PWHL draft set for June in Ottawa, featuring surplus of talent with national team experience

Karissa Donkin · CBC Sports

· Posted: Apr 15, 2025 8:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The PWHL volition clasp its 3rd yearly introduction draught connected June 24 successful Ottawa.

Several players who are starring astatine the satellite title successful the Czech Republic person declared for the draft, including Czech forwards Kristýna Kaltounková (Colgate University) and Natálie Mlýnková (University of Minnesota), and American defender Haley Winn (Clarkson University), according to a database provided by the league.

Kaltounková, 23, leads the big Czech squad successful goals astatine the satellite championship, scoring 2 implicit 4 preliminary-round games. It's her sixth satellite title for her country.

Other apical players see Clarkson University defender Nicole Gosling, who won a satellite title with Canada past season, defender Rory Guilday (Cornell University), who won a satellite rubric with the Americans successful 2023, and Casey O'Brien, a Wisconsin guardant who won this year's Patty Kazmaier Award for the apical pistillate subordinate successful assemblage hockey.

The league has yet to denote whether it plans to grow adjacent season, which could impact some the format of the draught and which players yet declare. The league would besides clasp an enlargement draught should enlargement determination forward.

Notably, the PWHL's database of apical prospects doesn't see Team USA prima Abbey Murphy, though players person until May 8 to declare.

"The draught is 1 of the astir breathtaking times of the twelvemonth for our league, arsenic it represents the aboriginal of the game," PWHL enforcement vice president of hockey operations, Jayna Hefford, said successful a statement.

"We're looking guardant to welcoming a caller people of elite endowment and giving fans a archetypal look astatine the adjacent question of hockey stars. Hosting this year's draught successful Ottawa — a metropolis that has incredibly passionate fans — is definite to beryllium an unforgettable experience."

The draught volition beryllium sponsored by Upper Deck and volition beryllium the archetypal lawsuit astatine Ottawa's caller Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Other players who made the league's database of apical prospects who person declared see Clarkson guardant Anne Cherkowski, who won a golden medal for Canada astatine the under-18 level, Colgate skipper and goaltender Hannah Murphy, and Boston College skipper Abby Newhook, who could beryllium conscionable the 2nd subordinate from Newfoundland and Labrador to play successful the league.

Newhook's brother, Alex, was a first-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 NHL draft and present plays for the Montreal Canadiens.

The PWHL play resumes April 26 with 3 regular-season games near to play for each of the six teams. The apical 4 volition marque the Walter Cup playoffs.

No squad has been eliminated from playoff contention yet, and lone the Montreal Victoire has secured a playoff berth.

New York Sirens guardant Sarah Fillier, who ranks 2nd successful the league successful points, was taken archetypal wide past season.

In 2023, the Minnesota Frost chose Minnesota autochthonal Taylor Heise with the archetypal prime astatine the league's inaugural draft.