s Philips. She’ll be 29 years old in 2030.

Ava McNaughton. USA brought McNaughton as the No. 3 in Italy for a reason. The Wisconsin goaltender has been fantastic since joining the Badgers in 2023. I was a little surprised she got the third-string gig over Annelies Bergmann, who had a higher pedigree and started over McNaughton at the U18 level, but McNaughton has outplayed her this year in particular. PWHL play once both join the league for the 2027-28 season likely determines who gets the spot. The wild card is Bianca Birrittieri, who starred for USA at the U18s in January and is headed to Providence in the fall.

Who’s out?

Here are the players who I dropped from the 2026 Olympic roster. The number in brackets indicates how old they will be for the 2030 Games.

Forwards: Kendall Coyne Schofield (37), Hilary Knight (40), Kelly Pannek (34), Hayley Scamurra (35)

Defenders: Cayla Barnes (31), Lee Stecklein (35)

Goaltenders: None

If Knight wants to play again in 2030, she’s there. I could see Pannek still being a valuable depth center, particularly defensively. I would consider her over Cassie Hall.

Barnes was tough to leave off. It would be her fourth Olympics. She played a third-pairing role this year, and I just think some of the other options provide a more clear-cut role or higher upside than Barnes. It’s probably more likely that Barnes is still on that third pairing with Guilday instead of Stecklein, and one of Peschel, Taylor, or Averill isn’t on the roster.

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It was a heartbreaking defeat where Canada was just over two minutes away from ending its seven-game losing streak against its archrivals to claim Olympic gold once again.

Canada’s focus in the previous quadrennial was fairly straightforward. It maintained is management team and coaching staff from its dominant triumph at Beijing 2022, and much of the roster remained intact as well. Canada wanted to get one last Olympic gold from the core group of players who had preformed so well in 2022, due in part to the fact that few players from the next generation were pushing to usurp the established veterans.

A new era begins in wake of Thursday’s defeat and will build over the next 1,400-plus days until the 2030 Games in France.

Just as the United States did over the past four years, I expect Canada to embrace youth and begin ushering in its up-and-coming talent in the lead up to 2030. The U.S. had multiple players from its 2016-22 Under-18 teams graduate to the senior team and play impactful roles. That wasn’t the case for Canada, where only Sarah Fillier and Daryl Watts factored into major roles out of that time frame.

When I look at Canada’s U18 groups from 2022-26, I see a lot more talent who could make a difference at the national team level than in the previous cycle.

So what could Canada’s next Olympic roster actually look like? Here is my way-too-early 25-player projected roster. Note that the 2026 Olympics had 23-player rosters, but I would be shocked if the 2030 Games didn’t have the 25-player teams we see for men’s teams at the Olympics as well as at the Women’s Worlds.

Forwards (14)

Daryl Watts. It would be her second Olympics. Watts will be 30 years old in 2030, which will make her one of the veterans on the roster by this stage but still in her prime years. I would be shocked if Watts isn’t still one of the PWHL’s elite offensive producers in four years. She’s third in all-time PWHL scoring right now and she could easily be No. 1 by the time the puck drops in France.

Caitlin Kraemer. The Kitchener native was on Canada’s Olympic orientation roster and will be 23 years old in 2030. I would be flabbergasted if Kramer isn’t on this team and playing a big role. Her production has taken off at Minnesota-Duluth yet, but it’s only a matter of time before she erupts to be at or near the top of the NCAA scoring charts. Kraemer broke Marie-Philip Poulin’s goals record at the U18s and her shot remains a lethal threat. She will be in the midst of her sophomore PWHL campaign in 2030.

Sarah Fillier. A name you can tattoo for 2030. Fillier is a proven commodity for Team Canada. She already has 11 goals at the Olympics, and 2030 could see her soar into the top five all-time. She’ll be 29 years old in 2030 with over five seasons of PWHL. This should be peak Fillier on the international stage.

Sara Manness. I love Manness’ game. She has the playmaking and plays with the twitchiness we see from the elite forwards in the sport. The Winnipeg native was by far Clarkson’s best player this season as a rookie, and she was among the NCAA’s most lethal scorers from December onwards. She’ll be 22 in 2030 and will could be a few months removed from being the No. 1 pick in the 2029 PWHL Draft.

Marie-Philip Poulin. She’s playing in 2030. Does anyone really think Poulin’s Olympic career is done? She will be 38 years old in 2030, which is the same age as Sidney Crosby right now. Poulin is signed through 2027-28 with the Montreal Victoire already. I just don’t see a world where Poulin isn’t playing in the 2029-30 campaign.

Julia Gosling. I was disappointed Gosling didn’t get more run in Canada’s top nine. She’s been excellent in the PWHL this season and it felt like Canada didn’t get the most out of her in this tournament. Gosling will be on the verge of her 29th birthday at the 2030 Games. As good as she’s been for the Seattle Torrent, I still think Gosling has a ton of untapped potential. I can’t wait to see what echelon of player she develops into over the next four years.

Stryker Zablocki. Another NCAA rookie who has taken off in recent weeks. Zablocki’s speed and shot will make her a fun addition to the national team as a player who matches up well with any linemates. The Prince Albert native won MVP at the 2024 U18s. Zablocki will be 23 years old in 2030 and in her first PWHL season.

Rosalie Tremblay. I think other Canadian prospects have gotten more attention, but don’t overlook Tremblay. She’s headed to Wisconsin in the fall and will only see her game soar with the Badgers. The Sherbrooke native has a nasty shot and she won MVP at the U18 nationals as captain of Team Quebec. Tremblay will be in her senior season at Wisconsin in 2030.

Caileigh Tiller. The St. Catharines native played all three forward positions with the national U18 team. Her versatility, in addition to her exciting offensive potential, make her a clear name to watch for Team Canada going forward. She’s going to UConn in the fall and will be in her senior season come 2030.

Jenn Gardiner. Many wanted Gardiner to play a much bigger role in this year’s Olympics. I wasn’t offended by her usage, but I certainly thought her speed and energy would’ve been a beneficial higher in the lineup. She’ll only be 28 years old in 2030 and I think her game fits well as a depth veteran.

Jocelyn Amos. Amos’ recent surge at Ohio State shows she’s ready for the big time. She has 12 goals and 23 points in her 16 games in 2026 after notching six goals and 15 points in her first 14 contests. She’s captained Canada and wears the “C” for the Buckeyes. Amos will almost be 25 years old at the 2030 Games and in her third PWHL season. I could easily bump her up the lineup from where I have her as the fourth-line center.

Adrianna Milani. The biggest projection among the forwards. Milani is only 16 years old right now, but has been a dominant scorer with the Etobicoke Dolphins and tallied 10 goals at her first World U18s in January. Milani’s speed and skill make her among the highest potential prospects in the sport. She’s fast tracking to join the University of Minnesota this fall, something we saw Chloe Primerano do in 2024. Milani would be 20 years old for the 2030 Games, the same age as USA forward Joy Dunne is now. Dunne’s physical tools are a clear difference, but I believe in Milani’s next-level talent.

Emma Pais. A consistent scorer at Colgate. I think Pais could have a similar progression to what we’ve seen from Jenn Gardiner in the PWHL, where she her game impresses at the pro level and sees her join the national team as a versatile depth piece. I debated having Emma Maltais in this spot, which would be her third Olympics at 30 years old.

Danielle Serdachny. There is no player I’m more fascinated to see over the next four years than Serdachny. She looked like she was going to be a national team mainstay after a dominant collegiate career and her golden goal at the 2024 Worlds. Hell, she even scored in the gold-medal game at the 2025 Worlds, too. Her lack of PWHL production has been a concern. Serdachny was drafted second overall in 2025 but has managed only four goals and 12 points in 44 career games. Players that production is comparable to players like Izzy Daniel, Brooke McQuigge, and defender Mae Batherson. I remain a staunch believer in Serdachny’s talent, but the reality is she needs to find her game in the PWHL before becoming a Team Canada stalwart. She’s getting consistent top-six usage in Seattle and I do think it’s only a matter of time before Serdachny lives up to her potential in the pro ranks.

Defenders (8) & Goaltenders (3)

Ella Shelton. I don’t think we saw Shelton’s peak play at the Olympics, but she’ll still be one of Canada’s best blue-line options in four years. In fact, her play overall has dipped since being traded by the New York Sirens. This is a blip on the radar for one of the best defenders in the game at both ends of the ice. She’ll be 32 years old in 2030.

Chloe Primerano. Should’ve been on the Olympic team this year. A sublime talent who is Canada’s best prospect in a generation. I’ve talked to multiple national team players about Primerano and the first thing everyone talks about is her deception. She will be 23 years old in 2030 and in her second PWHL season. Primerano could have a Caroline Harvey-esque impact on the national team. There shouldn’t be a single tournament over the next 15-plus years where she isn’t featured.

Sophie Jaques. Her role built over the Olympics. There are few players in the game who generate as many shots on goal as Jaques does, let alone defenders. Her defensive play should continue to come along in the next four years. She’s a proven catalyst offensively who has played a major role for the only team that has won the Walter Cup. She’ll be 29 years old in 2030 and it would be a shock if she isn’t on the roster in some capacity.

Kate Manness. There were a few up-and-coming defenders I considered in this spot. I landed on Manness, whose twin sister Sara features prominently up front. Kate had a strong rookie season at Clarkson herself and ranks second to only Caroline Harvey in NCAA scoring among full-time defenders. Clarkson has pumped out many elite defenders and Manness could be the next. I wonder if she could have a similar progression to Haley Winn.

Nicole Gosling. The London native has played over 20 minutes in all but four of her games as a rookie this season with the Montreal Victoire. I don’t think Gosling is ever going to be the flashiest blue-liner in the world, but she plays a steady game at both ends of the ice. She fits well as a versatile piece on the backend and will be firmly in her prime come 2030, when she’ll be 27 years old.

Renata Fast. She was the best defender in the world last season. Fast hasn’t hit that same level this season, but she remains Canada’s best defender today with her superb skating and elite physicality. There’s a reason she played over 31 minutes in the gold-medal game. The question is where will Fast’s game be at in four years when she’s 35 years old. It’s unreasonable to think she’ll still be a Defender of the Year candidate then, but I have no issue projecting her to remain as a very useful piece on the national team.

Megan Mossey. This is probably the biggest swing I’m taking on this projected roster. Mossey is only 16 years old right now and will be in her third NCAA season come the 2030 Games. It’s hard for a player that young to crack the national team, it’s even harder for a defender. And yet, I have Mossey here due to her raw ability and potential. The Charlottetown native has impressed me so much when I’ve seen her with Team Atlantic, Team Canada, and the Etobicoke Dolphins. She’s headed to the University of Minnesota for the 2027-28 season, and I think we’ll see her skyrocket there and establish herself as a national team quality player before long.

Note that Claire Thompson is excluded from my projected roster due to her uncertain future in hockey with her medical school studies. If she doesn’t take any more time off and continues to play in the PWHL, I would have her on the 2030 roster over Mossey.

Kendall Cooper. The Oakville native has seamlessly stepped into a top-four role in the PWHL. She’s averaging more minutes than players like Claire Thompson, Erin Ambrose, and Ashton Bell already. Cooper was a consistent if not spectacular scorer at Quinnipiac, and we’re seeing that steady, smooth game translate extremely well with the Minnesota Frost. She’s one of the clear next defenders up in the national team picture, and she’ll be in her prime at 27 years old come 2030. A player I could see as an extra defender or as a top-four piece.

Eve Gascon. I fully expected Gascon to be the No. 3 for Canada this year, but she’s had some shaky moments at Minnesota-Duluth this season, plus Kayle Osborne has been great in the PWHL. Ultimately, Gascon still looks like Canada’s goalie of the future and is the clearest candidate to take the mantel from Ann-Renee Desbiens.

Ann-Renee Desbiens. Speaking of Desbiens, I still have her in the national team picture in four years. There are not a lot of veteran goaltenders in women’s hockey right now. In fact, Desbiens is the oldest netminder in the PWHL. She’s 31 years old though, not 35, and it doesn’t look like she’s slowing down any time soon. While I have a hard time seeing her as the starter in 2030, Desbiens’ veteran leadership would be invaluable considering the other two goalies are likely to have never played a single Olympic game.

Hannah Murphy. Is this a hot take? I’ve been enamored by Murphy’s play with the Seattle Torrent as a rookie. Her stats were better than collegiate teammate Kayle Osborne every season and she’s showing early in her PWHL career that she has the talent to be a No. 1 goaltender. She’ll be 26 years old in 2030 and by that point, I think we’ll have seen Murphy establish herself as one of the best starters in the PWHL.

Who’s out?

Here are the players who I dropped from the 2026 Olympic roster. The number in brackets indicates how old they will be for the 2030 Games.

Forwards: Emily Clark (34), Brianne Jenner (38), Emma Maltais (30), Sarah Nurse (35), Kristin O’Neill (31), Natalie Spooner (39), Laura Stacey (35), Blayre Turnbull (36)

Defenders: Erin Ambrose (35), Jocelyne Larocque (41), Kati Tabin (32), Claire Thompson* (32)

*See above regarding Thompson

Goaltenders: Emerance Maschmeyer (35), Kayle Osborne (27)

I plan to do a projected American roster sometime this week as well. Be sure to subscribe to my Substack here to have future articles sent your way, and follow on Twitter and Instagram for more of my day-to-day women’s hockey coverage.

Reka Hiezl is a name even the most plugged-in women’s hockey fans likely don’t know yet, and that’s perfectly okay. The 16-year-old is quickly becoming the future of the Hungarian women’s program. Over the next week in Nova Scotia, Hiezl will have a chance to introduce herself to the women’s hockey world at large.

“This is a really big opportunity for Hungarian women’s hockey,” Hiezl said Monday after Hungary’s pre-tournament win over Canadian university TMU. “I think that playing in the elite tournament is good for development, and we can also measure our level of game compared to the world.”

Hiezl is in her first season in North America at Shattuck St. Mary’s, where she leads the team with 32 goals and 61 points in just 29 games at the 19U AAA level.

She’s already starring with the Hungarian senior national team, too. Hiezl racked up three goals, five points, and 13 shots during the most recent international break against Japan, France, and Slovakia, the two former of which will feature at the upcoming Olympics.

Two standout traits in Hiezl’s game that she noted are her vision and hockey IQ, both of which she honed playing against boys before this season. At Shattuck this year, Hiezl said her shooting and little skills have developed, which she hopes to utilize at the upcoming tournament.

Hungary’s national team head coach is Delaney Collins, a three-time World Champion with Canada during her playing days. Collins has been with Hungary since 2021, and she took over as head coach this summer. She’s with the U18 team for this tournament to help mentor the coaching staff.

Collins described Hiezl as a mature player who is trusted in many situations.

“She’s an all-around player,” Collins said. “She’s 200 feet. The expectations are the same for her in the offensive zone as they are in the D zone. She needs to work on her foot speed and her skating. That’s fine, she’s aware of that. She’s physical, but she’s also tricky and manipulative, and she understands when to slow the game down.”

Hiezl’s English has come along since arriving in North America as well. Collins said she’s noticed that Hiezl is already more confident to speak up and do so in English, which she described as “a big world skill.”

Hiezl announced her commitment to Quinnipiac University in November, where she’ll join the Bobcats for the 2027-28 campaign.

“At Quinnipiac, I felt like I was at home, so it was really good,” Hiezl said of her decision to commit to the school. “The team was really nice, the coaching staff is amazing, and I can see my future there. Also, with the school, because my education is important to me.”

Hiezl will have two seasons at Shattuck, four U18 tournaments, Olympic qualifiers, and likely two World Championships on her resume by the time she debuts for the Bobcats.

“She’s gonna wanna be a game-changer, and she’s gonna wanna be a game-changer as a freshman,” Collins said. “There’s no doubt in my mind. She’s not going there to sit on the bench. So she’ll have those high expectations right away, and she’ll also ask me a lot of questions and do a lot of research to know what it takes.”

Hiezl broke into the Hungarian senior team at just 15 years old last season. She played important minutes right away for her nation. Hiezl tallied the overtime winner against Austria in Olympic qualifiers (h/t Nicolas Jacquet for the clip), and she was playing top-six minutes by Hungary’s last game at the Worlds.

“I have to find ways to fast-track these kids,” Collins said, due to Hungary not having a development team like Canada and the United States. “They’re playing at the U18 level, then they’re on the senior team level, and they can be in the A Pool playing against the best players in the world. I think it helps that I’m here to reinforce the things that we expect on the national team level, but also to watch their growth and development, and honestly, to kinda connect with them as people.”

There are both benefits and challenges to a player featuring for the senior team while also playing for the U18 program.

“She’s in an interesting situation, because she’s a very competitive human being, so she’s gonna want to develop every day and get better every day,” Collins said. “Then there’s the fact that she is a contributor for us on the senior team, but right now, she’s at the U18 level, where she’s expected to be a leader and a contributor amongst her peers. That’s a whole different skillset. When she’s with the senior team, she doesn’t have all the pressure in the world. But now, she might have a little more pressure, a little more expectation to bring these young kids along that are her peers, and set the standards for the U18 team.”

Hiezl feels her senior team experience has been a big positive for her, and she knows she has to lead by example when returning to the younger age group.

“I love playing with the senior team,” Hiezl said. “I think it’s really good for me to all the time feel the pressure. I need to speed up my game. Getting here, I feel like I need to stay in this game, like speed up the other teammates’ game too, so that we can be better.”

Collins reminds herself of Hiezl’s youth and tries not to get carried away in order to keep her on a steady developmental path.

“We always have to remember she is still a U18 player with another year of U18 eligibility,” Collins said. “When it comes to dealing with her, you actually want to bring her along at a nice standard and normal, calm pace. Because if you get too far ahead of yourself, then you don’t give her the development pieces she needs.”

Collins is keeping a long-term outlook for both Hiezl and the Hungarian national team as a whole.

“I have to really look ahead, and I think that’s my strong suit,” Collins said. “When I’m dealing with today, when I’m dealing with (Sunday’s) practice, I’m thinking about the 2030 Olympic Games. If Hungary has a chance and how we can do it, and what that team would look like. We don’t grind them for every little play they’re making wrong. We’re letting them develop, giving them some confidence and freedom. Just remembering that the big picture is 2030 and that’s four years and one and a half months away.”

Here in the present is a major opportunity for both Hiezl and the national team. Hungary hasn’t played in the top division of the U18s since 2014, when Hiezl had yet to turn five years old.

Hiezl’s goal is straightforward: Avoid relegation. The final spot in the tournament has been a revolving door for a decade. The last team to gain promotion from Division IA and not finish last in the top division the following year was Switzerland in 2015.

“I think we can set bigger dreams in the future, because women’s hockey in Hungary is getting better every year,” Hiezl said. “So I think if we can stay in this year, we can have bigger dreams next year.”

Hiezl knows her two-way prowess will be vital against stiff competition.

“I think the emphasis is going to be on defense, because obviously we’re going to play against better teams than us,” Hiezl said. “But that’s why we are here. So we started working on defense and D zone, and how we can be better in it. Also, I think my camps in the senior team help me a lot to be a better leader, and do some stuff with the team to speed up their game, too.”

Due to her time with the senior team, Hiezl is back with the U18 team for the first time since July. She called the group of 2008 and 2009-born players “like family,” and she hopes to cap the 2008’s time at the U18 level with the biggest accomplishment yet.

“We have like a lot of memories together,” Hiezl said. “It would be a really great memory if we can stay in. That would be a big thing for Hungary and for us, too. Also, next year, playing in this elite tournament, that would just be really good for my hockey and Hungarian women’s hockey.”

Hungary faces Sweden, Switzerland, and most notably Canada in the round robin. Hungary’s matchup against Canada is sold out.

“Canada is obviously the best team that we’ve ever played, so we don’t know what to expect,” Hiezl said. “I think our strength is we play with our heart, and if our heart is in a good place, then we can do anything.”

Collins coached Canada’s U18 team in 2018, and her former Canada teammate, Vicky Sunohara, is at the helm again for this year’s Canadian effort. She admitted that this tournament will be a touch more special given those circumstances.

“I don’t think we should fear the Canadians,” Collins said. “We know they are very, very good. But I think what we need to do is look at it and say, okay, that’s the goal, that’s the standard, that’s the kind of hockey we want to play. I’m assuming for Reka and for her teammates that playing against Canada in Canada will be a dream come true for them.”

If Hungary is unable to record a win in the round robin, it’s likely headed to the relegation game. A potential opponent would be Slovakia, which has the two-time U18 MVP in Nela Lopusanova. Despite this, Hungary beat Slovakia 6-5 in pre-tournament competition Tuesday, giving a boost to the group before the games that count.

As much as the opportunity on hand can raise Hiezl’s stock within the game, that’s not where her focus is at all. She understands the difficulty of the task at hand and what it would mean for the young girls back home if Hungary can maintain its spot in the top division.

“I think it’s very important for us to be here,” Hiezl said. “I hope this tournament, a lot of young girls start playing hockey or continue playing hockey in Hungary. … That we can be here is a sign that Hungarian hockey is getting better. I already worked with some little girls in some of the camps as a coach, and I just love watching them, how they’re getting better.”

I hope to make this a regular aspect of my content going forward with check ins at preseason, midseason, and end-of-season stages.

Today, we begin by setting the first list. The criteria here is fairly straightforward. All players born in 2002 or later who are not already in the PWHL are eligible. This makes Haley Winn ineligible as despite being born in 2003, she’s already in the PWHL. It also makes someone like Elisa Holopainen ineligible, as she’s too old for this list.

The goal here is to provide a list of the best young talents in the game that will be entering the PWHL in the coming years. Men’s hockey has plenty of prospect rankings. That isn’t the case in women’s hockey, due in large part to the fact that PWHL teams don’t actually have prospect pools.

I’ve considered multiple factors when compiling this list. Those include:

• Current ability, including

• Potential to become a top-of-the-lineup, impact PWHL player

• Uniqueness

• Performance/production this season

• Performance/production in prior seasons

• Proximity to the PWHL

• Quality of competition

Enough of the pre-ample that you probably skipped anyways. Here’s my list of the top 25 PWHL prospects as of midseason 2025-26, plus 69 additional players I’m keeping tabs on going forward.

Harvey might be my favorite player to watch in all of women’s hockey. She takes over games with elite skating and offensive prowess. Her standout tools make her at minimum a top-five defender in the world. Gun to my head, I think I’d put her No. 3 to Renata Fast and Megan Keller at the moment. That’s how good she is, and that’s how high I am on her.

Harvey has scored a goal in three straight gold-medal games at the Worlds. She shows up in big moments and has so much more room to grow.

The New Hampshire native has been on the U.S. national team since she was literally in high school; she made her Olympic debut before her first NCAA game. She’s been a staple in the American top four since the 2022 Worlds. Her resume is among the best for a defender in women’s hockey history at just 23 years old.

Harvey is tied for third in all-time scoring among defenders at the Worlds with 39 points in 34 career games. She’s bested only by Jenni Hiirikoski (future Hall of Famer) and Angela Ruggiero (Hall of Famer). Harvey has won Best Defender at the Worlds twice, and she’s been named to the tournament All-Star Team three times. Both are also only bested by Hiirikoski and Ruggiero among defenders.

She’s been named NCAA Defensive Player of the Year twice, and Harvey has a chance to become the first defender to win the award three times.

Harvey is a legit franchise player, and whoever drafts her in 2026 is getting an immediate Defender of the Year contender.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 20 GP, 11 G, 41 PTS

No PWHL prospect has the tantalizing physical tools and skills that Edwards possesses. She’s listed at 6-foot-1 and will be the tallest skater in the PWHL the moment she’s drafted in 2026. Edwards has the makings to be the premier power forward for the next generation of women’s hockey, taking the baton from the likes of Hilary Knight and Natalie Spooner.

Or, she could be the next dominant two-way defender. Team USA moved Edwards to defense in 2024 and saw success. Wisconsin was slower to embrace the positional change, but after keeping her at forward last season, Edwards has been on the blue line at times this year for the Badgers.

Edwards has been on a meteoric rise over the past four seasons. She won MVP at the 2022 Under-18s and followed it up with a good, but not dominant, rookie season at Wisconsin with 27 points in 41 contests. Then, Edwards more than doubled her production as a sophomore, racking up 21 goals and 56 points in the same number of games. Her development saw her not only make the USA’s roster at the Worlds, but win MVP at her first senior IIHF event with a tournament-high six goals.

The Ohio native again found another level last season at Wisconsin, finishing as a Patty Kazmaier finalist with a whopping 35 goals and 71 points.

That brings us to the move to defense. The major question for Edwards is what position she’ll primarily play as a pro. She played nearly 30 minutes in the gold medal game at the Worlds paired with Megan Keller, so it’s not like she was just some sheltered third-pairing defender.

The current USA staff sees her as more valuable as a top-pairing defender given their immense offensive depth and fewer options on the backend. But she’s already one of the best goal scorers in the game, at just 21 years old. The exciting physical tools that make her such a dominant power forward could also make her one of the best shutdown defenders with time and consistent reps at the position.

It will be fascinating to see whether PWHL teams view her as a winger or a defender come the 2026 draft. Personally, I see more value in Edwards blossoming as an MVP-level goal scorer on the wing. Players have had huge success switching from forward to defense, look at Brent Burns and Dustin Byfuglien in the NHL, but neither was the elite-level forward that Edwards is. At the same time, the lack of defensive depth around the PWHL could make Edwards more valuable as a defender, plus it gets her on the ice more often.

Her usage over the coming years is one of the stories I’m most interested in watching play out in all of women’s hockey.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 15 GP, 6 G, 26 PTS

Primerano lived up to the hype in her rookie season at the University of Minnesota. She tallied 31 points in 35 games as the only under-18 skater in NCAA women’s hockey. That was good for fourth among all NCAA defenders in points per game, behind only Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey (a two-time Best Defender at the Worlds), plus Clarkson’s Haley Winn and Nicole Gosling (who were both taken in the first round of this summer’s PWHL draft). That’s incredible company to hold at her age.

The North Vancouver native captained Canada to gold at the U18s in January. She notched 10 points in six games, giving her 26 points in 12 total contests across her two U18s. That shattered Jincy Roese’s previous all-time scoring record by a defender (18 points), and also tied her with Marie-Philip Poulin as Canada’s all-time top scorer in the history of the tournament.

Primerano also made her debut with the senior national team last year. Her highlight-reel shootout goal at the Rivalry Series made noise, and she ultimately became the youngest defender since Cheryl Pounder in 1994 to crack Canada’s World Championship roster.

I’ve spoken to a handful of Team Canada players about Primerano, and almost unanimously, the first thing they mention is her deception. In the modern era of hockey, with speed and skill at an all-time high, manipulating opponents to gain an advantage is what the best players do better than anyone else. And that’s precisely the standout trait in Primerano’s game.

Primerano walks the blue line with the comfort of a 20-year pro. Her exceptional skating and impressive puck skills allow her to dance past defenders and create shooting and passing lanes.

She has the potential to be the best defender in the women’s game for years to come. I’m looking for Primerano to have a similar impact on Canada’s national team as what the aforementioned Caroline Harvey has done for Team USA, particularly once the next quadrennial begins after the 2026 Olympics.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 13 GP, 3 G, 9 PTS

Murphy has gained a deserved reputation as a player who plays on the edge. She’s in her sixth season on the American national team, and throughout has been a mind-numbingly annoying and frustrating player to play against. Her pesky style is often the first thing discussed when Murphy’s name is brought up, but that does a disservice to the impactful offensive player that she is.

The Illinois product has been among the NCAA’s best scorers for four seasons, and she’s sixth in World Championship scoring over the past three tournaments. Murphy plays with pace and is a lethal finisher in the offensive zone. If her antics get opposing defenders off their game, she will make them pay by putting the puck in the net.

Murphy obviously racks up a lot of penalty minutes as a result of her style of play, but she draws many the other way, too. She’s a one-of-one player and personality that will make her a fan favorite in her market, and among the league’s most hated everywhere else.

She thrives in that environment, and every PWHL general manager will covet her in the 2026 draft. I’m curious to see whether the edge Murphy plays with, combined with her offensive abilities, could see her go before Caroline Harvey and/or Laila Edwards on draft night, depending on who is picking first overall.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 18 GP, 20 G, 34 PTS

The youngest of the six Dunne siblings might just be the best, even as sister Jincy plays for the New York Sirens and brother Josh features with the Buffalo Sabres.

Joy has established herself as one of the most dominant players in college hockey. Her size - she’s listed at 5-foot-11 - gives her a physical edge that will only become more pronounced when she reaches the pro ranks.

Dunne has leveled up again at Ohio State this year. She ranks fourth in the NCAA with 1.88 points per game. No Buckeye has ever scored over two points per game. In fact, the highest mark in program history is 1.55 points per game, accomplished by Sophie Jaques (2022) and Emma Maltais (2020). Dunne is more than on her way to setting a new record in her junior campaign, and the rarified air of the two points per game mark is within reach.

Her skill, size, and shot make her a nightmare to defend against. Dunne has yet to rise up the lineup with Team USA, but it’s only a matter of time before she does. At the moment, she’s the clear projected No. 1 pick in 2027, and I have a hard time seeing that change.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 16 GP, 17 G, 30 PTS

Few players have had as clutch a game as Simms did in the national championship this March. She buried a filthy penalty shot goal in a must-score situation with seconds remaining after head coach Mark Johnson asked the bench, '“Who wants it?” Then, she deposited the game-winner in overtime. Ice cold, rockstar shit.

Simms’ skill level is high-end, and it’s easily her most attractive trait as a top prospect. She scoring above a 1.75 points per game rate for the third season in a row. Only Daryl Watts, Brianna Decker, and Hilary Knight have career points per game marks higher than Simms in Wisconsin’s program history. That’s a Hall of Famer, a future first ballot Hall of Famer, and the PWHL’s current No. 2 all-time scorer.

The PWHL has embraced physicality, and it’s become a point of emphasis for many teams around the league. Size, strength, and competitiveness have never been more desired traits in the women’s game. But there’s a fine line between valuing those elements and overvaluing them. A player with Simms’ offensive ability is vital to any successful team, and underrating her potential impact at the next level would be a mistake.

I think we saw some of this in the evaluation of Casey O’Brien in the 2025 draft process. She was knocked for her lack of size and physicality, especially compared to the other top forward, Kristyna Kaltounkova. The Athletic ranked O’Brien atop their board, and I had her as the top forward and No. 2 behind Haley Winn, but she ultimately went third overall. This isn’t to say Kaltounkova over O’Brien was a mistake, but I’m curious to see how the two players’ careers pan out and which becomes the higher-impact player, especially considering they’re on the same team.

I also believe competitiveness comes in different forms. It goes back to the aforementioned 2025 national championship game. A competitive player doesn’t raise their hand when their coach calls upon the bench. A competitive player doesn’t score that penalty shot and then go on to net the overtime winner, too.

Simms is a stud, and she plays with a fire, too. She’s going to be a top player in the PWHL for a long time.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 18 GP, 14 G, 34 PTS

How do you rank a 17-year-old versus 23-year-olds? For NHL fans, this is like trying to rank Gavin McKenna versus someone like Tim Stutzle, right now.

Finding where I was comfortable slotting Lopusanova on this list was probably the most difficult aspect of putting this together. I have so much time for Lopusanova’s talent and sky-high potential, but she’s also just 17 years old and has never played a game against elite senior competition.

So why is she here? The players above Lopusanova have already made an impact at the senior level and have the potential to be franchise cornerstones in the PWHL. I believe Lopusanova can have that impact, but given their others’ experience, I felt it hard to justify having Lopusanova over any of them.

We saw Lopusanova level up at last year’s U18 tournament. She was exceptional in 2023 against weaker competition, which put her name on the map, but was quieter in 2024 in a much tougher group. Lopusanova made a statement in the opening game of the 2025 event when she was the best player on the ice against Team Canada. Yes, that includes Chloe Primerano.

Lopusanova took over shifts, was a nightmare to defend against, and was directly involved in anything Slovakia was able to do in Canada’s zone. It was the kind of performance that showed the progression Lopusanova had made after only one full season playing in North America.

Her talent is off the charts considering her age and that she comes from Slovakia, which has never produced a women’s hockey star skater. Lopusanova has pulled off Michigan goals at IIHF events, but her skill is more than that. She has a lethal shot, has shown an ability to use her body well to protect pucks, and has slick hands in many facets of the game.

It’s impossible to get a proper read on Lopusanova when watching her play with the Slovakian U18 team, considering how individualistic she has to play, though there are times she can tone down the hero puck. My confidence in Lopusanova’s ability was reinforced watching her with the BK Selects, where she featured alongside other top talents like Bella Fanale and Stryker Zablocki.

Lopusanova led the team offensively despite being a year younger than both Fanale and Zablocki. Fanale, with Team USA, and Zablocki, with Team Canada, led their teams at the U18s and are currently playing major roles for top 10 NCAA programs.

There was a point before last year’s U18s where you could say Lopusanova wasn’t among the top prospects in all of women’s hockey yet, due to the level she had played against. That isn’t the case anymore. Lopusanova has an excellent chance to become the highest-scoring player in U18 history in January, as she’s only seven points behind Kendall Coyne Schofield’s total of 33, and Lopusanova managed 11 points last year.

I can’t wait to see Lopusanova at Wisconsin next season alongside talent like Cassie Hall, Kelly Gorbatenko, Adela Sapovalivova, and more. She has a legitimate chance to be one of the most unique scorers in all of women’s hockey, and I expect her to become the best European player in the sport in her prime seasons.

Kraemer is the first “next generation” forward to gain consideration for the Canadian national team. She starred at the U18 level, racking up an absurd 20 goals in 11 games over two tournaments to fly past Marie-Philip Poulin’s previous record of 13.

As you would expect based on that previous stat, Kraemer’s shot is her biggest asset. She’s a legitimate weapon off the rush and can beat goaltenders clean. Kraemer is putting 5.7 shots on goal per game, way up from her rookie rate of 3.5. She’s being leaned on more after the graduation of Duluth’s entire first line, and she’s getting more looks on net.

Kraemer hasn’t become a Patty Kazmaier-level scorer yet, but there’s clearly a very strong base here that is going to make her an elite player for a long time. She tallied 18 goals in 39 games last season, and as mentioned, her shot rate has spiked as a sophomore. The monster goal totals feel inevitable.

Still only 19 years old, the future is very bright for Kraemer. If she doesn’t make Canada’s Olympic team in February, I fully expect her to then debut at the following World Championship.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 16 GP, 9 G, 18 PTS

Emerance Maschmeyer’s injury opened the door for Gascon to make her first World Championship roster in April. She didn’t play at the tournament, but the fact that Gascon got the nod over multiple pro options speaks volumes to both her current ability and her future with Team Canada.

Gascon played men’s junior hockey through 2022-23 before making the jump to Minnesota-Duluth. She gained recognition after playing two QMJHL games, and she later backstopped the St-Laurent Patriotes to a CEGEP championship. The only other women to play in the QMJHL are Manon Rheaume and Charline Labonte, who both starred for the Canadian national team for many years. Gascon is on that same trajectory.

Her status as a top prospect has only grown since joining the Bulldogs. Gascon was named WCHA Goaltender of the Year after last season, in which she posted a .942 save percentage in 30 games. She had heroic efforts to keep Duluth in close games against Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Minnesota, highlighted by a 58-save performance in a 3-1 loss versus the Buckeyes on Jan. 17.

Comparing Gascon to Ann-Renee Desbiens is maybe too easy, but it does feel apt. Desbiens made her first Team Canada as an NCAA sophomore, same as Gascon, but she didn’t become the starter until 2021 with veteran Shannon Szabados still at the helm. It’s likely a similar progression for Gascon.

The 2027 draft class is loaded with goaltenders. For now, I rate Gascon the highest of the bunch.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 16 GP, 10-6-0, .939 SV%, 1.96 GAA

Janecke has an overtime gold-medal winning goal on her resume before even turning pro. She’s become the go-to left winger alongside Alex Carpenter and Hilary Knight, a role she looks likely to retain through her Olympic debut. Janecke is an intelligent, crafty forward who I view more as a playmaker than a goal scorer, but has also been a strong finisher in her career.

There’s a case that Janecke should rank higher based on those facts plus her sublime NCAA production, but I’m not quite there. She projects as a top-line pivot and is still in the top 10 here. I’m just not as sold that she can be quite the franchise-defining player akin to the names ahead of her here.

Part of it comes down to the fact that she’s playing at Penn State. That’s not a knock on the program, to be clear. Penn State plays in a weaker conference, the AHA, which the Nittany Lions dominate on an annual basis. Penn State is 31-1 in conference since the start of 2024, for context.

Janecke has faced the three top WCHA teams - Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Minnesota - just once since her rookie campaign. She posted one goal and two points in that game against the Golden Gophers. It’s not a major knock against Janecke, but quality of competition is a factor when assessing her production and the eventual transition to the pro ranks.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 17 GP, 11 G, 27 PTS

Eden was a tricky player to rank. She’s been on the U.S. national team for five years (although she was cut from the 2022 Olympic roster) and has been a key contributor at Wisconsin during that span. She’s been on the scene in a notable role for so long that she feels more like an established veteran than a future pro rookie, even though she’s still only 23 years old.

That partially has to do with her role as well. Eden’s primarily been a depth piece for Team USA, and she’s been more of a complementary winger in Wisconsin’s top six, rather than the primary play driver.

The Maryland native ranked top 10 in NCAA scoring each of the past two seasons, and Eden’s currently top five, so she’s not a slouch offensively, to be clear. I’m just not sold she’s going to be that kind of offensive producer at the pro level, at least as the best player on a line. I view her as a player who will work exceptionally well with high-end skill, but won’t be best utilized being the one to carry a line herself.

Eden’s malleability and well-rounded game will make her an ideal top-six winger who can flourish with many different types of players. She’s someone who you can plug and play with anyone, and you can expect good results. There’s a ton of value in that kind of player, and it’s why she ranks highly here.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 20 GP, 13 G, 34 PTS

Bergmann is a tantalizing goaltending prospect with her 6-foot-1 frame. The only PWHL goalie listed at or above 6-foot is Abbey Levy, so Bergmann will immediately be tied for the tallest goalie in the league when she debuts.

She’s been a top prospect for a number of years now. Bergmann became the first woman to play a game in the NAHL in April 2023. She also backstopped Team USA twice at the U18s before making the jump to the NCAA with Cornell.

Bergmann took a step as a sophomore last year. Her save percentage improved from .927 to .943, and she posted an NCAA-best 10 shutouts. The best performance of her NCAA career came in the ECAC semifinal, where she stopped 54 of 55 shots to stifle Clarkson in a 2-1 double overtime victory.

The Pennsylvania native has yet to break into the U.S. national team, with Wisconsin’s Ava McNaughton getting the nod over her as the No. 3 behind Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips. Despite that, I still view Bergmann as the better pro prospect.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 17 GP, 10-6-1, .936 SV%, 1.71 GAA

Svensson has positioned herself as the (very) early front-runner atop the 2029 draft class after an outrageously good start to her NCAA career. Her 33 points through 18 games rank fifth in NCAA scoring among all players, not just rookies.

The 19-year-old has been among Sweden’s top scorers at the Worlds since breaking onto the national team in 2023. Svensson played the last three seasons with HV71 in the SDHL, where she ranked second in team scoring to Elin Svensson (edit note: not related) each year.

HV71 wasn’t a deep team, and in fact had to play in the relegation series the past two years. Elin has found immediate success on a much better team in Brynas after also leaving HV71 this summer, so it’s not much of a surprise that Hilda has similarly found another level at Ohio State while being surrounded by higher-end players.

But it’s just how significant that jump has been that has grabbed my attention. Svensson leads Ohio State in scoring over Joy Dunne (who has more goals and has played two fewer games), and she’s been more than twice as productive as Jocelyn Amos (who has played four fewer games).

It’s not like Svensson is solely picking on weaker competition, either. She had an assist on both goals the Buckeyes tallied against Wisconsin just before the winter break. She had a goal and 10 (!) shots on goal versus Minnesota in October.

Svensson will rise into the top 10 if she can maintain this form in the new year. She’ll have a chance to elevate her stock even more as she features on Sweden’s top line at the Olympics. The Swedes have a strong roster but have yet to break back into the top group with a quarterfinal win. If Svensson helps Sweden top Group B and then past Finland, Czechia, or Switzerland in the quarters, she’ll cement her status as a truly elite prospect.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 18 GP, 12 G, 33 PTS

Manness has been a bright spot amid a somewhat underwhelming season to date for Clarkson. The 18-year-old leads the team in scoring, but the Golden Knights have dropped a handful of games against inferior opponents and were blown out by Ohio State. She’s without a doubt a candidate to go No. 1 in 2029.

There’s a lot to like about Manness’ game. She plays with a twitchiness and shiftiness on the puck that you see from the best creators. Deception is the name of the game, and I feel that’s a strength.

Manness had a dominant two-year span with the Burlington Barracudas. She posted a 100-point campaign two years ago and was again superb last season. It’s no surprise that she’s immediately stepped into a prominent role at Clarkson.

The Manitoba native played for Canada at the Collegiate Series this summer before she even turned 18. She centered Canada’s first line at the U18s in January en route to gold, where she notched nine points in six games.

I’m a big fan of Manness and her potential. As she continues to flourish at Clarkson, and I could see a national team debut for her sooner rather than later.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 19 GP, 6 G, 24 PTS

A very strong 27-goal, 52-point sophomore campaign appeared to have Amos on the verge of breaking into the Canadian national team. She hasn’t been quite as dominant early this year, though, which has cooled some of that hype.

Amos is one of the young Canadian players who hasn’t quite done enough to push out the veterans from the current squad. Her timeline now appears to be more around 2027 or 2028, rather than forcing her way in for the Olympics or possibly the 2026 Worlds.

The Ailsa Craig, Ontario, native is still a highly regarded prospect. She’s a clear leader, currently co-captaining Ohio State and previously wearing the “C” for Canada at the Under-18s. Well-rounded centers like Amos, who also provide value on both special teams, are always in high demand.

Amos will surge up this list will a more dominant second half, which is what I’m kind of expecting. There’s a real chance the top two picks in 2027 are Ohio State linemates Joy Dunne and Amos.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 14 GP, 6 G, 15 PTS

Peschel is the veteran anchor on Ohio State’s blue line, and she was included as one of 10 defenders on USA’s 30-player Olympic orientation roster.

The Minnesota native has a blend of traits that every team is looking for in a minute-munching defender. Peschel has size at 5-foot-10. She’s trusted defensively, moves pucks well, is a shot threat from the point, and she’s a good skater. It’s a well-rounded package that has her as a projected impact blue-liner from Day 1 in the PWHL.

Peschel has steadily improved and taken on a bigger role at Ohio State. It’s culminated in her being in Olympic consideration and receiving honors such as a WCHA First All-Star Team nod last year.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 15 GP, 5 G, 14 PTS

McNaughton didn’t allow more than three goals in a game last season. Though that streak ended in October with a 5-1 loss against Minnesota, McNaughton is again having the sublime statistical campaign one would expect from a goalie on the best team in the country.

It can be tough to get a quality read for how good a goaltender truly is when they’re on a team as dominant as Wisconsin. That being said, McNaughton’s numbers stack up when compared to previous elite Badger goaltenders. Wisconsin has obviously produced high-end netminders like Ann-Renee Desbiens, Alex Cavallini, Jessie Vetter, and Kristen Campbell, and McNaughton’s results are line with most of the group.

It’s notable that Team USA has tabbed McNaughton as their up-and-coming third-stringer behind Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips. She made her World Championship debut in April, and all signs point to McNaughton being on the Olympic team.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 19 GP, 17-1-1, .942 SV%, 1.27 GAA

Jungaker began the Swedish invasion at Ohio State, as she’s been joined by fellow top prospects Hilda Svensson and Jenna Raunio with the Buckeyes this year. She’s featured on Ohio State’s top pairing, playing vital minutes in all situations for one of the best teams in the nation.

Last year as a rookie, an early-season injury essentially kept Jungaker on the sidelines until the second half. She quickly found form upon return and was a key part of Ohio State’s top four en route to the national championship game as a first-year player with only a half-season of experience.

Jungaker is already a veteran of four World Championships with Sweden, where she’s been among the team’s best offensive defenders since arriving on the senior team.

She gained four years of SDHL experience before joining the NCAA, so Jungaker is mature beyond her years, and it’s shown through only 34 career games at Ohio State.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 15 GP, 3 G, 11 PTS

Fanale has played a complementary role to begin her NCAA career in Minnesota’s veteran-heavy forward group. It’s notable that she’s been trusted to play center at this level already, and there have been promising moments in the first half.

It’s the long-term outlook at gets you pumped for Fanale. She’s a legit goal-scoring threat down the middle. She has the crafty, offensive creativity and skating to be an impactful scorer. She projects as a future member of USA’s national team.

Fanale was USA’s best player at the U18s in January, in what was her third trip to the tournament. She captained the Americans and earned Best Forward honors with five goals and nine points in six games. She got that award over Nela Lopusanova, who won MVP.

Those two starred with the BK Selects last season, as Fanale centered Lopusanova on the stacked roster. Those performances saw Fanale make USA’s collegiate roster this summer as the youngest player named.

Fanale is a player I can see rocketing up this list in the next two years. As Minnesota graduates a handful of veteran forwards and Fanale becomes more of a focal point, she could really flourish. The Golden Gophers have a bunch of top young prospects already committed, too.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 18 GP, 7 G, 15 PTS

Sapovalivova is the first European player in Wisconsin program history. That says a lot about the quality of player she is and how she’s viewed in the game.

In fact, Sapovalivova was named the WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year in September. She got that honor over Hilda Svensson, who has since become the favorite for the award, but it shows the expectations that Sapovalivova had to be an immediate impact player.

Sapovalivova has been on the scene for a few years now, having featured for Czechia’s national team since the 2022 Worlds. She firmly established herself as one of the elite teenage prospects in the sport at the 2024 U18s. She captained Czechia to a historic upset win over Canada in the semis and racked up nine goals in six games, which is tied for the most ever by a European at the tournament.

Last season in the SDHL, Sapovalivova was MoDo’s best player by a margin, leading the team in scoring by five goals and 12 points.

I’m not sure Sapovalivova will ever be atop the scoring charts in the PWHL. But she’s such a consistent and competitive player that she will be coveted by all teams. Sapovalivova is a player you can count on to show up no matter the opponent. I’m excited to see how her game develops at Wisconsin and if she can add another level of offense.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 18 GP, 8 G, 18 PTS

Potter isn’t the kind of defender who will blow you away with her offensive exploits, like some of the other on this list. Rather, Potter’s ranked here due to her trusted defensive game and clear upside as a shutdown blue-liner at the next level.

I’m curious to see what the 5-foot-11 defender’s numbers look like next year after Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards, and Vivian Jungels all graduate. Potter will become the clear No. 1 defender on Wisconsin’s roster given her experience, and it could see her production pop if she gets prime offensive minutes that have typically been reserved for Harvey.

It’s possible that younger defenders like Emma Venusio or Ava Murphy - two players who could easily be on this list in a matter of months - get those minutes while Potter remains in a more defensive role.

Either way, Potter’s shutdown potential makes her an obvious player who could have a significant impact in the PWHL before long. It’s likely only a matter of time before she gets a look on Team USA, too.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 18 GP, 7 G, 15 PTS

Sometimes a player’s production makes them undeniable. That’s where I’m at with Alexander.

Simply put, all she’s done in recent years is put up points. Alexander had monster numbers - 58 goals and 103 points in 39 games - in her final campaign with the Etobicoke Dolphins. She racked up 46 points in 32 contests as an NCAA rookie. And she’s taken another step this year.

Alexanders become Princeton’s go-to scorer, usurping Issy Wunder, and has truly levelled up as a goal scorer.

She’s got the hands and offensive creativity to be a game breaker at the next level. I’m curious to see when she’ll get a look with the Canadian national team. I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes after she’s turned pro and proves it at that next level.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 15 GP, 12 G, 21 PTS

Zablocki led Canada in goals and points at last year’s U18s en route to the gold medal. She’s stepped onto Northeastern’s first line as a rookie and has immediately been an effective scorer.

Last season, Zablcki featured on the stacked BK Selects team with Nela Lopusanova and Bella Fanale. It’s a bit strange to say she’s become more of a focal point upon arriving in the NCAA, but that’s what it feels like.

Zablocki is talented with the puck on her stick, and her shot is a legit weapon. She already has an NCAA hat trick on her resume, and she’s only getting more comfortable at the level by the game.

The Saskatchewan native had five or more shots on goal in the last four games she played entering the winter break. I wouldn’t be surprised if she really takes off in the second half of her rookie campaign.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 19 GP, 8 G, 21 PTS

I couldn’t leave Svensson Traff off my list. I’ve been so impressed by what the 21-year-old has done the past two years in the SDHL, and I think she should get a legitimate look as Sweden’s starting goaltender as early as the upcoming Olympics.

Svensson Traff didn’t start for Sweden at the Under-18 level, so this rise has come due to her success at the pro level. Playing on a low-scoring team in Linkoping, Svensson Traff plays with the pressure of knowing that two goals against likely result in a loss.

That’s not an exaggeration, either. Since the start of last season, Linkoping has just won five games when Svensson Traff has allowed two or more goals. She’s faced 32.8 shots against per 60, too, so it’s not like Svensson Traff has had an easy workload in the process. Over the past two seasons, she’s made 457 more saves than the next closest SDHL netminder.

Posting a .925 save percentage in that environment last year, and then this season improving even more to a .939 SV%, is wild to me. Svensson Traff isn’t the biggest goaltender at 5-foot-5, but we’ve seen lots of goaltenders in women’s hockey find success despite smaller frames.

I think Svensson Traff could be the next top European goaltender, and I hope to see her on a big stage with Sweden sooner rather than later. Her PWHL timeline is unclear at this time, as she’s not an NCAA player.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 26 GP, 7-19-0, .939 SV%, 2.01 GAA

Milani is very young - she’s still just 16 years old - but I felt she warranted inclusion on this list after signing on to join the University of Minnesota next fall, a year earlier than expected given her age.

Her star potential is obvious. Milani is a superb skater, and she’s highly skilled with the puck. She plays fast and thinks fast. Those are two key attributes that can allow a player to be among the most impactful offensive players in the game.

Milani scored nearly a goal per game last season with the Etobicoke Dolphins at just 15 years old. This year, she ranks third in the league (and on her team) in points per game, having missed 13 of Etobicoke’s games. She’s still a year younger than those ahead of her - fellow top prospects Maddie McCullough and Sofia Ismael, who also received consideration for this list.

If you’re a hockey nerd like me, you may recognize Adrianna’s last name. Her mom, Randi, is an NHL skating coach who has worked with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Milani played for Team USA at the Under-18 Series last summer, but switched to Team Canada this summer for the annual event. She will make her IIHF debut for Canada at the quickly approaching U18s in Nova Scotia. I highly recommend tuning into Canada’s games to watch her play.

A high-end performance at the U18s will see her begin to climb this list. But for now, given her youth, she comes in at the tail end of my top 25. That won’t last for long.

2025-26 totals (as of Dec. 30): 17 GP, 12 G, 33 PTS

Forwards of interest

• 🇺🇸 Kylie Amelkovich, LW, 17, Shattuck St. Mary’s

• 🇺🇸 Lindzi Avar, C, 20, Cornell

• 🇺🇸 Elyssa Biedermann, RW, 21, Colgate

• 🇩🇪 Alex Boico, LW, 16, BK Selects

• 🇺🇸 Kassidy Carmichael, RW, 19, Ohio State

• 🇨🇦 Eloise Caron, LW, 20, Northeastern

• 🇨🇦 Maxine Cimoroni, LW, 18, Ohio State

• 🇺🇸 Jane Daley, LW, 16, Shattuck St. Mary’s

• 🇸🇪 Edit Danielsson, LW, 18, Frolunda

• 🇨🇦 Kendall Doiron, RW, 17, Shattuck St. Mary’s

• 🇨🇦 Grace Elliott, LW, 22, UBC

• 🇮🇹 Matilde Fantin, C, 18, Penn State

• 🇺🇸 Kelly Gorbatenko, LW, 21, Wisconsin

• 🇺🇸 Cassie Hall, C, 20, Wisconsin

• 🇸🇪 Ebba Hedqvist, C, 19, MoDo

• 🇭🇺 Reka Hiezl, LW, 16, Shattuck St. Mary’s

• 🇨🇦 Sofia Ismael, RW, 17, Etobicoke

• 🇸🇪 Thea Johansson, LW, 23, Minnesota-Duluth

• 🇨🇦 Kahlen Lamarche, RW, 20, Quinnipiac

• 🇨🇦 Madi Levesque, C, 16, Bourget

• 🇺🇸 Ava Lindsay, RW, 20, Minnesota

• 🇨🇦 Maddie McCullough, C, 17, Etobicoke

• 🇨🇦 Hayley McDonald, RW, 17, RINK Kelowna

• 🇨🇦 Claire Murdoch, LW, 19, UConn

• 🇯🇵 Umeka Odaira, LW, 17, Daishin

• 🇨🇦 Grace Outwater, RW, 19, Penn State

• 🇨🇦 Emma Pais, LW, 20, Colgate

• 🇨🇦 Sarah Paul, LW, 22, Minnesota

• 🇨🇦 Rachel Piggott, C, 17, Etobicoke

• 🇺🇸 Emily Pohl, LW, 17, Hill-Murray

• 🇺🇸 Maggie Scannell, RW, 19, Wisconsin

• 🇸🇪 Moa Stridh, LW, 15, Frolunda

• 🇸🇪 Tilde Sundnas Grillfors, LW, 17, Brynas

• 🇸🇪 Elin Svensson, LW, 23, Brynas

• 🇨🇦 Caileigh Tiller, LW, 17, Burlington

• 🇨🇦 Rosalie Tremblay, C, 17, Stanstead

• 🇫🇮 Sanni Vanhanen, C, 20, Ohio State

• 🇨🇭 Ivana Wey, LW, 19, EVZ

• 🇨🇦 Issy Wunder, RW, 22, Princeton

Defenders of interest

• 🇯🇵 Nana Akimoto, RH, 16, Perigrine

• 🇺🇸 Maggie Averill, RH, 17, Assabet Valley

• 🇺🇸 Sloane Hartmetz, RH, 17, Shattuck St. Mary’s

• 🇺🇸 Vivian Jungels, LH, 22, Wisconsin

• 🇫🇮 Nelli Laitinen, LH, 23, Minnesota

• 🇨🇦 Anais Leprohon, LH, 17, Limoilou

• 🇨🇦 Danica Maynard, RH, 18, Penn State

• 🇨🇭 Laure Meriguet, LH, 17, Geneve

• 🇺🇸 Sydney Morrow, RH, 21, Minnesota

• 🇨🇦 Megan Mossey, RH, 16, Etobicoke

• 🇨🇦 Ava Murphy, LH, 20, Wisconsin

• 🇫🇮 Sanni Rantala, RH, 23, Frolunda

• 🇸🇪 Jenna Raunio, RH, 19, Ohio State

• 🇨🇿 Klara Sramkova, LH, 15, Ceske Budejovice

• 🇨🇦 Sara Swiderski, RH, 21, Ohio State

• 🇺🇸 Chyna Taylor, LH, 16, Lovell

• 🇨🇦 Emma Venusio, LH, 19, Wisconsin

• 🇨🇦 Makayla Watson, RH, 19, Quinnipiac

• 🇸🇪 Ebba Westerlind, LH, 17, Frolunda

Goaltenders of interest

• 🇺🇸 Bianca Birrittieri, 17, Pittsburgh

• 🇨🇦 Tia Chan, 23, UConn

• 🇨🇦 Hannah Clark, 19, Minnesota

• 🇸🇪 Felicia Frank, 20, Quinnipiac

• 🇸🇪 Maja Helge, 18, Frolunda

• 🇺🇸 Layla Hemp, 19, Minnesota

• 🇨🇿 Michaela Hesova, 20, Dartmouth

• 🇫🇮 Emilia Kyrkko, 21, St. Cloud State

• 🇨🇦 Rhyah Stewart, 19, Wisconsin

• 🇨🇭 Monja Wagner, 22, Union

• 🇨🇳 Jiahui Zhan, 19, Dartmouth

16. Sarah Nurse, C, Vancouver Goldeneyes

When Nurse is on her game, she’s a top 10 player in the sport, as evidenced by her excellent regular season in 2024. A broken finger limited her effectiveness in the 2024 playoffs, and she again struggled to regain her form after sustaining a lower-body injury midseason this past campaign. If Nurse has a healthy year, she likely vaults right back into the top end of this ranking.

“It still doesn’t feel real that Sarah’s not on my team, cause I’ve played with her for so long,” Sceptres forward Natalie Spooner said. “It’s not gonna be fun to face her. She’s a great player. Her most underrated skill is probably her playmaking skills, which is one of the things that I’ve benefited from playing with her. Her great passes and finding those open players. So, that’s something that I’m definitely gonna miss, but is gonna benefit her team a lot.”

17. Lee Stecklein, LHD, Minnesota Frost

One of the league’s best shutdown defenders, Stecklein enjoyed a surprise offensive breakout coming back from the Worlds and through the playoffs. She eats minutes for the Frost and is a menace defensively with her huge reach. If Stecklein continues to contribute more offensively with the departures of Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, she will get more love for the major year-end awards.

“I think that she is just so shut down defensively,” Goldeneyes defender and former Frost teammate Sophie Jaques said. “In the D zone, she’s always in the right spot. She’s not getting beat, her stick’s in the right position. She’s just very defensively sound. And then it was really fun and awesome to see her offensive side come out in the playoffs. I mean, I don’t think anyone expected it - we started calling her Offensive Lee, because we’ve never seen this version of Lee before.”

18. Claire Thompson, LHD, Vancouver Goldeneyes

Thompson showed no signs of rust returning to full-time play after a year off at medical school. The smooth-skating blue-liner is a joy to watch, as she can take over and break open games on a single rush.

“Claire is one of the best defenders in the world and a phenomenal leader who will help create a culture of excellence in Vancouver,” Goldeneyes general manager Cara Gardner Morey said after Thompson became the first player in franchise history.

19. Emily Clark, LW, Ottawa Charge

Clark elevated her play in her first foray into the PWHL postseason. She was consistently Ottawa’s most dangerous player throughout their run to the Walter Cup Final, all while remaining a vital piece defensively.

“Clarky is one of those players; she’s so consistent and reliable,” Charge defender Jocelyne Larocque said. “You know what you’re gonna get from her every single game. Such incredible work ethic. So much heart. So much passion. She definitely elevated her offensive side of the game (down the stretch and in the playoffs), but it was still the same difficult to play against Clarky that we know and love. It wasn’t shocking that she did well cause she’s such a reliable player, and I love being her teammate.”

20. Alina Muller, C, Boston Fleet

Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer made the difficult choice to protect Muller instead of Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka in the expansion process. The decision shows faith in Muller’s ability to lead a team in the PWHL, and now it’s up to the Swiss international to find that next level to propel Boston back into the playoffs.

“Her hockey IQ is incredible,” Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel said. “She’s an extremely patient playmaker. She wants the puck on her stick, but she also wants to share it, and she wants her teammates and her linemates to have success around her. I think something that sets her apart is her vision. She’s very patient with the puck.”

21. Natalie Spooner, RW, Toronto Sceptres

Don’t forget just how dominant Spooner was in 2024 before her knee injury. She ran away with league MVP and posted a goals-per-game rate we likely won’t see matched for a while. If she’s back to full health - and the early signs through Canada’s training blocks and Sceptres camp are promising - look out.

“I think it took her a bit to get her feet back, which was expected, just because of the severity of her injury,” Sceptres forward Daryl Watts said in September. “But I think by the end of the season, every game she gained more confidence, she felt more comfortable. With this long summer and whole offseason, she’s looking more like her true self, without the limitations of that injury. I’m super excited because last year was the first year I’ve ever been her teammate.”

22. Hannah Miller, C, Vancouver Goldeneyes

Few players - if any - have had their stock rise more in the PWHL than Miller. Four years ago, Miller was suiting up for Team China at the Olympics. Now, thanks to the opportunity presented by the PWHL, she’s in the mix to play for Team Canada again. Only Marie-Philip Poulin rivals Miller’s dominant five-on-five goal share through two seasons. The 29-year-old’s blend of shooting, skill, physicality, and defensive prowess is a coach’s dream.

“Her ability to play middle, play on the wall, and still be effective in multiple situations,” Goldeneyes head coach Brian Idalski said, who also coached Miller with Team China in 2022. “I mean, she’s someone who can be on a power play and shoots the puck a ton and is very skilled, but is also physical, gritty, tough, can kill penalties. She’s just awell-rounded - the biggest thing in her development is she’s a 200-foot player now. She gives herself the opportunity to play in a ton of different situations for us.”

23. Gwyneth Philips, G, Ottawa Charge

It’s almost inconceivable how good Philips was while playing ridiculously tight games that went to overtime seemingly every night in the postseason. Now as the clear-cut starter in Ottawa, the 25-year-old has the opportunity to cement herself as a top-three goaltender in the world.

“She’s a very athletic goalie,” Seattle forward and former Charge teammate Danielle Serdachny said. “Sometimes, I’d say a bit unpredictable as well, but honestly, that’s what makes her so good. Cause as a shooter, you’re not really sure what to expect. She can come out of nowhere to make a huge save. Definitely an incredible goalie.”

24. Emerance Maschmeyer, G, Vancouver Goldeneyes

It will be a joy to see Maschmeyer back on the ice after her season was abruptly ended in March due to injury. Maschmeyer had been a workhorse goaltender in her PWHL tenure before going down with her injury. That shouldn’t be a concern this year in Vancouver with Kristen Campbell as a very formidable backup.

“Sometimes I play like a chicken with my head cut off, and she does a pretty good job of being composed,” Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips said. “Definitely adding that to my game, and just some other small things, but I’d just say her poise - especially in tight scrambles - would be something I’m looking to add to my game.”

25. Brianne Jenner, RW, Ottawa Charge

Was last season a slight blip or the beginning of the decline? Jenner dominated in the back half of the 2024 season, playing on a line with Daryl Watts and Katerina Mrazova. The 34-year-old didn’t find the same success last season, then was held without a point for the Charge’s last six playoff games. Still, Jenner is a highly respected veteran who has the talent to bounce back in a big way, especially with a fourth Olympics on the line.

“Jenner’s such an intelligent player,” Vancouver goaltender and former Charge teammate Emerance Maschmeyer said. “She reads the game so well. I think what’s really impressive about her is that she continues to be a student of the game. She’s constantly evolving and learning and finding new ways to score. Even as a goaltender, she’ll come and ask me questions like, ‘What could I have done here?’ She just wants to get better and evolve, so that makes her a very dangerous player. She has the ability to score in many different ways. I prefer her on my team, but it’ll be a lot of fun playing against her this year.”