Thereโs a saying that comes to mind when talking about players like Chloe Primerano: enjoy greatness when itโs happening. We have no idea where Primerano, Kraemer, Harvey, Lopuลกanovรก, etc. are going to end up in five years let alone 10 years. Itโs definitely possible they hit a development wall or their hockey careers go off track for whatever reason. Weโre here now in the present looking at potentially the next Hockey Hall of Fame class in 15 years.
Iโm not a gambling man however Iโd wager that a handful of us remember the rise of Hayley Wickenheiser into the star she became and only slightly more remember how Marie-Philip Poulin achieved her stardom. Who was MPP before the 2010 Olympics and scoring the only two goals in a 2-0 Gold Medal Game over the USA? What was the pathway like for Wickenheiser to be a 15yo on Team Canada at the 1994 WHC? Shouldnโt have Alina Mรผller gotten some notice for crushing the Division One U18โs as a 14 year old /15 year old before going to the Olympics at 15?
One of the most fun parts Iโve come to know appreciate as a hockey fan is seeing a player go from young star to actual hockey star. Itโs fun when a new star bursts onto the scene and you watch their rise to legendary status. Due to the lack of media coverage thatโs plagued womenโs hockey for countless decades itโs rare to hear about the future of the game. Until now, where the Primeranoโs and Lopuลกanovรกโs are finally getting the spotlight these young stars deserve. The whole point of watching hockey is enjoying the good times and now weโre getting to watch the next generation grow up. This is a special time as there may not be another generational talent like this for the next decade and half.
If youโve never heard the story of Primerano strap in and youโll see why sheโs still not getting the amount of hype someone with her accomplishments should be getting. The majority of the menโs hockey world knew who McDavid was before he was drafted into the NHL, the same should be happening for Primerano. Her first foray into being mentioned in media is being the first female drafted into the CHL by the Vancouver Giants while being a non-goalie. Very neat accomplishment at the age of 15 but that was three years ago now.
After playing boys hockey her whole life, Primerano makes the decision to switch to womenโs hockey in the 2022/23 season joining the RINK HA Kelowna U18 Prep program of the CSSHL. Itโs arguably the second best junior league for womenโs hockey in Canada. As a U16 player in a U18 league Primerano dominates. Letโs keep in mind the context here. This is where most of the best U18 players in Canada west of Ontario play and Primerano is a double underager who is a blueliner. You know the position that isnโt on forward scoring points and goals.
Someone forgot to tell Primerano that as her rookie CSSHL season sees her fourth in the league in points with 48 points in 30 games, 20 of which were goals. She also led her team in points as a U16 player who is a rookie, first time playing with girls. Primerano doesnโt stop there as she leads her team in playoff points with 11 points in five games which also has her tied for second in league playoff points. The kicker is Primerano gets three assists in the championship game in a 4-3 OT win including an assist on the OT winner. For her efforts Primerano leaves with the 22/23 CSSHL MVP award.
But wait thereโs more! In her U17 season, once again in a highly regarded U18 league, Primerano goes from dominant to otherworldly. She sets a record for highest points in a season for all positions with 89 points in 29 games. This beats out some players you may have heard of: Dara Greig, Danielle Serdachny, Anne Cherkowski, and Sarah Wozniewicz to name a few. Youโll also notice those are all forwards and Primerano did this as a blueliner! Unsurprisingly Primerano followed that up in the 2024 playoffs with 20 points in five games for another CSSHL championship and a second straight MVP trophy.
This type of domination and record-breaking play wasnโt kept to the CSSHL. At the 2023 Canada Games, Primerano led the tournament with 13 points in six games to lead Team BC to Gold. Then at the 2023 U18 Nationals she puts up eight points (six goals) in six games for a Bronze Medal. Meanwhile in her two U18 WJC appearances Primerano sets records and earns accolades for: most points in a single tournament for a blueliner (16PTS), most points by a Canadian in a single tournament, most career U18 WJC points by a Canadian (ties with 26 points), ย second all-time in single tournament points (behind only Amanda Kessel), named the 2024 tournament MVP, earns Best Defender in both appearances, named to the All-Star team twice, won a Bronze in 2024, and then won Gold as captain in 2025.
All that is really awesome and infinitely better than anything most of us have accomplished in whatever hockey careers weโve had unless youโre someone like Sarah Fillier currently reading this. Hi Sarah. To be eighth in the Top 25 Under 25 rankings though you need to be more than just dominant among the junior level competition or Lopuลกanovรก would be in the Top 10 as well. This past season showed exactly why Primerano ended up here.
It’s rare for U18 players to end up in the NCAA for a variety of reasons. You have to take accelerated courses and of course be good enough to make the team. Primerano wasnโt just joining any team either but was joining a top four team in the University of Minnesota. You might recognize Abbey Murphy as one of her teammates. The too long, didnโt read version is that Primerano had a great season. She had 31 points in 35 games, putting her at fifth in blueliner scoring in the entire NCAA.
Once again doing this as a U18 player against players who are anywhere from a year older to five years older. Primerano ends up on the Golden Gophers top pairing making it to the WCHA Final and the NCAA Semifinals. She earns herself a WCHA All-Rookie Team honour and named to the WCHA Third All-Star Team.
This season doesnโt go unnoticed and neither does her talent. Primerano becomes the first Canadian since Marie-Philip Poulin in 2009 to make Team Canada as a U18 player. Whatโs incredibly impressive about this is again MPP made it as a forward taking one of 11 spots available. Primerano took one of eight spots available on the blueline. Sheโs of course at Team Canadaโs Olympic orientation camp ready to make a push for an Olympic spot. The sky is the limit so far when it comes to this player. How lucky are we that we might be able to look back to this time a decade from now, talking to new fans, telling them we got to watch greatness unfold.
Too High/Too Low?: Thereโs an argument to be made that Primerano is yet to have the non-U18 accomplishments that players below her on the list do have. Wasnโt the NCAA Rookie of the Year nor the WCHA Rookie of the Year even. What puts her this high on the list is her potential and what sheโs accomplished compared to her age. When youโre following in the footsteps of Marie-Philip Poulin, itโs hard not to think extremely highly of Primerano. She’s earned her spot in the Top 10.
