PWHL draft: What to look forward to
Top prospect in the 2024 PWHL Draft, forward Sarah Fillier, will be a key offensive contributor to any team she is on, as she has an Olympic gold and multiple World Championship gold medals under her belt (Photo courtesy of Ethan Miller/Getty Images).
After the creation of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) last year and Minnesota making history in the inaugural draft on Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in Toronto with the first pick of the draft being named homegrown forward Taylor Heise, the PWHL has just announced the 2024 draft to be held in Minnesota. While a date and a specific location have not yet been set, it is only right that the second annual draft is held in the state known for its hockey.
The 2024 PWHL Draft will consist of seven rounds. The league will follow a modified version of the “Gold Plan” and “Draft Order Points.” Essentially, the first pick will go to the team that earns the most points from games after its elimination from playoff contention, and the non-playoff team with the fewest draft order points gets the second pick in the first round. The four playoff teams will determine the following picks in the inverse order of the regular season standings. As with any draft, it will follow this traditional format. Once a round is completed, the following round will be conducted in the same manner and order as the previous round.
A Minnesota-inspired logo was created to commemorate the second draft taking place in the state of hockey. The center of the logo is a lake illustration representing the state slogan, “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” as well as two stars adorning the word “Minnesota,” portraying the state’s official motto, “L’Etoile du Nord,”— which translates to “the star of the North.” The pink color reflects the state flower, showy lady’s slipper, and a nod to a Minnesota summer sunset and dawn over the lake.
With the draft approaching, notable names on the offensive side of things are coming from the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) and women’s hockey league overseas. The overwhelming favorite and probable number-one pick is Princeton center Sarah Fillier, who brings a two-way game and a major offensive threat. With an Olympic gold and multiple World Championship gold medals with Canada under her belt, Fillier is bound to make an impact on the league. Another NCAA name coming out of Ohio State is left-wing Hannah Bilka. Her stickhandling and skating skills created elite scoring opportunities, which helped her become a national and world champion. Center Danielle Serdachny, a center for Colgate, was the top scorer of all NCAA players over the past three seasons. She is not afraid to use her body to create offensive opportunities.
On the defensive side, the PWHL might have a problem. There is immense depth on the blueline of the PWHL already, but the 2024 draft class defenders could be left without a roster spot. Looking at the current PWHL rosters, each team has at least two defenders that could be replaced, but the main concern is that beyond the 15-18 blueliners league-wide who could potentially be pushed out, there's just too much depth in the draft and not enough roster spots. Defenders like Cayla Barnes, Ronja Savolainen, Claire Thompson, Maja Nylen Persson, and Daniela Pejsova will undoubtedly be drafted into the PWHL this year. Some PWHL Draft declaration group members have already signed contracts in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with opt-out clauses for the draft. If they aren't selected, we could also see defenders heading to the SDHL and Sask West Hockey League (SWHL) in the days following the draft.