[2nd] 2024-25 Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) Thread

[JMCx4]

Can you be the Mel Kiper Jr of the PWHL?

Only if my father can be posthumously renamed "Mel Kiper Sr.". And the paperwork alone makes that VERY unlikely.

 

[FrHockeyFan]

And Amanda Kessel becomes a final round footnote ...

Fun family gatherings ahead in the Kessel family

 

[PanniniClaus]

Did Jayna Hefford make all the picks? Do we need GM's?

 

[JMCx4]

Did Jayna Hefford make all the picks? Do we need GM's?

If you were truly part of the "we" you wouldn't need to ask. But the answer is: The PWHL Borg has everyone's best interests in mind.

 

[CuuuJooo]

WTF is Minnesota doing? Did someone hand them a copy of “How to Lose Fans and Alienate People” right before the draft?

 

[Andre Poodle Lussier]

WTF is Minnesota doing? Did someone hand them a copy of “How to Lose Fans and Alienate People” right before the draft?

That is a good question to ask the players, particularly Ms. Coyne-Schofield, since she's a big fan of Ken Klee and pushed for him to take over as coach because she (among others) did not like Burggraf.

 

[CuuuJooo]

It doesn’t sound like she’s got the support of the whole team behind her, and certainly not the whole fanbase…

 

[uncleben]

That is a good question to ask the players, particularly Ms. Coyne-Schofield, since she's a big fan of Ken Klee and pushed for him to take over as coach because she (among others) did not like Burggraf.

To be fair (unless you've been privy to something else that hasn't been publicized), that's just speculation

Burggraf seemed to have a good rep going into this and his press release stated he made the decision with his family.

Some news outlets, with the Darwitz news, have insinuated Burggraf left under similar terms to Darwitz, or have at least noted the peculiarity of the similarities (and frankly I would not be shocked at this point if Coyne-Schofield had some influence in it) but Idk we can say he left/was forced out because she didn't like him.

 

[JMCx4]

From: The NY Times/The Athletic > Women's Hockey

2024 PWHL Draft: Best picks and biggest surprises from Sarah Fillier to Amanda Kessel

By Hailey Salvian
Jun 11, 2024

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The 2024 PWHL Draft had it all: surprise picks, a trade, the home team getting booed, and three-time Olympian Amanda Kessel being drafted by Montreal in the final round.

Sarah Fillier, as expected, went No. 1 to New York. Boston made a surprise trade to move up in the second round — up to seventh from 10th — to draft Czechia defender Daniela Pejšová. And Minnesota swung relatively high for versatile forward/defender Klára Hymlárová, squandering the ability to draft Abby Boreen — who played 14 games for the team — in the process. ...

Some players fell, like 2024 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Izzy Daniel to Round 3, or Yale forward Elle Hartje to Round 5. None dropped more than Kessel, a highly decorated player, who was a pleasant surprise on the league’s draft declaration list. ...


Read more at: 2024 PWHL Draft: Best picks and biggest surprises from Sarah Fillier to Amanda Kessel | NYT-The Athletic

 

[JMCx4]

And a Sportsnet perspective of the SECOND draft ...

PWHL Draft Takeaways: Fillier goes first, Ohio State wins big, mystery surrounds Kessel

Emily Sadler
June 11, 2024, 1:04 PM

The 2024 PWHL Draft is officially in the books as the league welcomed 42 talented new players into the fold across all six markets Monday night.

Twenty-four forwards, 15 defenders, and three goaltenders were selected from the class of 2024, which featured a heavy NCAA influence and an early wave of international talent.

The night started off as predicted, with New York smartly staying on script to select Team Canada’s Sarah Fillier out of Princeton, followed by Ottawa landing Danielle Serdachny at second overall. Defence factored in prominently, with Claire Thompson (third to Minnesota) and Cayla Barnes (fifth to Montreal) selected early on while both Boston and Toronto got exacted what they most needed: scoring for Boston in Ohio State’s Hannah Bilka gift-wrapped at fourth overall, and a prototypical power forward (in the vein of Natalie Spooner) for Toronto, in Julia Gosling at No. 6.

But the draft featured a few surprises, too, with some top forwards falling down the draft order. From some of the evening’s biggest wins to its most notable and intriguing picks, here’s a collection of takeaways from Monday’s PWHL Draft. ...


Read more at: PWHL Draft Takeaways: Fillier goes first, Ohio State wins big, mystery surrounds Kessel | SN

 

[LadyStanley]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802112021686890662

Vegas would like PWHL expansion team

 

[LadyStanley]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802762747400130590

 

[FrHockeyFan]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1804002454272389258

 

[FrHockeyFan]

And Toronto make the first free agent signings.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1804273308126380217

https://x.com/i/web/status/1804314772726300893

Rest of the signings were either extensions or draftees.

 

[JMCx4]

A solid pick to help new head coach Greg Fargo turn the PWHL New York team around & skating on smoother ice ... PWHL NEW YORK HIRES JOSH SCIBA AS ASSISTANT COACH