OTTAWA, Ontario – PWHL Ottawa has announced the signing of forward Anna Meixnerselected in the sixth round of the 2024 PWHL Draft (32nd overall). The Zell am See, Austria athlete has inked a one-year Standard Player Agreement for the 2024-25 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season.
“I’ve been following the activities of the league throughout the first season. I think it’s every player’s dream to play with the best players in the world and to play against the best players in the world, so I’d say it caught my eye pretty quickly. I could see myself playing in front of these big crowds. I wanted to try it,” says the 30-year-old Meixner.
“Anna is a veteran player who had tremendous success in Europe. We think her offensive skills will translate really well in the PWHL. We are excited to have her as part of our organization. We like her speed and her instincts in the offensive zone,” says PWHL Ottawa General Manager Mike Hirshfeld.
Meixner has spent the last four seasons in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL) with Brynäs IF. She enjoyed one of her best career seasons in 2022-23 with 53 points in 30 games to earn the title of most valuable player in this highly competitive league. In 2023-24, despite an injury-shortened season, she recorded 24 points in 22 games. Previously, she had spent most of her career in her native Austria playing for the EHV Sabres, a club based in Vienna.
On the international scene, Meixner has been captain of the Austrian National Women’s Team for the past three years. At April’s IIHF Division 1A Women’s World Championship, she recorded seven points (3G, 4A) in five games.
“During the (SDHL) finals in Sweden, we played in front of a crowd of over 8,000. It was an unbelievable experience for me. Last year, the World Championship was held at home, in Austria, and I was captain of our team. I realize that I have the privilege of inspiring many young hockey players. It’s something that I strive for,” explains Meixner.
Meixner becomes the first player selected in the 2024 PWHL Draft to sign a contract with PWHL Ottawa. She joins free agents Rebecca Leslie, Logan Angers and Alexa Vasko on the 2024-25 roster with 13 returning players including forwards Emily Clark, Shiann Darkangelo, Gabbie Hughes, Brianne Jenner, Hayley Scamurra, Natalie Snodgrass and Tereza Vanišová, defenders Ashton Bell, Zoe Boyd, Savannah Harmon, Jincy Roese and Aneta Tejralová, and goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer.
Per the Players Association, salary terms of contracts will not be disclosed.
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PRESS RELEASE
LPHF OTTAWA TEAM AWARDS CONTRACT TO ANNA MEIXNER
OTTAWA, Ontario (27 June 2024) – LPHF Ottawa announced today the signing of forward Anna Meixner. The athlete who hails from Zell am See, Austria, was selected in sixth ronde (32e overall) in the last draft of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF). She signed a contractone thegood for the saison 2024-25.
“I followed the league’s activities throughout the first season. I think all players dream of playing among the best players in the world and also of facing the best players in the world. So I would say that my interest was piqued pretty quickly. I wanted to play in front of these big crowds. I wanted to try my luck,” says the 30-year-old player.
“Anna is an experienced player who has had a lot of success in Europe. We believe that his attacking skills will allow him to adapt very quickly to the LPHF. We are very happy to know that she will evolve within our organization. We really like his speed and sense of play in the attacking zone,” said Ottawa general manager Mike Hirshfeld.
Meixner has spent the last four seasons in the Swedish Women’s Ice Hockey League (SDHL) with Brynäs IF. She had one of the best seasons of her career in 2022-23, when she recorded 53 points in 30 games, earning her the MVP award in the highly competitive league. In 2023-24, despite a season cut short by injury, she had 24 points in 22 games. Prior to that, she spent most of her career in her native Austria, playing for the EHV Sabres, a team that plays in Vienna.
On the international stage, she has captained the Austrian national team for the past three years. During the last edition of the IIHF Division 1A World Women’s Championship last spring, she recorded seven points (three goals and four assists) in five games.
“During the final series, in Sweden, we played in front of a crowd of over 8,000 spectators. It was an incredible experience for me. Last year, the World Championship was held at home in Austria, and I was the captain of our team. I realize that I have the privilege of inspiring many young hockey players. It’s something that motivates me,” she explains.
Meixner becomes the first player from the 2024 LPHF Draft to sign with LPHF Ottawa. She joins free agents Rebecca Leslie, Logan Angers and Alexa Vasko as well as a group of 13 players who spent the 2024 season in the capital. These are the attackers Emily Clark, Shiann Darkangelo, Gabbie Hughes, Brianne Jenner, Hayley Scamurra, Natalie Snodgrass et Tereza Vanišová, defenders Ashton Bell, Zoe Boyd, Savannah Harmon, Jincy Roese et Aneta Tejralová, and goalkeeper Emerance Maschmeyer.
Under an agreement with the Players’ Association, details of the contracts will not be made public.
