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PWHL Draft (Women’s Hockey)
The women’s hockey draft returned for its second annual edition at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, Minnesota, drawing top female hockey talent from across North America, Europe, and beyond. Six Professional Women’s Hockey League teams took the stage to shape their rosters through seven rounds of selections, making this one of the most consequential nights in the league’s short but rapidly growing history. Sarah Fillier, a standout from Princeton University, earned the first overall pick — selected by PWHL New York in a moment that instantly became part of league lore.
A total of 167 players declared for the event, representing a remarkable cross-section of collegiate and international talent. Forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders all entered the pool, each carrying their own story and competitive pedigree. The sheer volume and quality of declared players signaled just how seriously the professional game is being taken by the next generation of female athletes.
What made this draft particularly significant was not just who got selected, but what the event represented. As widely reported across hockey media, the PWHL has moved quickly to establish itself as the premier destination for elite women’s hockey. This draft was a direct reflection of that ambition — organized, competitive, and genuinely exciting from the first pick to the last.
| Event Name | 2024 PWHL Draft |
| Date | June 10, 2024 |
| Venue | Roy Wilkins Auditorium |
| Location | Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States |
| League | Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) |
| Total Rounds | 7 |
| Total Selections | 42 |
| Players Declared | 167 (93 Forwards, 48 Defensemen, 26 Goaltenders) |
| First Overall Pick | Sarah Fillier |
| Selected By | PWHL New York |
| Draft Order System | Gold Plan (Draft Order Points + Standings Points) |
| Teams Participating | New York, Ottawa, Minnesota, Boston, Montreal, Toronto |
| Countries Represented | Canada, United States, Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Austria |
| Primary Feeder League | NCAA (United States & Canada) |
| International Leagues | SDHL (Sweden), ZhHL (Russia) |
| Draft Edition | Second Annual PWHL Draft |
Question : What is the women’s hockey draft?
The women’s hockey draft is the annual selection event of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, where six PWHL teams choose players from a pool of declared prospects. Teams draft across seven rounds, selecting forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders from NCAA programs and international leagues worldwide.
What Is the PWHL Draft?
The PWHL Draft is the annual selection process through which the six Professional Women’s Hockey League teams choose players from a declared pool of eligible prospects. It serves as the primary pipeline connecting elite amateur and international talent to professional women’s hockey, giving every franchise a structured and equal opportunity to build their rosters from the ground up. The process works through a series of rounds, with each team making one pick per round. Draft order is not purely random. The league uses a points-based system that factors in both regular season standings and a separate accumulation of draft order points, ensuring that teams who struggled most during the season are rewarded with stronger positioning. The top two selections follow a specific formula called the gold plan, where standings points earned by eliminated teams convert into draft order advantage.
Players must formally declare their eligibility within a set window to participate. Those who go unselected are not simply left without options — they transition to free agency, giving them the freedom to negotiate directly with any team. The system is designed to be fair, transparent, and competitive, reflecting the league’s broader commitment to building a sustainable professional structure for women’s hockey. It has quickly become one of the most anticipated events on the PWHL calendar.
2024 PWHL Draft Eligibility Rules
Participation in the PWHL Draft begins long before a single name is called on draft night. Every player who wished to be considered had to formally declare their eligibility within a specific window, which opened on March 1 and closed on May 8. This declaration process was not optional — players who skipped it forfeited their path to free agency entirely, making it a critical first step for anyone serious about entering professional women’s hockey.
On May 25, the league published the full list of eligible players. A total of 167 athletes declared, broken down into 93 forwards, 48 defensemen, and 26 goaltenders. That breadth of positional representation reflected the genuine depth of the current talent pool and gave every team meaningful options regardless of their roster needs heading into the selection process. The rules around what happens after the draft are equally important.
Players who went unselected automatically became free agents, free to sign with any team. Those who were drafted but not signed by their selecting club within two years retained the right to re-enter the draft — though no player could declare more than twice across their career. One additional restriction applied to availability: any player unable to participate in the upcoming season was ruled ineligible for selection entirely, keeping the process focused on players ready to compete immediately.
Draft Format and Selection Order
The structure of the PWHL Draft is straightforward on the surface but carries meaningful strategic depth beneath it. Seven rounds, six teams, one pick per team per round — resulting in exactly 42 total selections. Every franchise entered draft night knowing precisely when their turn would come, which made pre-draft trade negotiations and scouting decisions all the more consequential. What makes the selection order particularly interesting is how it is determined. Rather than a pure lottery or strictly inverse standings system, the league uses a hybrid approach. The top two picks are decided through what the PWHL calls the gold plan — a mechanism where standings points accumulated by teams eliminated from playoff contention convert into draft order points. The team collecting the most draft order points earns the first overall selection. It rewards teams that remained competitive even after their postseason hopes faded, rather than simply handing the top pick to the worst-performing club.
The remaining four picks in the first round go to the playoff teams, assigned in reverse order of their regular season standings. That same order then holds for every subsequent round, giving the process consistency and predictability. As determined by this system, New York drafted first, followed by Ottawa, Minnesota, Boston, Montreal, and Toronto respectively. Teams were also permitted to trade their picks once the playoffs concluded, adding a layer of front-office maneuvering that shaped several key selections throughout the night.
Top Prospects Heading Into the PWHL Draft
No draft generates more conversation in the weeks leading up to it than the prospect rankings debate. Two of hockey’s most respected publications — The Hockey News and The Athletic — each released their own top prospect lists ahead of selection night, and while they largely agreed on the names at the top, the ordering told two slightly different stories.
Sarah Fillier sat atop both lists without dispute. The Princeton University center from Canada was the consensus number one skater heading into the draft, praised for her hockey sense, compete level, and readiness to contribute immediately at the professional level. Danielle Serdachny, another Canadian center out of Colgate University, ranked second on The Athletic’s list and third on The Hockey News list, with Hannah Bilka of Ohio State flipping those positions depending on the publication.
Claire Thompson, a Canadian defenseman who had not played competitively in the lead-up to the draft, drew significant attention despite her absence from game action — a testament to the regard scouts held for her long-term potential. Cayla Barnes and Ronja Savolainen rounded out the defensive prospect conversation, with Barnes representing the United States out of Ohio State and Savolainen bringing international pedigree from Luleå HF in the Swedish league. Amanda Kessel, despite not playing, also appeared on both lists — her reputation carrying enough weight to earn a ranking on name and historical performance alone.
Top Goaltenders
The goaltender rankings produced one of the few genuine disagreements between the two outlets. The Hockey News placed Klára Peslarová of the Czech Republic at the top of the goaltender tier, while The Athletic favored Gwyneth Philips of Northeastern University for that distinction. Both publications agreed that Kayle Osborne from Colgate University rounded out the top three between the pipes. Despite the differing opinions on ordering, all three were considered legitimate professional prospects with the tools to develop into reliable starters at the PWHL level.
Round-by-Round Draft Selections
When the lights came up and the draft began, the selections moved quickly — but each pick carried its own weight and story.
Round One
The first round unfolded largely as the rankings predicted. New York opened the proceedings by selecting Sarah Fillier first overall, confirming what every analyst had anticipated. Ottawa followed with Danielle Serdachny at second overall, landing one of the most polished two-way centers in the draft class. Minnesota took Claire Thompson third, adding a highly regarded defenseman despite her extended absence from competitive play. Boston selected Hannah Bilka fourth, bringing in a dynamic left wing from Ohio State with immediate impact potential. Montreal used the fifth pick on Cayla Barnes, also out of Ohio State, strengthening their defensive corps. Toronto closed the round by selecting Julia Gosling sixth overall, a Canadian center from St. Lawrence University who brought both skill and composure to the selection.
Round Two
Round two introduced the first significant trade activity of the night. New York and Boston had swapped picks ahead of the draft, which reshuffled the order in ways that benefited both franchises. Boston used New York’s pick to select Czech defenseman Daniela Pejšová from Luleå HF, adding international defensive depth. Ottawa selected Finnish defenseman Ronja Savolainen, one of the most anticipated international picks of the entire draft. Minnesota added Britta Curl from the University of Wisconsin, while New York — using Boston’s pick — selected Swedish defenseman Maja Nylén Persson from Brynäs IF. Montreal took Jennifer Gardiner and Toronto closed the round with Megan Carter from Northeastern University.
Round Three
The third round delivered one of the night’s more notable goaltender selections, as Ottawa chose Gwyneth Philips out of Northeastern University. New York added Finnish forward Noora Tulus from Luleå HF early in the round. Minnesota selected Czech forward Klára Hymlárová from St. Cloud State, continuing their international approach. New York again — this time through a trade with Boston — selected American defenseman Allyson Simpson from Colgate. Montreal took Abigail Boreen, and Toronto closed the round with Izzy Daniel from Cornell University, a forward who had drawn attention on The Athletic’s pre-draft rankings.
Rounds Four Through Seven
The later rounds brought a steady stream of collegiate talent with several standout moments woven in. Rounds four and five were dominated by NCAA players, with programs like Ohio State, Colgate, Wisconsin, and Clarkson all seeing multiple alumni selected. Kayle Osborne, the goaltender ranked in the top three by both major publications, landed with New York in round five through another Boston trade — a notable value pick that late in the proceedings.
Round six introduced the broadest international flavor of the entire draft. Austria’s Anna Meixner went to Ottawa, Swedish defenseman Anna Kjellbin landed with Montreal, and American forward Shay Maloney — playing in Sweden’s top league with Leksands IF — was selected by Boston. The seventh and final round saved its own headline moment, as Amanda Kessel — a decorated American forward who had not played recently — was selected by Montreal, capping a draft class that ranged from established names to raw international prospects. Toronto closed the entire event by selecting Canadian goaltender Raygan Kirk from Ohio State, bringing the total to 42 selections across all six franchises.
Trade Activity at the PWHL Draft
Draft night is never just about the picks — it is equally about the deals made before and during the event that quietly reshape how rosters are built. At this particular draft, the most active trading relationship was between New York and Boston, whose pre-arranged pick swap rippled through multiple rounds and ultimately benefited both franchises in distinct ways.
The centerpiece of the exchange saw Boston receive New York’s second-round pick, which they used to select Czech defenseman Daniela Pejšová from Luleå HF. In return, New York acquired Boston’s second-round selection and used it on Swedish defenseman Maja Nylén Persson from Brynäs IF — a pick that added immediate international defensive depth to their roster. The trade did not stop there. New York also secured Boston’s fifth-round pick, turning it into a goaltender selection when they chose Kayle Osborne from Colgate University, widely considered strong value at that stage of the draft given her pre-draft rankings.
Boston, meanwhile, received New York’s seventh-round pick as part of the broader arrangement and used it to select Russian forward Ilona Markova from Agidel Ufa in the ZhHL — an intriguing late-round international addition. Taken together, the New York and Boston swap was the most structurally complex trade of the night, touching four separate rounds and producing picks that neither team would have otherwise held. It demonstrated that even in a young league still establishing its front-office culture, draft-day strategy is already operating at a sophisticated level.
International Representation at the PWHL Draft
One of the most compelling stories of the entire selection process was not tied to any single pick — it was the collective picture formed by looking at where these players came from. Seven countries were represented across the 42 selections, a number that speaks directly to how far the global pipeline for professional women’s hockey has developed and how seriously the PWHL is being watched beyond North American borders.
Canada and the United States predictably formed the backbone of the draft class, supplying the majority of selections and occupying most of the top picks in round one. But the international presence was far from a footnote. Finland contributed two notable selections in Ronja Savolainen and Noora Tulus, both arriving from Luleå HF in the Swedish league — a club that clearly serves as one of Europe’s premier development environments for elite women’s hockey talent. The Czech Republic sent three players into the draft in Daniela Pejšová, Klára Hymlárová, and Noemi Neubauerová, reflecting the continued rise of Czech women’s hockey on the world stage.
Sweden added two selections in Maja Nylén Persson and Anna Kjellbin, both products of the SDHL — Scandinavia’s top professional league and widely regarded as the strongest women’s hockey circuit outside of North America. Russia’s Ilona Markova, selected out of Agidel Ufa, became one of the more intriguing late-round international picks of the night. Perhaps most notably, Austria’s Anna Meixner was selected by Ottawa in the sixth round, making her one of the rare Austrian players ever drafted into a major professional women’s hockey league. As widely reported across hockey media, the growing international depth of the PWHL draft class signals that the league’s ambitions are genuinely global — and that players from across the world are now viewing it as the definitive destination for elite professional play.
Team-by-Team Draft Recap
Every franchise entered draft night with different needs, different philosophies, and different levels of roster construction already in place. How each team navigated their seven picks revealed a great deal about their organizational priorities heading into the upcoming season.
PWHL New York
New York arrived at the draft as perhaps the most active franchise of the night, and they delivered on that reputation. Landing Sarah Fillier with the first overall pick gave them an immediate centerpiece — a player whose compete level and two-way game were the talk of the pre-draft conversation. Beyond Fillier, their trade activity with Boston added Maja Nylén Persson in round two and Kayle Osborne in round five, two picks they would not have otherwise held. Adding Finnish forward Noora Tulus in round three further deepened their international dimension. New York walked away from the draft with one of the most complete and strategically assembled classes of any team in the room.
PWHL Ottawa
Ottawa’s draft night centered on securing elite offensive talent at the top and reliable depth between the pipes further down. Danielle Serdachny at second overall gave them one of the most skilled two-way centers in the entire class — a player capable of contributing from day one. Finnish defenseman Ronja Savolainen followed in round two, bringing international experience from one of Europe’s top leagues. The selection of goaltender Gwyneth Philips in round three was widely regarded as strong value, given her standing in pre-draft goaltender rankings. Ottawa also added Austrian forward Anna Meixner in round six, one of the more unique international selections of the entire event, rounding out a class built with both immediate impact and longer-term development in mind.
PWHL Minnesota
Minnesota’s approach leaned heavily on defensive investment and international scouting. Claire Thompson at third overall was their headline moment — a player whose reputation preceded her despite limited recent game action. Britta Curl from the University of Wisconsin added forward depth in round two, while Czech forward Klára Hymlárová brought a European dimension in round three. Minnesota continued building through the middle rounds with Brooke McQuigge from Clarkson University and Dominique Petrie rounding out their forward group. Defenseman Mae Batherson from St. Lawrence closed their class in round six. As a whole, Minnesota drafted with a clear positional structure in mind, prioritizing their blue line early and filling forward depth methodically through the later rounds.
PWHL Boston
Boston entered the draft at fourth in the order but used their trade activity with New York to their advantage. Selecting Hannah Bilka fourth overall gave them a dynamic left wing with immediate offensive upside. The New York trade brought Daniela Pejšová to Boston in round two — a Czech defenseman with professional European experience that added genuine international credibility to their blue line. Rounds four through seven saw Boston add Sydney Bard, Shay Maloney — a North American playing in Sweden’s top league — and Hadley Harmetz, building out their roster with NCAA-tested talent. Their seventh-round pick, acquired from New York, became Ilona Markova, a Russian forward from the ZhHL whose selection added an intriguing late-round storyline to an otherwise methodical draft class.
PWHL Montreal
Montreal drafted with notable consistency across all seven rounds, never reaching dramatically for a name but never settling either. Cayla Barnes at fifth overall addressed a genuine defensive need, bringing in an experienced Ohio State product with a proven track record at the collegiate level. Jennifer Gardiner followed in round two, adding forward depth from the same program. Abigail Boreen came aboard in round three, while Dara Greig from Colgate added further forward options in round four. Anna Wilgren from Wisconsin and Swedish defenseman Anna Kjellbin gave Montreal meaningful international variety through rounds five and six. The class closed with one of the night’s most talked-about selections — Amanda Kessel in round seven. A decorated American forward who had not played recently, Kessel’s selection by Montreal was a calculated long-term bet that generated significant conversation well after the final pick was announced.
PWHL Toronto
Toronto held the sixth and final pick in every round, a position that required patience and precision. Julia Gosling at sixth overall was a composed selection — a Canadian center from St. Lawrence University whose playmaking ability drew consistent praise from scouts. Megan Carter from Northeastern followed in round two, adding defensive depth with NCAA experience. Izzy Daniel from Cornell arrived in round three, a forward who had featured on The Athletic’s pre-draft rankings and carried genuine offensive promise. Lauren Bernard, Noemi Neubauerová, Anneke Linser, and Raygan Kirk filled out Toronto’s class through the final four rounds, with Kirk’s selection as a goaltender giving Toronto a young option between the pipes to develop over time. Despite consistently picking last, Toronto assembled a class with balance across all three positions and real positional depth at forward.
What the PWHL Draft Means for Women's Hockey
The significance of this draft extends well beyond the 42 names called on selection night. Each pick represented something larger — a professional destination, a career validated, a pathway made real for the next generation of players watching from arenas and rinks around the world. What stands out most clearly when looking at the draft class as a whole is the role of the NCAA as the primary development pipeline for professional women’s hockey. The overwhelming majority of selections came directly from American and Canadian collegiate programs, with Ohio State, Colgate, Northeastern, and St. Lawrence all producing multiple draft picks. That concentration reflects both the strength of the NCAA women’s hockey infrastructure and the PWHL’s confidence in collegiate development as a reliable pathway to professional readiness.
At the same time, the presence of players from the Swedish SDHL, the Czech league system, and Russia’s ZhHL tells a parallel story. The PWHL is not simply a North American league with occasional international additions — it is actively drawing from the world’s best women’s hockey environments and treating global talent as a genuine priority rather than an afterthought. That positioning matters enormously for the league’s long-term credibility and its ability to attract the best players regardless of where they develop.
Perhaps most importantly, the structure of the draft itself — the eligibility rules, the gold plan format, the trade framework — signals that the PWHL is building institutional infrastructure designed to last. As widely reported across sports media covering women’s hockey, leagues that invest in transparent, well-organized player acquisition systems tend to generate greater trust from both players and fans. The draft is not just a roster-building exercise. It is an annual statement of intent, and this edition delivered that statement with clarity and conviction.
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About the 2024 PWHL Draft
Key questions answered about the women's hockey draft, selections, format, and what it means for the PWHL
A standout center from Princeton University, Fillier was the consensus top prospect on both The Hockey News and The Athletic pre-draft rankings. Her selection by New York was widely anticipated and immediately established her as one of the most high-profile players entering the Professional Women's Hockey League.
The event marked the second annual draft in the history of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Saint Paul served as the host city, providing a significant venue for one of the most anticipated nights in the league's short but rapidly growing history.
Six teams each made one pick per round, resulting in 42 total selections. The declared pool included 167 players — 93 forwards, 48 defensemen, and 26 goaltenders — making it one of the deepest eligibility pools in the league's history to date.
Rather than awarding the first overall pick purely based on worst record, the gold plan rewards teams that remained competitive after playoff elimination. The team accumulating the most draft order points earns the first overall selection, while the remaining four first-round picks go to playoff teams in reverse order of regular season standings.
Canada and the United States supplied the majority of picks, while Finland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Russia, and Austria also had players selected. Notable international picks included Ronja Savolainen from Finland, Daniela Pejšová from the Czech Republic, Maja Nylén Persson from Sweden, Ilona Markova from Russia, and Anna Meixner from Austria — one of the rare Austrian players ever drafted into a major professional women's hockey league.
