PWHL releases player eligibility list for 2024 draft
We know the (massive) list of players hoping to get selected into the top women’s hockey league.
On Saturday, the PWHL revealed the player eligibility list for the 2024 PWHL Draft set for next month.
Welcoming our future and celebrating our current stars ⭐️
The PWHL Draft and Awards will be taking place June 10-11 in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The PWHL Draft will be held on June 10, at 7:00PM ET at The Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium.
The PWHL Awards will be held on June 11,… pic.twitter.com/5BmRbWDKJc
The list features 167 hopeful players. 93 forwards, 48 defenders, and 26 goaltenders have declared their desire to play in the league, which has seen incredible success in its first year. This draft class represents 19 different countries, and 42 players with previous national team experience from Canada, the United States, Germany, Sweden, and more are included.
Some of the notable names include Princeton standout Sarah Fillier, Ohio State stars Hannah Bilka and Jennifer Gardiner, Colgate’s Danielle Serdachny and Northeastern goaltender Gwyneth Phillips.
A couple of familiar faces entering the draft include Amanda Kessel. The U.S. National Team star is ready to enter the league after not playing this past season as she worked with the Pittsburgh Penguins in a front-office role. Also, Finnish goaltending standout Noora Räty will look to make her way onto the roster.
Unlike the inaugural draft in 2023, which saw 268 players enter, there will be only seven rounds compared to 15. New York has the first overall pick after earning the most “draft order points.” They will be followed up by Ottawa, Minnesota, Boston, Montreal, and Toronto, as the rest of the order was determined based on the order of regular-season standings.
Undrafted players will become free agents, and are eligible to sign with teams once free agency opens on June 21.
Taylor Heise was the first player drafted into the PWHL, as Minnesota took the rookie No. 1 last year.
The PWHL Draft will be held on June 10 at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota, at 7 p.m. ET. The event coincides with the first-ever PWHL Awards on June 11 at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel. The festivities will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET.