2025 PWHL Draft: Top prospects overall

The 2025 PWHL draft is just days away and we're sharing everything you need to know regarding the players who declared. Here, we're taking a look at the top prospects overall from the 199 players on the eligibility list.

NCAA:

The league with the highest amount of players on the eligibility list is none other than NCAA Div I. A majority of the PWHL is made up of college alum, including back-to-back Walter Cup champions Kendall Coyne Schofield, Lee Stecklein, and Taylor Heise. Finals MVP Gwyneth Philips, who had an incredible playoff run for the Ottawa Charge, also played college hockey at Northeastern. Here are the players hoping to follow in their footsteps and carve a path for themselves in the professional ranks.

Some of the players who are considered top prospects at the forward position chosen by TIG writer Emma Sullivan include Casey O’Brien (who I see going very high in the draft), Kristýna Kaltounková, Ella Huber, Anne Cherkowski, and Jenna Buglioni. You can read about them here.

These are even more forwards who are top prospects that I felt should be included in this story.

Forwards:

Abby Newhook - Boston College

You might recognize the Newhook last name—Abby is Montréal Canadiens star Alex's younger sister. Now it's the younger Newhook's turn to light up the pro ranks. She wrapped up four years at Boston College where she was a co-captain her final two seasons with the team. In her last year she finished with 26 points to end her collegiate career with 116 total points. Newhook also received the Hockey East Rookie of the Year honor in 2022 after a 32 point debut season with the Eagles. She's played with players like Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka, who are already successful in the PWHL and have even shared tips with her. She's also taken part in the National Women's Development Camp in the summer with Team Canada. That opportunity to learn from stars like them, and the ability to score goals, is what makes Newhook a top prospect overall.

Peyton Hemp - University of Minnesota

Peyton Hemp is a 22-year-old right-shot forward out of the University of Minnesota, where she was named a team captain again this season. Second on the team in goals scored with 16 and second in game-winning goals with five, she tallied a total of 33 points the regular season. She also recorded six points in the team's three game series against Minnesota State in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

Natálie Mlýnková - University of Minnesota

Natálie Mlýnková is another Gopher top prospect. She began her career with the University of Vermont before transferring to the University of Minnesota for her final season of college hockey. She recorded 34 points in 39 games, was third on the team in points, tied for second in goals and power play goals with Hemp, and recorded a hat trick this season. Mlýnková has been a staple in Czechia's international teams, at first with the U 18 team, and then in the World Championship, where she won two bronze medals with the team. This year she recorded six points in seven games for Czechia. She also appeared at the Olympics in 2022. Before playing college hockey, Mlýnková played for the HTI Stars in Canada, an elite girls U 20 program, and in her second year there she scored 101 points in 50 games, with 65 of them being goals. The offense comes naturally for Mlýnková, and with her international experience she could easily slot into a PWHL team and start scoring goals.

Clara Van Wieren - University of Minnesota Duluth

This Michigan native won a gold and silver medal with Team USA in the U 18 World Championship before starting at the University of Minnesota Duluth. How about that! Clara Van Wieren played five seasons with the Bulldogs, was named co-captain, and is one of only two players on the team that made five NCAA Tournament appearances in her career. In the regular season she amassed 40 points off 17 goals and 23 assists in 39 games. In her career, she finished with 125 points. Van Wieren has a great shot, and is a talented center who won 350 faceoffs this season, putting her in the top 30 in all of the NCAA.

Defenders:

Haley Winn - Clarkson

Haley Winn may be the first defender off the draft board this year. As written in our Top NCAA Defenders story, Winn recorded 99 blocks this season and added 46 points. The Clarkson defender was also honored as the ECAC Player of the Year and Defender of the Year. She has also been part of Team USA for years now, and that accolade alone provided Winn the chance to play with pro players while still in college.

Nicole Gosling - Clarkson

Winn's teammate and defensive partner, Nicole Gosling, has the chance to be another Clarkson alum in the PWHL. Gosling has earned numerous conference awards and has also been part of Team Canada on the international stage. She's already been able to use her goal scoring skills and defensive talent amongst pro players on Team Canada, allowing her to develop even more.

Rory Guilday - Cornell

Rory Guilday brings grittiness and physicality to the ice. She finished the season with 38 blocked shots and nine points. She was part of a Big Red team that put together a great season, winning the ECAC title for the first time since 2014 and appearing in a fifth Frozen Four in a tournament that heavily favored other conferences. She recorded three blocked shots in Cornell's 1-0 win against Duluth to reach the Frozen Four earlier this year. She was named to the First Team All-Ivy and Third Team All-ECAC, played in the U 18 World Championship for Team USA, and was on the team for the 2024 Six Nations Tournament and the Rivalry Series.

Goalies:

Sanni Ahola - St. Cloud State University

I have written about Sanni Ahola numerous times on this site, and for good reason. She spent five years at St. Cloud State University, was the WCHA Goaltender of the Year for the 2023-24 season, became the Huskies all-time wins leader in January, and won back-to-back bronze medals with Finland at the Women's World Championship. Ahola has the cool and calm composure needed for a goalie who spent her entire career in one of the most difficult conferences in all of women's college hockey. She's smart on the ice and can handle a heavy workload—as in 84 total games, with most of those coming after her first year at St. Cloud. Ahola is ready to take on the pro ranks, one save at a time.

Note: you can check out a player profile with Ahola here.

Hannah Murphy - Colgate University

Hannah Murphy ended her career at Colgate with winning the Athlete of the Year award. She finished as the leader in wins with 73 and career shutouts with 18. Her career stats at Colgate are a .937 save percentage, a 1.59 goals against average in 90 games. As noted in the Top NCAA Goalies story here, Murphy has been a steady force on the Raiders. Murphy is projected to be one of the first two goalies to go in this year's draft.

Amanda Thiele - Ohio State University

Amanda Thiele wore an A for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was the go-to goalie for the NCAA's runner-up team this season. In her time at Ohio State, she appeared in 96 games and won 72. She finished the last two seasons with at least 20 wins. She put together great numbers in the playoffs, helping the Buckeyes to another championship appearance. In her career, she also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2020 U 18 World Championship. Thiele has great composure and has come up big for the Buckeyes in the regular season and playoffs.

Note: For lists of the top NCAA players, you can find forwards here, defenders here, and goalies here.

SDHL:

The word "prospect" is one I used lightly when picking players, because you can't really call some players prospects when it comes to the PWHL. Because the league is still in the early stages of existence, players who are well established elsewhere are still drawn to play for the league. You can see that here especially in the SDHL. It's not to say both Michelle Karvinen and Sara Hjalmarsson are prospects per se, but they are players whose experience and veteran presence is something that can translate to the PWHL, making them incredibly valuable.

Michelle Karvinen - Frölunda HC

One of the most incredible Finnish players ever, Michelle Karvinen has a hockey resume full of experience and awards. As a member of Team Finland, she is a four time Olympian, three time Olympic Medalist, and eight time World Championship medalist. Two of those medals are bronze, which she won in 2024 and 2025. She became Finland's all-time leading points scorer at this year's Worlds too. She played college hockey at the University of North Dakota, played in Denmark in her earlier career, and then joined the SDHL where she's played for Luleå HF and Frölunda HC when they moved up from the NDHL. In the two seasons that Frölunda has been in the SDHL, Karvinen finished with 39 and 35 points respectively. She finished this season with a 1.059 points per game average.

Karvinen coming over to the PWHL feels like a legend joining a great league. With her wealth of experience, Karvinen's veteran presence would be a fruitful addition. She can help lead the younger players who are a few years into their pro career, she can still produce numbers herself, and she can continue an illustrious career in North America.

Sara Hjalmarsson - Linköping HC

The 27-year-old forward was most recently with Linköping HC of the SDHL, serving as the team's captain. Sara Hjalmarsson is a member of the Swedish National Team and appeared at the World Championship and Olympic Games. She played college hockey at Providence College from the 2018-19 season to the 22-23 season. In college she was named Rookie of the Year by her team, and in her last year she was named First Team Hockey East All-Star and Hockey East Best Defensive Forward. Hjalmarsson's point production abilities really stand out. Last season she finished with 41 points in 36 games, and this season she finished with 23 points in 31 games. At Worlds she recorded five points, all assists in six games. But one her strongest skills is her defense. She recorded more than 20 blocked shots her last two years in college and her size continues to be incredibly helpful in her career.

Emma Bergesen - SDE HF

Norway, hello! Norwegian defender Emma Bergesen stands out for a few reasons. For one, she is a product of the Ontario Hockey Academy, where she played with Walter Cup Champion Klára Hymlárová and fellow Norwegian draft hopeful Ena Nystrøm. The academy, Bergesen's first taste of hockey outside of Norway, helps players develop their hockey careers while attending school. She then headed to Mount Royal University, where she appeared in more than 25 games in three of her four seasons of play. She combined for 44 points in her final two years in university. She then began her professional career in the SDHL with SDE HF, where in her first season she played in 33 games and tallied 16 assists. Internationally, she has been part of Team Norway and made her first appearance at the World Championship this year after Norway earned promotion for the first time since 1997. Worlds is not an easy tournament, regardless of what group a nation is in. Norway also did not have the best time and were unfortunately relegated but that growing pain is something that will make Bergesen capable of grinding it out in the league.

Madeline Posick - Djurgårdens IF

Wisconsin product Madeline Posick won two national championships with the Badgers in five years at the school. The defender/forward then moved on to the SDHL, where she has played the last three seasons with Djurgårdens IF. She has appeared in the playoffs with the team in each of her seasons in the pros. Having developed her skills in college as part of a dominant and talented program, she added to that by playing with the SDHL's well-rounded players. Posick's versatility might not be used in the PWHL, but she is able to change her mentality and play two different positions—not an easily acquired skill.

Ena Nystrøm - Brynäs IF

Norwegian goaltender Ena Nystrøm had an incredible debut tournament at Worlds. She recorded a 45-save shutout against Hungary, allowed one power-play goal in four starts, and finished the tournament with a .921 save percentage. How cool is that? The 25-year-old proved after Worlds that she can handle tough games and can shine, even if things in front of her aren't going so well. Outside of international play, Nystrøm also attended the aforementioned Ontario Hockey Academy and then made her way to the NCAA where she played for both RPI (for a year) and Mercyhurst. She ended her career with the Lakers with 104 games played, 52 wins, 13 shutouts, and a .929 save percentage. Her save percentage never dipped below a .924 in her four years at Mercyhurst. She recently finished her first pro year with Brynäs IF, where she recorded a .917 save percentage and a 2.44 goals against average. Her numbers are fantastic and though she finished with a 15-13-0 record, Nystrøm is easily a player that can save a team's butt, similar to Gwyneth Philips.

U SPORTS:

The wonderful world of U Sports crowned their newest champion a few months ago as Bishop's University won the title this season. The PWHL has a few U Sports alum in the league, including Emmy Fecteau, Rylind MacKinnon, and Catherine Dubois. Here are the top prospects out of the Canadian universities, putting together some incredible careers and equally incredible numbers.

Forwards:

Chanreet Bassi - University of British Columbia

Chanreet Bassi is a right-shot forward out of the University of British Columbia. Bassi tied the Thunderbird regular season points record in February after her 116th point in 128 games played. She was also named to the Canada West First Team All-Star after putting together 32 points in 28 games this season. Bassi should be on the PWHL's radar solely from the fact she can score from anywhere.

Leah Herrfort - University of Waterloo

Leah Herrfort played for the runner-up Waterloo Warriors this season. She has been with the Warriors since the 21-22 season after departing Union College. Along with the NCAA college experience, Herrfort also carved out great numbers in Canada. She tallied 25 points in 22 games this season, and in her second year in U Sports she finished with 35 points in 23 games. She is great at dishing the puck as she's finished with double digit assists the last three seasons. She also has a sick snipe.

Mackenzie Kordic - University of British Columbia

The 23-year-old Mackenzie Kordic wrapped up her collegiate career at the University of British Columbia alongside Bassi and is hoping to make the jump to the PWHL as well. The left-shot forward finished this most recent season with 27 points in 27 games. She was also honored as a Canada West Second Team All-Star. The season prior, she finished with 36 points in 28 games and was recognized as Canada West's top scorer. Kordic is a great skater with some flashy moves and would make a great addition to any PWHL team.

Defenders:

Madison Laberge - Nipissing University

Madison Laberge was named Defender of the Year and was selected as a First Team All-Star and earned U Sports First Team All-Canadian too. Laberge finished the season with seven goals and 16 assists. She posted the most points by a defender in the Ontario University Athletics. Six of her goals came on the power play. She also recorded six multi-point games and played in her 100th career game. She has a powerful shot and quarterbacked the Lakers power play as well—some skills that could come in handy in the PWHL.

Léonie Philbert - Concordia University

The 26-year-old defender Léonie Philbert solidified herself as an offensive defender in her career. In her last two seasons she has finished with 23 points and 27 points. She's classified as a playmaker and a cerebral tactician. Philbert earned First Team All-Canadian this season and was named to the Second Team All-Star the season before. She finished the last two seasons with the most assists by a defender in all of U Sports. That's pretty cool.

Honorable mention: The Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL)

The Zhenskaya Hockey League is the women's hockey league in Russia, created in 2015 in a partnership with the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Currently, the ZhHL has eight teams. Two players declared for the PWHL draft out of the league and both have incredible numbers.

Anna Shokhina - Dynamo-Neva St. Petersburg

The 27-year-old Anna Shokhina played most recently for Dynamo-Neva St. Petersburg and put together jaw dropping numbers. She finished atop the league for most points with 73. That number was made up of 30 goals and 43 assists. She averaged 1.74 points per game as well. In one season she even scored 83 points in 34 games! The ZhHL has high offensive numbers, and still Shokhina continues to produce. Two players tied for second most points with 60 this season and the next three players finished with 58, 57, and 56 points. Shokina has also represented Russia internationally with the U 18 team, at the World Championship, and at the Olympic Games. She has worn a letter, usually a C, for every team or tournament she's taken part in since at least the 2013-14 season. She also has a few championships that she's won in her time in Russia. With all that experience under her belt, Shokhina could make the jump from the ZhHL to the PWHL.

Fanuza Kadirova - Dynamo-Neva St. Petersburg

Do you remember reading a player in the league finished with 56 points before this? Well that was Fanuza Kadirova. She is the second player from the ZhHL to declare for the draft and she finished her most recent season alongside Shokhina, recording 26 goals and 31 assists to finish top five in scoring in the league. Kadirova's previous two seasons with Dynamo-Neva also included high point production as she finished those two season with 49 points and 46 points respectively. She also has experience representing Russia internationally by appearing with the U 18 team, the World Championship, and the Olympic Games. Like Shokhina, Kadirova has immense experience under her belt that will be useful while transitioning to the pro ranks in North America.