Top Undrafted Players Who Could Get PWHL Training Camp Invites

Well, the 2025 PWHL Draft has come and gone. To recap: Kristýna Kaltounková went first overall to the New York Sirens, who then traded Ella Shelton to the Toronto Sceptres for the third and 27th pick. Before New York chose again, the Boston Fleet picked up Clarkson's Haley Winn second overall. The Sirens returned and chose Casey O'Brien out of Wisconsin. Then Montréal selected Nicole Gosling and Ottawa chose Rory Guilday to round out the top five.

There were 48 players chosen in this year's draft, with 43 joining from the NCAA Division I ranks. The SDHL in Sweden and ZhHL in Russia each had two players selected, while one player was taken from U Sports.

Now, with eight teams in the league, this upcoming season being an Olympic year and the unpredictability of life, teams might have needs pop up at any point throughout this season. The first will be at training camp, where undrafted and unsigned players can make a splash and grab attention in hopes of earning a spot.

Let's look at some of the players that went undrafted, what they've done so far in their careers, and what they each bring to the table.

Forwards:

There are many talented forwards in different leagues around the world. Some new names (and some previously mentioned ones) stick out.

Mathea Fischer

Fischer played for SDE HF this season. She only appeared in 10 games, but she was able to participate in the World Championship this year, representing Norway as their captain. She's also played at the University of British Columbia, Norway's U 18 teams, at the D1A World Championships, and at the Olympic Games qualifiers as well. That is so much experience already for a 27-year-old. She put together some great seasons with SDE HF, including the 23-24 season, where she finished with 32 points in 36 games. Fischer is reliable, a leader, and continues to develop her game in the pros and internationally as well. She's the perfect player to make a jump with an invite.

Alexis Paddington

Minnesota State's Alexis Paddington is a force. She played her college years at Mankato and played in 30 or more games each season. She had a career-high 22 points her senior season, which came from a career-high 13 goals and nine assists. Paddington played on a Mavericks team that took Minnesota to a three game opening playoff round series the last two seasons. Yes, playing in the WCHA is tough with the likes of Wisconsin and Ohio State and the Gophers always on the schedule. But Paddington has experience and success against them – she's scored on those top teams. And she's played against top programs and has used that for her own development. She is described as an offensive center and a two-way forward, thanks to her blocking capabilities and physicality that is always needed on the ice.

Morgan Neitzke

The left shot forward has incredible offensive capabilities and has a great shot as well. This last season at Lindenwood, she recorded 14 goals and 12 assists, had 134 shots on goal and also blocked 28 shots. That helped her earn Second Team All-AHA. In her junior year she finished with 46 points – including 45 blocks – and became the program leader in seven statistical categories. The season before that, she recorded 29 points and 45 blocks again and was nominated for the Patty Kazmaier Award. With career stats of 116 points and 135 blocks in 119 games, Neitzke can pretty much do it all.

Tyra Turner

Turner finished up with St. Anselm this season after four seasons. Though the team finished fifth in the NEWHA conference, Turner was one of the bright spots on the team. Her 26 points this season led the team. She also finished top three in points three of her four seasons there. Turner never finished a season with less than 20 points. She also recorded a lot of shots on goal, including 133 in her freshman season. Turner isn't afraid to shoot the puck and continued to produce goals and assists throughout her time in college. Another look at her from the league after being passed could help Turner.

Mackenzie Kordic

The 23-year-old wrapped up her collegiate career at the University of British Columbia. Her teammate Chanreet Bassi was the only U Sports player taken in this year's draft. But Kordic has put together solid past seasons that could garner some interest. She finished this most recent season with 27 points in 27 games. She was  honored as a Canada West Second Team All-Star. Before that, she finished with 36 points in 28 games and finished as Canada West's top scorer. Kordic skates well and has some offensive power to her as well.

Darcie Lappan

Lappan is no stranger to the PWHL because she declared for last year's draft before going undrafted. After that, she played with MoDo of the SDHL and recorded 17 points in 32 games. She played her college career with both Colgate and Clarkson. After one pro season, maybe Lappan can show she's continued to grow as a player even after the league passed on her.

Jeannie Wallner

Wallner is a good candidate for an invite given her strong offense in her career at Long Island University. In 144 career games, she finished with 120 points on 62 goals and 58 assists. She also competed at the 2023 FISU World University Games for Team USA. Wallner has earned numerous accolades too, including NEWHA All-Rookie Team, USCHO All-Rookie Team, and twice being named First-team All-NEWHA. Wallner continued to pick up weekly and monthly awards throughout her career as well. She's put a great college career together, and perhaps a PWHL team sees her as an asset.

Madeline Posick

Wisconsin product Madeline Posick won two national championships with the Badgers in five years. The defender/forward then moved on to the SDHL, where she has played the last three seasons with Djurgårdens IF. Her appearances in the SDHL playoffs, along with playing on a solid team like Wisconsin, are great ways to help her continue to add to her game. One thing that really stands out about her is that she's played both defense and forward. That is a skill not easily developed, and it takes just as much mental skill as physical skill to master. That alone shows the work ethic and the belief Posick has in herself.

Defenders:

Different defenders with different experiences are still available for the PWHL if some of those teams decide they need more than zero or two right-shot defenders. (cc: @ Ottawa and Seattle. Thanks for that stat, Geremy.)

Nicole Vallario

Vallario is the full package. She's played in the NCAA and the SWHL-A (which is Switzerland's pro league), and she's also been part of the Swiss national team for years, including with the U-18 team and the senior national team. Her 70 games in the SWHL-A is a good sign that she can move into the PWHL and start playing if given the chance. This season with the Tommies, she tallied 10 points along with 42 blocked shots, all while playing in the WCHA, which is one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA. All Vallario needs now is a chance to prove herself in the PWHL.

Mia Tsilemos

Tsilemos recorded two seasons of 80 blocks or more while at RIT. TWO! She's your textbook defensive defender and putting the body on the line is something teams will be looking for. She has low point production but it's the defense that matters right now. Tsilemos can still improve her game while starting off her pro career in training camp.

Meredith Killian

Like Tsilemos, Killian is also a defensive defender who puts her body on the line. Her first year at Union she recorded 74 blocks and her last year of college, which was at Bemidji State, she recorded 75 blocks. She had three consecutive seasons of just five points but it's the blocks that could have her on a team's radar.

Jamie Grinder

The 22-year-old finished her career at Maine where she played the last two years. She recorded 42 blocks and 45 blocks in her time there. Prior to Maine, Grinder played at Ohio State and appeared in 14 games. The transfer from the Buckeyes proved to be a good change for her as she played in more than 30 games in both seasons while recording 17 points as well. Grinder is a good fit for another change of scenery and with the improvement she made in the middle of her college career, there should be a camp invite for her.

Courtney Vorster

Vorster has spent the last two seasons in the SDHL with Leksands IF including being captain this past season. That pro experience makes her a candidate for a training camp invite. She played at Quinnipiac before then where she had solid seasons of 40 blocks or more. She also played alongside other PWHL players such as Zoe Boyd and recent draftee Kendall Cooper. Vorster was also part of the U-18 Canada national team twice in 2017 and 2018. Vorster brings a lot of experience and can easily slot into the PWHL given her extensive background.

Léonie Philbert

The 26-year-old was a solid offensive defender while playing at Concordia University. Her last two seasons included her finishing with 23 points and 27 points. Described as a playmaker and a cerebral tactician, Philbert has the skills that can be used in the PWHL. She earned First Team All-Canadian this season and was named to the Second Team All-Star prior to that. She finished the last two seasons with the most assists by a defender in all of U Sports.

Goalies:

Let's look at some goalies who could get invited to training camp and work as third goalie options if needed within the league.

Ena Nystrøm

Norwegian goaltender Ena Nystrøm wrapped up her season with Brynäs IF where she finished with a .917 save percentage and a 2.44 goals against average. Her record of 15-13-0 record looks worse than she played. Nystrøm had an unforgettable debut tournament at Worlds in Norway's first appearance in the tournament since 1997. Though it was her first time playing at Worlds, she was stellar. She recorded a 45-save shutout against Hungary while also only allowing one power play goal in four starts. She finished Worlds with a .921 save percentage. I still think she has the potential to be a goalie similar to Gwyneth Philips that can come in and change the game with the chance to do so.

Kaitlyn Ross

Ross was a goaltender for Mount Royal University who plays in U Sports, the Canadian collegiate hockey system. She finished her career with a 1.40 goals against average, a .937 save percentage and 7o wins in 108 games played. She won a championship in 2023 and was named MVP after leading the Cougars to a gold medal with a standout performance making 29 saves in 32 shots faced. She's coming off a strong season with a 1.25 GAA and a .943 SV%, which are solid numbers. Ross seems like a good candidate for a camp invite as she looks to begin her professional career.

Tindra Holm

Tindra Holm could be a good choice for a fresh start. She's played in the SDHL for 39 games before beginning her collegiate career with Long Island University. She played there for three years and was the starting goaltender, including in the 23-24 season where she started 15 straight games. Holm won back-to-back NEWHA Goaltender of the Year awards while with the Sharks. She also took part in the U-18 World Championship and the World Championship representing Sweden. She transferred to the University of Minnesota Duluth for her final season and appeared in nine games and finished with a 7-1-1 record. Holm's college starts stopped significantly after leaving LIU. In her three seasons with the Sharks, she started no fewer than 29 games and appeared in 32 her last season. But that drop in live action play isn't ideal and with the experience she already has, I see her being able to use that to get a look in training camp. A nice fresh start and a way to be around the game and learn from pro goalies would be great for Holm.

Kimberly Newell

Newell is on this list for a lot of reasons: she played college hockey at Princeton and she was part of the U-18 Canada team in 2013 before making the switch to China for the 2022 Olympics. She is also a veteran of the CWHL, where she played for the Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays before continuing with its new iteration the following three years. Sure, she hasn't played hockey since the Olympics, but she entered that tournament after rehabbing from an injury and only practicing twice before starting her first game. Newell shared in a recent interview with The Ice Garden that she has learned to perform under high pressure, she can step up in any situation, and she's been through a period of stepping away and returning to hockey again like she would do if she gets signed in the PWHL. Newell brings a veteran presence to any team and that can prove useful in a league that is still less than three years old.

It may be the PWHL offseason but even as teams show their draft picks around town, there is still so much more to iron out before season three begins in the fall.