The PWHL opens training camp in less than a month, and things are really starting to ramp up with the league. Last week, I showcased one invited player from each camp for Eastern Conference teams.
Now, let’s check out some of the invitees for the PWHL’s Western Conference teams:
Minnesota Frost: Lilli Welcke
Lilli Welcke looks to make the jump to pro women’s hockey in the United States following four years of NCAA hockey. The 24-year-old played one season at Maine in 2022-23. There, she was third on the team in scoring with 21 points, including 15 assists. She then transferred to BU; her best season there came as a junior, when she had 17 points in 34 games. She was also a Hockey East champion in 2025.
Throughout the duration of her NCAA career, Welcke also represented Germany internationally. She won two gold medals at the Division 1A U18s, adding one silver medal. She also played at Women’s Worlds, as well as at the Olympics. This year, she recorded one assist in five Olympic games. She’s also been named to Germany’s roster for the upcoming Worlds.
She and her twin sister both went undrafted this year. Luisa was invited to Boston’s camp. We’ve seen so much of them playing together — what can they do individually? Both Lilli and Luisa (along with their older sister Lea) are currently playing with EKU Mannheim in the DFEL.
PWHL Detroit: Michelle Pasiechnyk
Goaltender Michelle Pasiechnyk has a chance to come out of training camp with not only a contract, but a backup role. She’s one of three goalies at camp, alongside Andrea Brändli and Alice Philbert. Since PWHL teams are required to carry three netminders, Pasiechnyk could be a logical option to fill a spot.
The 24-year-old is coming off five years of NCAA experience between Clarkson and BU. Her numbers at Clarkson were fantastic, including a career-best 1.34 GAA and .945 save percentage as a senior. She took a year off, then joined the Terriers. Her stats at BU weren’t quite as good, but certainly still respectable.
Through 126 NCAA games, Pasiechnyk had a 1.71 GAA and .932 save percentage, with a record of 79-39-5. She also had 22 shutouts. For more, Izzy takes a deeper dive into all of PWHL Detroit’s invitees here.
PWHL Las Vegas: Méghane Duchesne-Chalifoux
Méghane Duchesne-Chalifoux is a 24-year-old, left-shot defender. She’s coming off four years with UConn in NCAA action. She’s not exactly an offensive defender, but did put up a respectable 15 points — including 12 assists — last season.
The early part of her NCAA career saw limited ice time, but she played 30+ games in each of her last two seasons. She finished her collegiate career with 106 games played and 107 blocked shots. She was also a Hockey East champion in 2024.
PWHL San Jose: Kennedy Bobyck
The 25-year-old forward is currently in her third season in the SDHL with HV71. This season so far, she’s scored six points in seven games. Last year, she finished the season with 23 points (10-13–23) in 36 games.
Prior to the SDHL, Bobyck spent five years at Minnesota State. She was an alternate captain as a senior. Offensively, her best season came as a junior, when she had 28 points in 35 games.
Across five NCAA seasons, Bobyck recorded 73 points, including 49 assists, in 164 career games. She previously played for Saskatchewan at the 2019 Canada Winter Games and won a National Women’s U-18 championship in 2017.
Eli has more on Bobyck & the other PWHL San Jose invitations here.
Seattle Torrent: Alexa Gruschow
Alexa Gruschow is one of the few camp invites who already has PWHL experience, albeit limited. She appeared in four games with then-PWHL New York in the 2023-24 season and spent part of that season as a reserve. The 32-year-old also has pro experience in the NWHL, PWHPA and SDHL.
Most recently, Gruschow played for MoDo in the SDHL in 2024-25. She registered two points in 14 games. Her offense hasn’t been super flashy in recent years, but at the same time, she also hasn’t played in a ton of games. When I think of Gruschow, I think back to her time with the New York/Metropolitan Riveters. She was named the NWHL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2017-18 season and won the Isobel Cup.
Gruschow is one of 16 forwards at camp for the Torrent, who have 10 forwards signed for the upcoming season.
Vancouver Goldeneyes: Julia Nearis
Julia Nearis, a 27-year-old forward, looks to make the jump back to North America. She spent the last two seasons with HV71 in the SDHL. Both were relatively productive from an offensive standpoint. Last season, Nearis was second on the team in scoring with 17 points. The season prior, she had 19 points in 31 games. In 60 SDHL games, she’s recorded 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points.
Prior to that, Nearis spent four years at BU and a season at Quinnipiac. She notched 88 points in 140 NCAA games, including 43 goals.
Nearis was invited to Boston Fleet training camp last year but was released prior to preseason. This season, she is one of three forward invites to Goldeneyes camp. Vancouver has 12 forwards under contract, so Nearis could be fighting for one of the extra or reserve spots, or else looking to push someone else out.
Maya has more on the Goldeneyes camp roster here.
