2024 PWHL Mock Draft: Projecting the top 42
We’re just a few days away from the second annual PWHL Draft, and many highly talented players are available to be taken next Monday in St. Paul.
Last year, 268 players were eligible to be selected in the inaugural draft. While that number has dwindled to 167 this time around, one could argue that this draft is even deeper, with loads of European players hoping to get a shot at playing in this hot new attraction on the women’s sports scene.
With just seven rounds in 2024 compared to 15 last September, Hunter Crowther and Tyler Kuehl laid out their picks for each of the six teams.
Round 1
1. New York: Sarah Fillier, F (Princeton, NCAA)
Tyler: I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that I had Sarah Fillier as my way-too-early pick for 2025 Rookie of the Year. It’s an easy choice for general manager Pascal Daoust. An offensively gifted player to join the likes of Alex Carpenter? Yes, please.
2. Ottawa: Danielle Serdachny, F (Colgate, NCAA)
Hunter: Danielle Serdachny has all the tools of a top-level player and should get acclimated at the professional level very quickly. Utilizes her 5-foot-9 frame to create chances for herself. If Ottawa drafts her at No. 2, she might go into training camp as one of their best forwards.
3. Minnesota: Hannah Bilka, F (Ohio State, NCAA)
Tyler: Fantastic player wherever she has played. Was great on a good Boston College team, and even better on a national championship team in Columbus. She’ll give Minnesota a huge offensive boost.
4. Boston: Cayla Barnes D, (Ohio State, NCAA)
Tyler: Bilka’s teammate has made an immediate impact with the U.S. National Team, and only bolstered her stock with a great season with the Buckeyes. She will immediately be a top-four weapon for Courtney Kessel’s team.
5. Montreal: Claire Thompson, D (Canada, DNP)
Hunter: Taking last season off to pursue medical school, Claire Thompson declared for the draft and might have the most immediate impact of anyone available. Montreal needs defenders, and a pairing of her and Erin Ambrose might be the best in the league.
6. Toronto: Izzy Daniel, F (Cornell, NCAA)
Hunter: Some are worried about Izzy Daniel’s size, but the 5-foot-5 forward has proven she can create offense out of nowhere, and brings speed to a Toronto lineup that desperately needed it in their forward group.
Round 2
7. New York: Amanda Kessel, F (USA, DNP)
Tyler: I know Kessel hasn’t been skating as much as some might like to see, but with her natural scoring touch, it’s going to be like riding a bicycle for the former PWHPA member. She already has a familiar USWNT face with Carpenter in the lineup.
8. Ottawa: Julia Gosling, F (St. Lawrence, NCAA)
Hunter: A forward with size who knows how to drive the net, as well as play responsibly in her own end. One coach in the ECAC told me she’ll be the player we look back on and think, “Ah, we should have taken her when we had the chance.”
9. Minnesota: Maja Nylén Persson, D (Brynäs IF, SDHL)
Tyler: The first European off the board is one of the best defenders in the world. Nylén Persson was named the best blueliner in Sweden–male or female–for a reason. Stout in her own zone, and can jump in on the offensive end. She makes anybody she’s paired with better.
10. Boston: Noora Tulus, F (Lulea HF, SDHL)
Tyler: Boston has one scoring weapon from Finland in Susanna Tapani, so why not add a second? Tulus has been one of the most prolific scorers in the SDHL for the better part of a decade and has been on a string of good national teams.
11. Montreal: Jennifer Gardiner, D (Ohio State, NCAA)
Hunter: Captained the Ohio State Buckeyes to a national championship, she has no weaknesses and can play any role. Relentless in puck pursuit and a heavy shot from anywhere on the ice. A coach’s dream.
12. Toronto: Gwyneth Philips, G (Northeastern, NCAA)
Hunter: Posted mind-boggling save percentages of .960 and .955 in her last two college seasons. Curious to see how early she’s taken, but I think Toronto would be smart to pick her early and have her back up Kristen Campbell.
Round 3
13. New York: Daniela Pejšová, D (Lulea HF, SDHL)
Tyler: I really like Pejšová’s game, and having her and Ella Shelton as a 1-2 down the left side on the blueline gives New York two excellent and reliable options, both at 5-on-5 and the power play. Pejšová has been a big part of Czechia’s recent rise on the international scene.
14. Ottawa: Ronja Savolainen, D (Lulea HF, SDHL)
Hunter: Some teams might pass on European players, but Ottawa has shown they don’t care what your passport looks like. She has some physicality that would adapt nicely to the North American game.
15. Minnesota: Abby Boreen, F (Minnesota, PWHL)
Tyler: I wouldn’t be surprised if Boreen is taken higher, but with the amount of scoring talent ahead of her, Minnesota wouldn’t have an issue waiting on her to fall into their lap. Even though she couldn’t play the full season last year, she made an impact whenever she was in the lineup.
16. Boston: Sara Hjalmarsson, F (Linköping HC, SDHL)
Tyler: I said it in our draft rankings, I hold Hjalmarsson in a higher regard than most. That’s because she is a key player, and the captain, on a struggling Linköping team. Her creative ability made her one of Sweden’s best players at this past Women’s World Championship, which bumped her up my list.
17. Montreal: Elle Hartje, F (Yale, NCAA)
Hunter: Elite offensive production, Montreal could use more goals in their bottom-six forward group. Her coaches at Yale praised her compete level and hockey IQ.
18. Toronto: Megan Carter, D (Northeastern, NCAA)
Hunter: Toronto needs defenders to eat some of the minutes from Jocelyne Larocque and Renata Fast. Megan Carter can play mean and provide a physical edge on Toronto’s blue line.
Round 4
19. New York: Camryn Wong, D (Connecticut, NCAA)
Tyler: I know I’m a little overzealous on Wong, but New York needs to bolster the defensive side of its game, and Wong has brought that to her arsenal over the last couple of years with the Huskies, helping the team to win its first Hockey East championship.
20. Ottawa: Anna Meixner, F (Brynäs IF, SDHL)
Hunter: Anna Meixner provided plenty of offensive production in Europe, scoring at a near two-points-per-game pace in 2022-23 with Brynas of the SDHL. It will be interesting to see if she can bring that to the North American game.
21. Minnesota: Anneke Linser, F (Djurgardens IF, SDHL)
Tyler: Linser had a chance to join the PWHL last season, but elected to play in Sweden last year, and it paid off, becoming Djurgården’s top star. The former Minnesota-Duluth standout became one of the Bulldogs’ best offensive weapons before turning pro.
22. Boston: Sini Karjalainen, D (Brynäs IF, SDHL)
Tyler: I remember how Vermont lived and died with Karjalainen during her fifth season as a captain of the Catamounts. She wasn’t as prolific as a scorer in her rookie season with Brynäs, but returning to North American ice can help her recover that offensive touch to compliment her defensive game.
23. Montreal: Klara Hymlarova, D (St. Cloud State, NCAA)
Hunter: Versatile forward who can play center, on the wing, and defense. Can create offense on her own, and produced both in college and internationally with Czechia.
24. Toronto: Mae Batherson, D (St. Lawrence, NCAA)
Hunter: Strong defender who can provide some offense from the blue line. Toronto was very top-heavy for goals in 2024, and Batherson can add skill while protecting her own end.
Round 5
25. New York: Klara Peslarova, G (Brynäs IF, SDHL)
Tyler: I went back and forth on whether or not New York was going to replace one of their goaltenders, but Peslarova has shown she can be a big-time goaltender, which is needed for a team that gets bombarded with shots. Peslarova’s play at the latest Women’s Worlds helped Czechia advance to the semifinals.
26. Ottawa: Sydney Bard, D (Colgate, NCAA)
Hunter: Ottawa needs to build depth on their blue line, and Sydney Bard has the makings of a quality second- or third-pair defender. Strong skater who can create chances in the offensive zone.
27. Minnesota: Anna Wilgren, D (Wisconsin, NCAA)
Tyler: After all of her injury troubles at Minnesota State, Wilgren was reborn when she transferred to Wisconsin, and was a key player as the team made it back to the national title game. Great first past out of her own zone, and is great at holding the opponent’s attack at bay.
28. Boston: Britta Curl, F (Wisconsin, NCAA)
Tyler: I think I can speak for Hunter when we say there is a reason this exceptional player made it this far in our draft. Too much off-ice baggage clouds her ability to be a big-time scorer. That clearly hasn’t stopped USA Hockey from having her on the national team, and it might not stop any of the other teams in the PWHL from picking her earlier.
29. Montreal: Noemi Neubauerova, F (Brynäs, SDHL)
Hunter: Physical forward whose game could translate nicely from the Swedish league to the PWHL. Montreal needs to add some physicality to their lineup, and she can provide that on their third or fourth line.
30. Toronto: Emmy Fecteau, (F, Concordia, USports)
Hunter: Our first USports player in the mock draft, Emmy Fecteau showcased plenty of talent in her four years at Concordia, averaging over a point-per-game in three of those four seasons. She may not play much, or at all, in her first pro season, but she’s worth taking a pick as a long-term project.
Round 6
31. New York: Dominique Petrie, F (Clarkson, NCAA)
Tyler: Petrie has been quiet on the international stage over the last couple of years, but she was a consistent scorer at the collegiate level, especially in her final season at Clarkson, helping the Golden Knights make it to the national tournament.
32. Ottawa: Dara Greig, F (Colgate, NCAA)
Hunter: An offensive powerhouse who produced some great numbers in three seasons with Colgate. Dara Greig could provide the type of depth scoring needed when goals are hard to come by in the playoffs.
33. Minnesota: Annie Kuehl, F (Princeton, NCAA)
Tyler: First off, no, Annie and I aren’t related, so erase that notion of bias. Second, Kuehl provided secondary scoring on a Tigers team that was always in the middle of the ECAC. She spent some time alongside Fillier, and has shown she can play with great players.
34. Boston: Alexie Guay, D (Clarkson, NCAA)
Tyler: Guay has clearly proven she is capable of playing pro hockey, having already signed a contract with MoDo Hockey of the SDHL. A steady defender with the capability of generating offense from the blueline.
35. Montreal: Brooke McQuigge, F (Clarkson, NCAA)
Hunter: A strong two-way player who provided leadership in her five seasons with Clarkson, Brooke McQuigge has the size and skills that translate to the pro game.
36. Toronto: Lauren Bernard, D (Ohio State, NCAA)
Hunter: Another Buckeye! Lauren Bernard is strong in her own end, and while she isn’t a high-skill defender like some players in this draft, she can handle her own defensively.
Round 7
37. New York: Madeline Wethington, D (Minnesota, NCAA)
Tyler: A rare three-time Under-18s gold medalist, Wethington has a winning pedigree. The 2019 Minnesota Ms. Hockey player has had five great seasons with the Golden Gophers, averaging 25 points over the last three seasons.
38. Ottawa: Mannon McMahon, F (Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA)
Hunter: Mannon McMahon is a strong two-way forward who can win faceoffs, and could end up playing more minutes than other players taken this late in the draft.
39. Minnesota: Taylor Lind, F (St. Cloud State, NCAA)
Tyler: A former captain with the Huskies, Lind has shown the ability to be a leader on and off the ice. Capable of being a solid depth player with a knack for scoring at key moments.
40. Boston: Kathryn Reilly, D (Quinnipiac, NCAA)
Tyler: Reilly was kind of in the weeds heading into this past season, but a respectable career-high 39 points put the former Bobcat on a couple of team’s radars. Reilly’s game in her own zone has improved steadily over the past few years.
41. Montreal: Maggie MacEachern, D (Penn State, NCAA)
Hunter: Stay-at-home defender who can eat minutes as she adapts to the highest level. Transferred to Penn State after four years at Colgate, she was an anchor on the blue line.
42. Toronto: Laura Kluge, F (Memmingen, DFEL)
Hunter: Laura Kluge has plenty of international experience with Germany, and has spent the last three years playing professionally. Might be a sneaky good pickup for a team looking for depth.
The 2024 PWHL Draft is scheduled for Monday, June 10 at 7 p.m. ET. It will be held at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul.