Writer: Sofi Dawalibi
Editor: Mare Lara
Kicking off its start right on the first day of this year, the Professional Women’s Hockey League has shown more than promise for the future of its sport. Six teams were selected to compete in the inaugural season, Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston, Ottawa, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul (Minnesota), in which the players have shown off their incredible skills on the ice. The season would be wrapped up by a two-round, best-of-five playoff where the top four teams would compete for the Walter Cup – the name having been proposed by Billie Jean King, a former number one tennis player who has been advocating in favor of women’s hockey for the longest time.
In contrast to its size, regarding the number of teams, the sport has gained traction since its announcement in August of 2023, the views adding up to over 40 million on all of the games – from more than 88 countries. – Though Minnesota was the underdog of the season, they took home the first-ever Walter Cup. A phenomenal final took place on the 29th of May of this year (a sellout in the Tsongas Center at that), and though it’s only been a few months, it left us with a taste of wanting more.
Like any off-season fan, all we can do is live with the anticipation of the next season. In the meantime here are some of the players who have shined this past season and are worthy of looking out for in the next:
Taylor Heise
Taylor Heise was selected first overall by PWHL Minnesota in 2023, scoring the same team’s first goal against Boston on January 3rd of 2024 (where her team won 3-2). She’s currently the leader in both points and goals, making her the top forward in the league. Though she hasn’t always envisioned this for herself, as she grew up thinking she would be playing basketball, she’s making a household name for herself.
Sarah Fillier
Sarah Fillier is this year’s first overall pick by PWHL New York’s team, making it as a forward in the Big Apple. However, this is not her first time in first place, as she has led the Canadian Olympic team in 2022 for Ice Hockey at the Winter Olympics. Where she not only finished second in the tournament by scoring eight goals but also managed to pull a hat trick (scoring three goals in one game) against Sweden in the quarterfinals. She is undoubtedly the most exciting player to join the league this year and we can’t wait to see her on the ice.
Aerin Frankel
Though goalies can sometimes be overlooked, Aerin Frankel is impossible to miss. Leading in wins for the Boston team and coming in second with save percentage (0.953%), she has shone unnaturally this season. In 2021 she won the Patty Kazmaier Award – given to the top college female ice hockey player in the United States – as well as priding herself of being a two-time grantee of the Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association National Goalie of the Year. Aerin is already a valuable player for Boston as well as a treasure for the PWHL.
Daryl Watts
Daryl Watt’s journey into the PWHL is unquestionably one of the most interesting ones to date. After a loss in 2022, she had vouched to her mates she was done with hockey for good, but now she’s the highest-paid player in women’s pro hockey. All eyes were on her for the playoffs, and her plays did not disappoint. She brings an electric energy to every game she plays. Even now, her 297 points rank second in all-time NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) scoring.
Sarah Nurse
Not only is Sarah Nurse a phenomenal player but she’s also one of the reasons why we have the PWHL. After playing one season for the Toronto Furies in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League anticipating its fold in 2019, Nurse focused on serving the board of directors for the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association – which later went on to help create the PWHL in 2023 – before joining the executive committee for the league’s labor union. Sarah had also won gold with the Canadian team in the Beijing Olympics in 2022. Her appraisal is long overdue for assisting in the creation of a space where women are in the spotlight on the ice.
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