PWHL releases 199-player list for 2025 draft
Almost 200 players seek to get their name called and join the top pro league in women’s hockey.
On Thursday, the Professional Women’s Hockey League released the names of the 199 athletes who have formally declared for the 2025 PWHL Draft. 142 of which played collegiately last season, including 113 from NCAA Division I.
Not among the names is University of Minnesota star Abbey Murphy. The Team USA mainstay has elected to play her fifth and final season with the Golden Gophers.
That has opened up a Pandora’s Box of possibilities to see who the New York Sirens supposedly will pick first overall.
There are a few players who have been playing stateside who could be called to the stage first, including Colgate star Kristýna Kaltounková. The fifth-year Raider became the first player from Czechia named as a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best player in women’s college hockey. She finished third in the ECAC in scoring with 48 points this year. Kaltounková’s ability to put the puck in the net has been noticeable on the international stage in many years of service for Team Czechia.
Sticking in the ECAC, Clarkson defender Hayley Winn has many tools that can translate from the NCAA to the pros. She’s reliable in her own end and moves the puck efficiently in both the offensive and defensive zones. The 21-year-old finished second among NCAA defenders in scoring this past season with 46 points. Winn has been on the U.S. National Team in each of the last three IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning gold twice.
Then there’s the player who stood above the rest. Wisconsin super senior Casey O’Brien dominated the college ranks, leading the lead in assists (62) and points (88) and being the only player to score over 72 points. Along with a talented cast, including eventual PWHL stars Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms,= and Caroline Harvey, O’Brien helped the Badgers win a record eighth national championship, capturing the Patty Kaz in the process.
Among the Europeans entering this year’s draft, longtime Finnish National Team star Michelle Karvinen could be a solid late-round pick. After setting the all-time world championship record for points by a Finn and helping Frölunda HC capture the SDHL championship, the 35-year-old decided to see if she can make an impact for a team in the PWHL.
Goaltending is a little light compared to last season when players like Gwyneth Philips, Kayle Osborne, and Raygan Kirk were taken. Right now, the frontrunner to be picked this year is Sanni Ahola. The St. Cloud State product and Finland nationalist has played in some big moments over her young career, including helping the Finns win bronze at this year’s Women’s Worlds.
Though the PWHL Draft is set to take place in Ottawa on June 24, we still don’t know the format for the draft. Last year, the draft consisted of seven rounds, with teams being allowed to trade picks. However, with the additions of teams in Vancouver and Seattle, the PWHL has yet to announce how things will work this year.
The league also has yet to reveal plans for the expansion draft, which could affect the outcome of the entry draft.