PWHL Draft Profile: Michelle Karvinen
Karvinen brings leadership, veteran presence, and a keen scoring mind to this year's Draft.
It's impossible to talk about the past 15 years of Nordic hockey without mentioning all-star Finnish forward Michelle Karvinen. Fresh off a championship season with the SDHL's Frölunda HC, Karvinen comes into the PWHL Draft looking to round off her storied career with a return to North America.
Karvinen is a proven asset at all levels, with league titles across Europe and leadership experience dating back to her time at the University of North Dakota. She knows what it takes to win: not only did she help the mighty Luleå/MSSK to four of their six SDHL victories, but she was also a foundational piece in Frölunda's journey from brand-new D1 team to SDHL champions.
As a scorer, Karvinen stands among Europe's finest and smartest. This season with Frölunda she scored 35 points (21G, 14A) and averaged 1.09 points a game. She's a keen puck handler who's fond of making plays as well as scoring goals: across seven years in the SDHL, she notched 205 regular-season assists along with 48 in the playoffs.
The Danish-born Karvinen has represented her father's home country Finland for her whole senior international career. She's a four-time Olympian with three bronze medals. At Worlds, her 12 appearances have yielded one silver and three bronzes. Long an alternate captain with the Naisleijonat, Karvinen took the C this year at Worlds in the abscence of Jenni Hiirikoski due to injury. The 2025 tournament was not only significant for her as a leader, but as a scorer too: she passed legends like Riikka Sallinen and Jenni Hiirikoski to become Finland's all-time leading points scorer at the World Championship with 61 (24G, 37A). One more tally and the goal record is hers, too.
Michelle Karvinen scores and sets a new all-time Finnish point record at the #WomensWorlds! 🚨💪🇫🇮 #IIHF @leijonat pic.twitter.com/8QlWH2ZPlt
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) April 14, 2025
So, whats the downside? At 35 years old, Karvinen is at the tail end of her career and there's a good chance she'll retire after this season. A team looking for a multiyear option may be hesitant to draft her. However, a team who understands her value will reap some incredible benefits for as long as she continues to play.
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