Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) completes 2024 Draft

42 players chosen in seven-round process led by New York’s first overall pick Sarah Fillier

SAINT PAUL, MN – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) welcomed 42 players to the league on Monday night during the 2024 PWHL Draft. The second annual selection process was held inside The Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium in downtown Saint Paul, MN, with prospects, special guests, and fans in attendance. The event was streamed live on the league’s YouTube channel.

Sarah Fillier was selected first overall by PWHL New York with the pick announced by Advisory Board member Billie Jean King. The forward from Georgetown, ON, who celebrated her 24th birthday on Sunday, is a three-time Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist from Princeton University.

Fillier was the first of 28 NCAA players, 24 forwards, and 13 Canadians chosen in the draft, followed by Danielle Serdachny, a forward from Colgate University, selected second overall by PWHL Ottawa. The first of 15 defenders to be selected in the draft was Claire Thompson who went third overall to PWHL Minnesota. 2024 NCAA champion Ohio State University produced a draft-high eight players, including two picked consecutively in the first round. Buckeyes forward Hannah Bilka went fourth overall to PWHL Boston and defender Cayla Barnes went fifth overall to PWHL Montréal, with the pair headlining a draft-high 20 American players. Forward Julia Gosling from St. Lawrence University was chosen sixth overall by PWHL Toronto to complete the first round.

The first-ever trade of PWHL draft picks took place at the commencement of the second round. Boston acquired the seventh overall pick and the 37th pick from New York in exchange for the 10th overall pick, the 16th overall pick, and the 28th overall pick.

Boston used their first acquired pick to select defender Daniela Pejšová seventh overall. The 21-year-old is the youngest player to be selected and the first of nine international players, including three from Czechia, and four from SDHL champion Luleå HF. Boston also used their seventh-round pick from New York to take another 2002-born player, forward Ilona Markova, who becomes the first Russian player ever selected. New York’s acquired picks featured defender Maja Nylén Persson at number 10, making her the first of two players from Sweden to be selected in the PWHL Draft. New York’s third and fifth round picks acquired from Boston were used to take defender Allyson Simpson and goaltender Kayle Osborne who both played for Colgate University under the team’s new head coach Greg Fargo.

Ottawa selected defender Ronja Savolainen with the eighth overall pick, making her the first of two players from Finland chosen in the draft. Ottawa would later select the first of three goaltenders off the board with Gwyneth Philips of Northeastern University going in the third round, 14th overall. Ottawa also chose the first and only Austrian player in the draft, forward Anna Meixner, in the sixth round, 32nd overall.

Other notable picks include Walter Cup champion Abigail Boreen, a forward who spent the 2024 season as a Reserve Player for PWHL Minnesota, chosen in the third round, 17th overall, by PWHL Montréal. The 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner, Izzy Daniel, a forward from Cornell University who hails from Minneapolis, MN, was chosen by PWHL Toronto in the third round, 18th overall. New York opened the sixth round by selecting Emmy Fecteau with the 31st overall pick, making the Concordia University forward the first and only player from U SPORTS to be picked. Team USA Olympic gold medalist and four-time World Champion Amanda Kessel was selected in the seventh round, 41st overall, by PWHL Montréal.

2024 PWHL Draft Fast Facts:

• 42 players selected including 24 forwards, 15 defenders, 3 goaltenders.
• 28 players selected from NCAA, 13 from professional teams, 1 from U SPORTS.
• 28 NCAA players selected represent 12 programs including Ohio State (8), Colgate (5), Northeastern (3), Clarkson (2), St. Lawrence (2), Wisconsin (2), Cornell (1), Minnesota (1), Minnesota-Duluth (1), Princeton (1), St. Cloud State (1), Yale (1).
• 13 professional players represent 4 leagues including SDHL (9), PWHPA (2), PWHL (1), ZhHL (1).
• 1 U SPORTS player represents Concordia University.
• 7 countries represented including the United States (20), Canada (13), Czechia (3), Finland (2), Sweden (2), Austria (1), Russia (1).
• 18 players selected have Senior National Team experience.
• 20 United States players represent 10 states including Minnesota (5), Wisconsin (3), California (2), New York (2), Ohio (2), Texas (2), Illinois (1), Michigan (1), North Dakota (1), Pennsylvania (1).
• 13 Canadian players represent 6 provinces including Ontario (6), Alberta (3), British Columbia (1), Manitoba (1), Nova Scotia (1), Quebec (1).
• Birth years include 2002 (3), 2001 (14), 2000 (12), 1999 (7), 1998 (1), 1997 (1), 1995 (1), 1994 (2), 1991 (1).

2024 PWHL Draft Results:

Round 1:

1. New York – Sarah Fillier, F (Princeton University) CAN*
2. Ottawa – Danielle Serdachny, F (Colgate University) CAN*
3. Minnesota – Claire Thompson, D (PWHPA) CAN*
4. Boston – Hannah Bilka, F (Ohio State University) USA*
5. Montréal – Cayla Barnes, D (Ohio State University) USA*
6. Toronto – Julia Gosling, F (St. Lawrence University) CAN*

Round 2:

7. Boston (via New York) – Daniela Pejšová, D (Luleå HF) CZE*
8. Ottawa – Ronja Savolainen, D (Luleå HF) FIN*
9. Minnesota – Britta Curl, F (University of Wisconsin) USA*
10. New York (via Boston) – Maja Nylén Persson, D (Brynäs IF) SWE*
11. Montréal – Jennifer Gardiner, F (Ohio State University) CAN
12. Toronto – Megan Carter, D (Northeastern University) CAN

Round 3:

13. New York – Noora Tulus, F (Luleå HF) FIN*
14. Ottawa – Gwyneth Philips, G (Northeastern University) USA*
15. Minnesota – Klára Hymlárová, F (St. Cloud University) CZE*
16. New York (via Boston) – Allyson Simpson, D (Colgate University) USA
17. Montréal – Abigail Boreen, F (PWHL Minnesota) USA
18. Toronto – Izzy Daniel, F (Cornell University) USA

Round 4:

19. New York – Gabby Rosenthal, F (Ohio State University) USA
20. Ottawa – Stephanie Markowski, D (Ohio State University) CAN
21. Minnesota – Brooke McQuigge, F (Clarkson University) CAN
22. Boston – Sydney Bard, D (Colgate University) USA
23. Montréal – Dara Greig, F (Colgate University) CAN
24. Toronto – Lauren Bernard, D (Ohio State University) USA

Round 5:

25. New York – Elle Hartje, F (Yale University) USA
26. Ottawa – Mannon McMahon, F (University of Minnesota-Duluth) USA
27. Minnesota – Dominique Petrie, F (Clarkson University) USA
28. New York (via Boston) – Kayle Osborne, G (Colgate University) CAN
29. Montréal – Anna Wilgren, D (University of Wisconsin) USA
30. Toronto – Noemi Neubauerova, F (Brynäs IF) CZE*

Round 6:

31. New York – Emmy Fecteau, F (Concordia University) CAN
32. Ottawa – Anna Meixner, F (Brynäs IF) AUT*
33. Minnesota – Mae Batherson, D (St. Lawrence University) CAN
34. Boston – Shay Maloney, F (Leksand IF) USA
35. Montréal – Anna Kjellbin, D (Luleå HF) SWE*
36. Toronto – Anneke Linser, F (Djurgårdens IF) USA

Round 7:

37. Boston (via New York) – Ilona Markova, F (Agidel Ufa) RUS*
38. Ottawa – Madeline Wethington, D (University of Minnesota) USA
39. Minnesota – Katy Knoll, F (Northeastern University) USA
40. Boston – Hadley Hartmetz, D (Ohio State University) USA
41. Montréal – Amanda Kessel, F (PWHPA) USA*
42. Toronto – Raygan Kirk, G (Ohio State University) CAN

*Senior National Team experience