From NCAA stardom to the pros, PWHL rookies relishing in big roles early on
In the NHL, you might see some rookies get sheltered in order to adjust to the top level of professional hockey.
In the PWHL…that isn’t the case.
The league inherited numerous talented rookies for its second season. Of the 42 players taken in the 2024 PWHL Draft, 38 were signed to Standard Player Agreements for this year, leading many players to step into high-end roles right off the hop.
From Patty Kazmaier Award winners to national champions, a number of talented youngsters are learning the difference between the collegiate game and the pro ranks, with some making the transition look seamless.
First-overall pick Sarah Fillier is off to a hot start. The former Princeton star is spearheading a top line that features fellow international veterans Alex Carpenter and Jesse Eldridge, with Fillier looking like she had been playing pro for years. Granted, the Georgetown, Ontario native has been a huge part of Team Canada for the last few years.
Even though she is leading the PWHL with six points in three games, Fillier says she wasn’t sure what to expect in her maiden voyage in pro hockey.
“I think when you go to new teams or new leagues, there’s always some adjustment period,” Fillier said during a media availability on Wednesday. “Luckily, I’ve had some pretty great teammates to help me out…get through that learning curve pretty quickly.”
While Fillier came into the season with high expectations, one newbie who is unexpectedly making waves is Dominique Petrie of the Minnesota Frost. The former Clarkson star was taken in the fifth round of the draft but has burst onto the scene by scoring a goal in each of her three appearances.
Despite not being looked at as a “top prospect,” Petrie felt like she had the ability to make a mark in the PWHL.
“I know I wasn’t the highest draft pick,” Petrie said. “But I obviously know what I’m capable of and what my game is. I’ve always been a physical, 200-foot player. I think that it does first really well into this league…I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by people that have really helped build my confidence up.”
Petrie is tied for the league lead in goals with Carpenter and Frost teammate Michela Cava at three.
The Ottawa Charge has a plethora of rookies on its team, with each finding a way to make positive impressions in the opening week. Along with No. 2 overall pick Danielle Serdachny, Mannon McMahon also found a way to pot her first PWHL goal already, scoring in the Charge’s 3-2 victory over the Toronto Sceptres last week.
Another fifth-round pick, McMahon admits the pace of play has been the greatest difference from her time at Minnesota-Duluth to the P-Dub.
“From my first practice, pucks are moving so quickly, “McMahon said. “Everyone on the ice is fast. So, in order to keep up with the pace, you need to play faster, too. That has been the biggest adjustment…everyone kind of having that different level of compete, having to move pucks quickly and just reading plays more quickly as well.”
An often overlooked aspect of turning pro is the lifestyle adjustment for these athletes. No longer are they required to attend an 8 a.m. lecture prior to practice or ensure they study for exams amid a lengthy ride on the bus. For players like Toronto Sceptres forward and reigning Patty Kazmaier winner Izzy Daniel and Montreal Victoire defender Cayla Barnes, moving to a completely different country could be viewed as a seismic change.
Daniel, a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, admitted her new surroundings have some resemblance to her home state, though some things she’s still figuring out.
“Canada’s very similar to Minnesota in a lot of ways,” Daniel said. “Just little things, like the metric system or like the temperature and stuff like that is new to me.”
The former Cornell star, who netted her first pro goal last week against Ottawa, admitted she is getting some assistance from her roommate and the rest of the Sceptres.
“I’m living with Julia Gosling, so she’s been a big help. She’s my chauffeur, getting me around. She’s helped a lot and everyone’s been super welcoming…and I’m starting to open a bit and be myself. That’s a credit to my teammates.”
For someone who was raised in California and began her college career at Boston College before moving to Ohio State, Barnes admits moving to Quebec has gone better than she initially thought.
“The transition has been really smooth,” Barnes said. “I was a little nervous at first, just because you never know what to expect. It’s been amazing ever since I got here. The girls here, the staff here have been super welcoming and helpful…Honestly, I feel really honored to be around such a great group of women every day.”
Like Daniel, Barnes lives with someone who has made the move easier.
“My roommate is my college teammate, Jennifer Gardiner…we’re really good friends. It made the transition a lot smoother. You have one person that you know from your past…that makes things a little more comfortable.”
Barnes and Gardiner are two of eight players from the defending NCAA National Champions taken in this year’s draft. One of the stars from last year’s Buckeyes team is Hannah Bilka, who was taken by the Boston Fleet fourth overall in the draft, just one spot ahead of Barnes.
Bilka is learning that you can ill afford to take a game off in the PWHL.
“Every team is gonna give you a tough game,” Bilka said. “In college…there’s definitely a gap in the level of play with some teams. You just always have to bring your best every night.”
Despite the league taking strides in order to limit “opposite-direction” hits, there are still plenty of collisions throughout each game, something Fillier caught the brunt of in the Sirens’ 4-2 loss to the Fleet this past Sunday.
Bilka, who has two assists so far, says she welcomes the contact. Having played in numerous battles between the U.S. and Canada over the past few years, she is no stranger to contests that feature full-fledged hitting.
“You kind of learn ways to play your game by also balancing physicality,” Bilka said. “Just keep moving your feet, always having your head up…so it’s just little things that I’m learning every game. It makes the game, overall, more fun and competitive because people are playing with that extra edge.”
Daniel revealed that teammates have told her the checking has increased compared to the league’s first year.
“The physicality is a lot more than what I’m used to in college,” Daniel said. “Players are even saying it’s even more physical than the first season of the PWHL. That’s been an adjustment, just trying to put myself in positions where I’m not going to hurt myself…to minimize the contact I take as a smaller player.”
The impact of these fresh faces and more is already being felt around the league. With each of the six teams having played three games prior to this week’s international break, 10 rookies have already scored their first goals, with 17 having put up at least one point.
Even with all of the adjustments and learning these players have to do in their rookie year, it isn’t as if they are getting held down near the bottom of the lineup and working their way up. A lot of the rookies have been seeing top minutes right away.
As one might expect, the biggest adjustment to playing in the PWHL has been the physical play, as body-checking is still not allowed from women’s college hockey on down. Along with Fillier, Daniel has been spending a lot of time on the first line in the absence of Natalie Spooner, playing alongside Daryl Watts and Sarah Nurse in Toronto. Gardiner has been on Victoire’s second line, while Barnes is on their third pair behind Erin Ambrose. Bilka’s success has come from the production alongside veteran Hannah Brandt and Team USA teammate Hilary Knight.
The early returns for the 2024 draft class have been outstanding on all accounts. Even though they are considered rookies, Fillier admits she isn’t surprised by how good this young group has been.
“Our draft class was super deep,” Fillier said. “Teams were picking up quality players, even in the late rounds of the draft, and they’re making impacts on their teams right away as well. I’m definitely not surprised…I’m pretty familiar with everyone I graduated with, too…I think everyone was ready to make this jump.”
The PWHL is off this week due to the Six Nations Tournament in Finland. The league will resume play next Tuesday when the Charge visit the Fleet.