PWHL Expansion Draft analysis — Women’s hockey news

We’re a few days removed from the first-ever PWHL Expansion Draft, and all I have to say is: woof. Not only are we all exhausted; not only have the six teams who started the league been decimated by quite a bit; but now, we have two teams in Vancouver and Seattle who want to make a statement and make it fast. 

There’s a lot I can say about how this draft was run, and not all of it is great, but really what this week’s newsletter is about for me is my immediate thoughts on each of the new teams gracing the scene and what I think they’ve aimed for, as well as what might be yet to come. Both teams look stacked so far, at least on paper, and each team has a clear direction they’re going in. 

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PWHL Seattle

Players signed: Danielle Serdachny (OTT), Hilary Knight (BOS), Cayla Barnes (MTL), Alex Carpenter and Corinne Schroeder (NYC)

Players drafted: Aneta Tejralová (OTT), Hannah Bilka (BOS), Jessie Eldridge (NYC), Julia Gosling (TOR), Anna Wilgren (MTL), Megan Carter (TOR), Emily Brown (BOS)

Obviously the big story is Hilary Knight not playing in Boston (or even in the East) for the first time in years, but that’s honestly not what I want to focus on. I said as soon as I saw Corinne Schroeder go unprotected by the Sirens that she would not be very long for New York and, of course, I was right — because the Seattle front office has some smart cookies. Despite the struggles New York has had, Schroeder has been one of their bright spots, and I can absolutely see her leading Seattle to a strong start, especially with the players she has in front of her. The creativity of Hannah Bilka, the offensive upside of Cayla Barnes, and the hard-nosed mentality of Jessie Eldridge could definitely add an edge to Seattle’s play that would be hard to stop. This team is built for speed, toughness and (for the most part) longevity.

PWHL Vancouver

Players signed: Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques (MIN), Emerance Maschmeyer (OTT), Sarah Nurse (TOR), Jennifer Gardiner (MTL)

Players drafted: Ashton Bell (OTT), Brooke McQuigge (MIN), Abby Boreen (MTL), Izzy Daniel (TOR), Gabby Rosenthal (NYC), Denisa Křížová (MIN), Sydney Bard (BOS) 

What stuck out to me the most was that this team wanted puck movers, and they wanted them now. Signing away Minnesota’s top pairing was a power move and a half, and they just kept adding on dynamic offensive pieces like Abby Boreen and Jenn Gardiner. They also added good net and two-way presence in Denisa Křížová and size on defense in Sydney Bard. It looks to me like they really want to make sure they can get as much support for Emerance Maschmeyer as possible (and oh yeah, have I mentioned they’ve signed her too?). They seem to trust the goal scoring will come, but the defensive talent is certainly there — and I do love a team that builds this way, so who knows? I may have just found a squad to keep an eye on. (Also, Izzy Daniel was drafted, and I am a die-hard Izzy Daniel supporter, so… well done there, as-yet-unnamed Vancouver team, on finding the way to my heart.)

Women’s hockey links

Draft coverage has been aplenty, and with the regular-degular old PWHL Draft about to take place in Ottawa on June 24, take a peek at where all these teams stand currently. Also check out Giselle Velazquez’s profile on one of my favorite goalies entering the draft, former SCSU husky Sanni Ahola, and a lovely profile on the impact Emerance Maschmeyer had during her brief tenure in Ottawa from Elisha Côté.

The AP also dropped a really cool piece on the impact of the PWHL’s expansion to the Pacific Northwest, from youth players to those behind the bench and beyond. That goes hand in hand with the excellent news that girls’ and women’s hockey in the U.S. is still growing and thriving, with a 5% increase in registration from 2023-24 to 2024-25. 

In NCAA hockey, St. Thomas was announced as the host of the WCHA’s 2026 Final Faceoff for the first time in the league’s 25-year history, owing mostly to the fact that they have a brand-spanking-new arena to show off (and I honestly can’t wait to see it). 

Also, take a look at this piece on Cara Gardner Morey, PWHL Vancouver’s new general manager, who is moving heaven and earth from Princeton (where she coached for over a decade) to new opportunities.