The WCHA is stacked with talent. There are star players, Olympians, and those who may not get the attention they deserve. Today, I will take you through some of the top forwards in the WCHA who declared for the PWHL draft.
Currently at The Ice Garden, we are rolling out articles on the best prospects from AHA, NEWHA, the best forwards and defenders from Hockey East and ECAC as well. We have so much more draft coverage coming up so please keep checking back here daily for all your NCAA and PWHL needs.
Let’s begin with what I consider the top forwards in the WCHA.
Abbey Murphy, Minnesota | Evergreen Park, Ill.
Murphy is one of the most talented forwards in the NCAA. She made her second straight Olympic appearance with Team USA and helped the Americans win a gold medal. Murphy led the Gophers to another NCAA tournament appearance. She also scored a career high 66 points in the regular season. That campaign led her to be named WCHA Forward of the Year. Murphy was also First Team All-American and All-WCHA First Team.
In her Minnesota career, she became the all-time goals leader, all-time leader in game winning goals, and finished second all-time in career points with 261. She was also a Top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award for her last three college seasons. This year she added Top-three finalist to that list as well.
On the international stage, she was part of four IIHF Women’s World Championships and two Olympics teams. At this year’s Games, Murphy recorded seven points in seven games en route to the gold.
Murphy is a consistent player who is so great offensively. She is such a skilled player and has such a scoring touch as well. Even in a stacked conference, and at times in a stacked NCAA, she has always been towards the top in points scored. Murphy has so much talent and experience that I see her slotting into the PWHL easily. She has played with some of the most talented players — and against them, too. That experience will be useful when it comes to transitioning over to the pro ranks.
Kirsten Simms, Wisconsin | Plymouth, Mich.
Simms has had a fantastic season. She finished third on the team with 59 points with 26 goals and 33 assists. In her career with Wisconsin, Simms played in 152 games and scored 238 points with 100 of those being goals. She also won three championships as a Badger.
The 21-year-old has represented the USA at two World Championships and made her Olympic debut in February. She also played in The Rivalry Series three straight years and at the Six Nations tournament. Simms has a lot of experience playing with pros on the national stage, with some of those same players currently in the PWHL.
Collegiately, Simms was a Top-10 Patty Kaz award finalist and All-WCHA Second Team for the 2025-26 season. In her career, she was a First Team All-American, All-WCHA First Team, and WCHA Forward of the Year finalist in her junior season. As a sophomore, she was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kaz.
Simms’ ability to play a consistent and skilled game is why she was an Olympian — and why she’ll be fantastic in the PWHL. But the best part of Simms’ game has to be her playmaking ability. She knows where her teammates will be on the ice and when to feed the puck to them. Of her 238 career points, 138 of them were assists. She was third in the NCAA in assists per game with 1.06. Simms is also such a flashy player and skates so well that she’ll go pretty early in the draft — as she should.
Lacey Eden, Wisconsin | Annapolis, Md.
One of my favorite things about covering the WCHA this season was the storyline that developed with Eden after the announcement of the Olympic roster. See, Eden didn’t make the team, and her focus remained on helping the Badgers while the rest of the Olympians were gone. Eden added a C to her jersey days later and then went on a tear.
The Maryland native scored 17 points in the final six games of the regular season. She finished the regular season with 68 points, the most in the NCAA. Eden was promptly named to the All-WCHA First Team with her huge offensive season. She was another Badger named to the Top-10 of the Patty Kaz award and an All-American.
Though Eden wasn’t an Olympian this season, she still has a lot of senior national team experience. She’s been part of The Rivalry Series and five World Championships as well. Like most of her Badgers teammates, she knows what it’s like to play with and against pros. That experience is so important because it gives these players a glimpse of what playing full time in the PWHL is like.
More to like about Lacey Eden
Eden has two golds and three silver medals from the World Championship and she was the first player in NCAA women’s hockey to win four national titles. She knows what it’s like to win!
Some of what Eden brings to the table — aside from scoring goals — is that she does all the little things right. She also is great in special teams situations, and can even add in some defense when needed.
One aspect that may not come to mind when you think of Eden is her leadership. She held down the fort when five Badgers were at the Olympics. Eden stuck to her game and blew everyone out of the water with her incredible skill and scoring abilities. She was one of the biggest reasons why Wisconsin was able to repeat as WCHA regular season champions.
Thea Johansson, Minnesota Duluth | Ljungby, Sweden
Johansson joined the Bulldogs out of Mercyhurst this past season. In her lone season with UMD, she finished with 17 goals and six assists.
Johansson has a lot of pro experience already. Before playing college hockey she spent seven seasons playing in the SDHL, the top league in Sweden. She also took part in six playoffs while playing in her home country. Add in that Johansson has appeared in three World Championships, and it’s evident she’s gained a lot of expertise from those around her.
One of the best parts of Johansson’s year was that she helped Sweden return to the Olympics, taking part in the Olympics camp and the qualifying games. Then, when the Swedes were at the Olympics, she took the tournament by storm. In her first Games ever, the 22-year-old finished with seven points in seven games. Though she missed out on a medal, Johansson showed just how much her game can adapt to the biggest international stage.
Taking part in something like the Olympic camp for Sweden was great for Johansson because it focused on specific skills and allowed her to show off what she can do best. Already having that one-on-one work and adjusting her game is something not all players have gotten. Plus, it was a chance to really learn specifics when it came to her own game. Johansson chose UMD to play a higher skilled type of hockey. She accomplished that by appearing in the NCAA tournament with the Bulldogs. She’s a great skater and is very fast. But she also has a competitive nature that will fit right in with the PWHL.
Jamie Nelson, Minnesota | Andover, Minn.
Nelson transferred to Minnesota for her final collegiate season. This was a very good decision. The Minnesota native finished the season with a career-high 42 points. Though she had only 11 goals, she did have 31 assists. Being a playmaker like that, especially on a new team, speaks highly of Nelson’s ability to learn her teammates’ tendencies. Nelson was so integral to the Gophers that when she recorded a point, the team was 21-4-1. That’s pretty cool.
Prior to her time at Minnesota, Nelson played at Minnesota State. In her last three seasons there, her offense steadily climbed. She finished each season with at least 27 points and had back-to-back seasons with 30 points. Nelson was also an alternate captain for the Mavericks in her last season with the team. She finished her career in Mankato with 124 games played, 42 goals, 61 assists, and 103 points. Nelson skates well, has stellar offense, and adds a little defense, too. She finished this season with 23 blocks and once had 42 and 37 in a season with the Mavs. Nelson will be a great fit on a PWHL team — just like she was a great fit with the Gophers.
Honorable Mention: Sloane Matthews | Plymouth, Minn.
Matthews played in every game this season and finished with a career-high 44 points. She scored 20 goals, which was the most in her career. She was also stellar in the faceoff circle. Matthews is a fast skater with an edge to her game as described by teammate Emma Peschel. Those are nice skills to have heading into the pros.
More honorable mentions: Mary Kate O’Brien, UMD. Josefin Bouveng, Minnesota. Taylor Otremba, Minnesota State. Svenja Voigt, St. Cloud State.
Make sure to check back to The Ice Garden for continuing PWHL draft and expansion coverage! The best defenders from the WCHA is coming soon.
