2025 Top 25 Under 25: Brooke McQuigge (25), Annelies Bergmann (24), Maja Nylén Persson (23)

25: Brooke McQuigge

By Maya Smith

Coming in at number 25 is defending Walter Cup champion Brooke McQuigge. Last year, Brooke didn't rank on the list, and this year, I actually had her at number 18 on my personal ballot.

In her rookie season with the Minnesota Frost, the 25-year-old had 15 points through the regular season after going to training camp unsigned. In the playoffs, she helped her team to their second-straight Walter Cup championship with two goals and an assist. These point totals tied her for third among all rookies in the 2024-2025 season and the playoffs.

While her scoring stats are strong among rookies, it's her presence around the net and her tenacity on the puck that stood out to me, especially during the playoffs. Only one other rookie fired more pucks on net than she did during the playoff run.

As the season progressed, McQuigge got more and more comfortable in the league and really stepped up to produce for the Minnesota Frost.

Before making the jump to the PWHL, McQuigge spent five seasons at Clarkson University, where she put up 111 points across 162 games. In her senior year, she captained the team to the ECAC finals. The 33 points she put up in her final year were the most in her career with the Golden Knights.

Internationally, McQuigge spent two years with Canada's U-18 Women's team, winning a silver and a bronze medal. In 2017, she was named one of the top three players on the team.

Her next challenge? A brand new PWHL team. McQuigge was drafted fourth by PWHL Vancouver in the expansion draft and signed a one-year deal with the new team. PWHL Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey said she values McQuigge as a "physical and gritty two-way forward" who "will go to the hard areas to score goals."

While McQuigge wasn't invited to the Team Canada Road to Italy camp, a strong start to the season playing alongside some of Canada's strongest players could get her a look at the roster.

Even though her collegiate career wasn't as strong as some of the other players on this list, there are only a few under-25 PWHL rookies from last season that I think had as big of an impact on their team this year as McQuigge did (and you'll probably see those towards the top of this list).

24: Annelies Bergmann

By Geremy

Look, I’m just as shocked as you are that we’re seeing Cornell goaltender Annelies Bergmann so early on this list. You can’t come after me, though: I had Bergmann at ninth on my list, so any 'I’m not mad, just disappointed' messages can be redirected at the other writers. Nicely directed at the other writers, please. Not everyone can understand the impact of a women hockey’s unicorn, which is why we’re writing this article!

For those who don’t know who Annelies Bergmann is, that’s not entirely surprising. She’s yet to break onto the senior national team for the USA and her two seasons in the NCAA haven’t ended up in a NCAA National Championship appearance. Unless you’re a complete and total nerd like I am, there’s a good chance you’ve only seen her name in passing.

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It won’t be much longer until Bergmann goes from name you recognize to name your average fan will know. She’s the future of Team USA’s crease and yes, I do know that Aerin Frankel and Gwenyth Philips are still playing. It should show just how good Bergmann is, that even with the USA having two great goalies, there’s another coming behind them with the potential to dominate the international game in a way we’ve yet to see an American goalie do in recent memory.

Looking at Bergmann’s career so far and I think you’d be hard pressed to deny she’s not earning the hype of being the USA’s future in the crease. In terms of her play she’s been stellar. She was the number one goalie for the USA at two U18 WJC’s where she had a 0.934 and 0.932 SV%. Her first NCAA season she has a 0.927 SV% in 29 games and followed that up this season with a 0.943 SV% to go with her ECAC Goalie of the Year award.

For the goalie lovers out there, what earns Bergmann the title of unicorn is her play style. When it comes to goaltending, usually the bigger a goalie is, the less agile they are. Logan Angers stands at 6’ tall, and even she would admit her game is more about positioning than speed. For Bergmann, though, she’s an incredible combination of being 6'1 "and being quick as a cat in the crease. Put another way, she’s the combination of a bigger Corinne Schroeder with the agility of Emerance Maschmeyer. The future is nothing but exciting for Bergmann.

23: Maja Nylén Persson

by Mike Murphy, D.N. Forsythe

Maja Nylén Persson faced a big test in her 2024-25 PWHL rookie season and may face an even bigger one in 2025-26.

The 10th overall pick of the 2024 Draft may have been outshined by two of her peers on New York’s blue line, but her rookie campaign was clearly a success. Before Persson’s season was ended by injury after 23 games, she established herself as the disciplined, puck-moving, right-handed defender the Sirens drafted her to be.

In 23 games with New York she took a single minor penalty, potted two goals, and picked up four assists. To the surprise of no one, her production was eclipsed by Ella Shelton and Micah Zandee-Hart, who flourished on the power play after Shelton suffered an injury of her own. Those six points in 23 games placed Persson fourth among Sirens defenders in scoring, but her presence was most noticed in her composed play in her own end.

The Sirens enjoyed the puck movement and reliable play that made Persson a three-time SDHL Defender of the Year and a star on Team Sweden's blue line. On a deep defensive corps that included heavy-hitters like Ella Shelton, Micah Zandee-Hart, and Jaime Bourbonnais, Persson still stood out for her strength on both sides of the ice. It's tough sometimes to see defensive impact reflected in the stat sheet, but Persson's been a key backstop in a team that famously lacked strong offensive firepower. Her role was so vital that she snatched up the Sirens' fourth protection slot during the PWHL's recent exclusive signing window and expansion draft for its new franchises in Seattle and Vancouver.

Looking forward, Persson is ideally placed to carve out an even bigger role for herself in the 2025-26 PWHL season. Ella Shelton departed the Sirens in a blockbuster trade with PWHL Seattle during the 2025 PWHL Draft. And while the team's since added Jincy Roese, Persson should still be firmly in the top half of the Sirens' defensive squad this season. Look for her to keep up her aggressive defense, but also to continue her strong playmaking and to threaten scoring chances in the offensive zone.

At only 24 years old, Persson's still got incredible potential. It's a bit surprising to have her drop in the rankings over last year, where she ranked 19th. But it's a testament to the depth of the PWHL, and as Persson continues to develop, she'll likely continue as one of the league's leading defenders with an offensive streak.