Princeton Tigers captain Sarah Fillier was selected first overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft, by New … [+] York. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Less than two weeks after crowning Minnesota as the first-ever Walter Cup champion, the Professional Women’s Hockey League returned to the State of Hockey for its second-ever draft.
Canadian forward Sarah Fillier followed in the footsteps of Minnesota native and PWHL Minnesota player Taylor Heise, the league’s first-ever No. 1 pick last fall. One day after her 24th birthday, the 2022 Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion heard her name called by PWHL advisory board member Billie Jean King as the first choice of 2024. She’ll go to PWHL New York.
“It’s a dream come true, especially to go to a city like New York,” said the former Princeton University captain, who posted 93 goals and 194 points in 120 career NCAA games. “I went to school just down the road, so it kind of feels like coming home a little bit.”
In addition to finishing at the bottom of the PWHL’s first-year standings, the New York team is in search of an arena to call its own next year. In 2024, the club played six of its home games at the New York Islanders’ UBS Arena on Long Island, four at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. and two at Prudential Center in Newark, the home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.
Colgate University head coach Greg Fargo has been taken over as head coach of PWHL New York. (Photo by … [+] Carlos Gonzalez/NCAA Photos via Getty Images (via Getty Images)
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As the 2025 PWHL season expands from 24 to 30 games, New York will also have a new face behind the bench. On June 7, GM Pascal Daoust announced that Colgate University women’s coach Greg Fargo would take over behind the bench.
“I’ve played against him for four years in the ECAC,” said Fillier. “So it’s exciting to be on his team now.”
Fargo replaces Howie Draper, who is returning his old post at the University of Alberta while remaining a special advisor to PWHL New York.
Fillier was one of five NCAA graduates selected in the first round, along with Danielle Serdachny (No. 2, Ottawa, Colgate), Hanna Bilka (No. 4, Boston, Ohio State), Cayla Barnes (No. 5, Montreal, Ohio State) and Julia Gosling (No. 6, Toronto, St. Lawrence).
Defender Claire Thompson skates with Team Sonnet as part of the 2022-23 PWHPA Dream Gap Tour. (Photo … [+] by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
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The exception was Claire Thompson, the 26-year-old Canadian defender from Toronto who was selected third overall by Minnesota. Already an Olympic gold medalist and world champion, Thompson declared for the draft after spending the 2023-24 season in medical school at New York University.
Arguably the best-known name in the entire draft, Amanda Kessel wasn’t selected until the second-last pick, No. 41 by Montreal. The 32-year-old is an Olympic gold medalist and three-time national champion who comes from a noted hockey family. Her oldest brother, Phil Kessel, is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, while middle-child Blake is married to PWHL Boston head coach Courtney Kessel.
During her playing career, Amanda was troubled by concussion issues. During the 2023-24 season, she was elected to work in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ front office.
Kessel has been a top-tier talent, but it was a bit of a surprise to see her declare for the draft after taking time away. Now, the question becomes whether she’ll cross the border to play in Canada, or if Montreal might leverage her rights in a trade.
With 167 players from 19 countries declaring for the 2024 draft, the Europeans made noise starting in Round 2.
First, PWHL Boston executed a five-pick trade with New York which allowed GM Danielle Marmer to snag Czech defender Daniela Pejsova with the seventh pick. Her Swedish-league teammate, Finland’s Ronja Savolainen, then went to Ottawa at No. 8, and New York took Swedish defender Maja Nylen Persson at No. 10.
Since the SDHL allows body-checking, the 5-foot-9 Pejsova believes her physicality could be her biggest asset for Boston. “I saw that it is really used in this league,” said the 21-year-old after her name was called, admitting that she was still shaking over the opportunity to play in the best league in the world after already completing six pro seasons in Sweden.
Two other nations were also represented in the final draft list. Forward Anna Meixner of Austria, who also spent last season in the SDHL, was selected 32nd overall by Ottawa. And Russia’s Ilona Markova, from Ufa of her nation’s ZhHL, was taken 37th by Boston.
In 2023, the first goaltender selected was Nicole Hensley, who went 12th overall to Minnesota. In 2024, Gwyneth Philips from Northeastern went two picks later at 14, to Ottawa.
While 61 NCAA players declared themselves eligible to be one of the 42 players selected on Monday, another 35 declared from the USports program in Canadian colleges and universities. The only player selected from that list was 25-year-old forward Emmy Fecteau from Montreal’s Concordia University — taken 31st by New York.
The PWHL will wrap up the events of its largely successful inaugural season during a VIP luncheon in Saint Paul on Tuesday, with the presentation of the first-ever PWHL Awards. Recipients of the league’s community leadership award, rookie of the year, coach of the year, forward of the year, defender of the year, goaltender of the year, and Billie Jean King MVP award will be announced.
In August, the league is expected to present its team names and logos for the first time. And after starting the 2024 season on July 1, it’s expected that the 2024-25 campaign will begin in late fall.
