The third season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) will bring a bit of a different look for fans, nevertheless it should exciting. Two new teams this season not only creates new fans, but new opportunities for the players. Spreading out the talent even further forces players out of the comfort zones they have been in for the first two seasons and makes for some exciting action ahead. And so with this new look, which players on each team can break away and take the next step in their career?
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The “original six” teams will look to fill holes this season left by players lost in the expansion draft, while the expansion teams will look to find their leaders and hidden gems. Either way, each team needs their players to step up. So which player do I think will have a breakout season for their respective team? Let’s dive in.
Minnesota Frost – Katy Knoll
The list begins with the reigning champion Minnesota Frost who are on the hunt for a three-peat and despite some major casualties in the expansion draft, have some underdogs ready to shine, the most notable of those being none other than Katy Knoll. She appeared in 21 games last season, putting up a goal and an assist on the fourth line. She was a great depth piece for the team to have on stand-by and was a nice burst of speed in the bottom half of the lineup. Knoll was usually the first one out whenever someone returned from injury; more of a filler most of the regular season.
That’s when the playoffs came. Knoll came out of her shell and posted five points in eight playoff games, including a thrilling triple-overtime winner in Game 3 of the PWHL Finals. She utilized the ice time she was given and was very efficient. She also played an aggressive, hard-forechecking game, a perfect fit for a third or fourth line. Expect Knoll to continue her strong 200-foot game this season and hopefully become a regular in the bottom-six; a scary thing to add to an already strong offensive front in Minnesota.
Boston Fleet – Shay Maloney
Coming off a rather disappointing end to their season, the Boston Fleet have some young players who are ready to compete. This includes sophomore forward Shay Maloney, who’s already an integral part of the offense. Maloney had nine points in a full 30-game 2024-25 season, which is alright in her first season. She put in the work last season and just by looking at her game logs, she earned more and more ice time as the campaign went on. She has some work to do on faceoffs, coming in at just under 50% in the dot, however she wasn’t a full-time centre last season. A full season in the middle will likely boost that number as she gets more reps. Maloney could be found centering the second line most times and even in the starting lineup some nights.
This season could be huge for Maloney. The Fleet will be searching for some extra offense with the exits of Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka in expansion, not to mention Maloney was one of their protected players and she just got a new contract. The stars are aligning for the potential star and now is the time to capitalize.
Ottawa Charge – Mannon McMahon
A heartbreaking end to their 2024-25 season and few losses to the expansion teams knocks the Ottawa Charge down a couple notches, but they have plenty of talent on this roster. Mannon McMahon is among that talent as she comes off a fairly solid rookie season. She posted eight points in 30 games, which may not seem like a lot but there is more to the story. Her shooting percentage (SH%) averaged out just shy of 12 percent for the season, putting her in the top-30 in the league as a rookie. I think this is a stat that really shows how smart of a player she is. Her shot selection was excellent and among some of the best.
McMahon is an intelligent player and knows how to create chances for herself as well as her teammates. She showed it as team captain with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and we are already seeing bits and pieces of it early in her pro career. The scoring stats will soon reflect the other strong aspects of her game. I think season two will be a big one for her.
New York Sirens – Paetyn Levis
Though the team has been “rebuilding” since its inception, the New York Sirens have been gathering some very promising young pieces to strengthen their foundation; Among the young talent is Paetyn Levis, a very underrated player to look out for in the coming years. She has been with the Sirens (PWHL New York when she got there) for two seasons and has already shown she can improve season-to-season. Her first season she had three points in 23 games, and she followed that up last season with eight points in 30 games. She was a regular on the Sirens’ first line and that should continue this season.
Watching Levis play it’s clear her offensive potential is through the roof and that she will be a constant threat for her team. She will however face a bit of a challenge as one of her regular linemates Alex Carpenter is with PWHL Seattle for next season, among many other losses for New York. Levis will have to make an adjustment, but with her talent it shouldn’t be a problem to gel with a new line quickly and wreak havoc on opposing defences.
Toronto Sceptres – Emma Maltais
The Toronto Sceptres are a team that have some scary good talent on paper, and a few of those players haven’t even hit their full potential yet. Emma Maltais is going into her third season with Toronto and is looking to bounce back. Her first PWHL season was a great success as she had 19 points in 24 games. However this past season she saw a dip in production, posting only 9 points in 30 games. She was also a plus-7 and a minus-5 in the 2024 and 2024-25 seasons respectively. There is a clear difference, but she is definitely the kind of player who can come back and possibly even top her career highs.
Along with being strong on the puck and an elite passer, Maltais’s physical play is a unique part of her game as well. She ranked fourth in the entire league last season in hits with 48 and fifth in hits per game. She is a scrappy power forward who has the potential to be a dangerous scorer. The Sceptres had Maltais on their protection list as well, so they see something special in her as well. This season could be huge for her.
Montreal Victoire – Kati Tabin
Montreal’s unfortunate end to last season might have some forgetting how good this team still is. They have a few players likely to have big season, but Kati Tabin is my pick. She is the lone blue liner to be chosen for this list and for good reason. Her offense has slowly progressed over her first two PWHL seasons, putting up six points in year one and four goals and eight points last season. While she has never been the goal-scoring, join-the-rush type, there are other solid aspects of her game that make her valuable. She is a strong defender who can wear down the other team and make smart plays with the puck in both ends. She is something every team needs.
Tabin is primed for a breakout not just because of her own skill, but because of the opportunity ahead. Montreal lost significant pieces on their back end this offseason in Cayla Barnes and Anna Wilgren and now the d-core needs someone to step up. Tabin is due to be a defender playing top minutes (as she already has) and potentially play on the top pairing. I would expect her to be top scoring player on the Victoire blueline this season.
PWHL Vancouver – Michela Cava
The new squad in Vancouver is full of skill and potential and they will be a real threat this season. That’s due in part to players like Michela Cava. She comes over after winning back-to-back titles with the Frost, now looking to bring the winning ways and high-octane offense with her. After a quiet first season, Cava exploded last season with nine goals and 19 points in 30 games. Additionally, she has proved to be a clutch playoff performer with 13-career points in 18 games. She’s been an offensive juggernaut for a while now who despite being over 30 now, still has star potential.
Cava is an extremely smart and talented forward. She had a 17 percent SH% last season, good enough for ninth in the league. She has a laser of a shot and can deke around the best of them. The veteran comes from playing with an elite forward group in Minnesota and is now looking to set herself apart and really shine in her new home. Cava could explode and be one of the league’s best in the upcoming season.
PWHL Seattle – Carly Jackson
There’s a few candidates to choose from on another brand new squad, but one stands out. A crowded net in Toronto led to the tough decision to leave young goaltender Carly Jackson unprotected to the new teams; and Seattle didn’t think twice about it. Now Jackson may not be as young as some of the others on this list, but 28 year old is the prime age for a goalie in my opinion.
Looking at her stats, the sample size at the professional level is small. She posted a .904 save percentage across two starts last season (regular season and postseason) and has a handful of starts across other professional leagues formed over the years. But the little we have seen is a good sign for the future.
Jackson is very composed in the net. She has good rebound control and her lateral movement is very smooth. She could easily become Seattle’s number-one goalie and have a big first season for them. She will likely start the season sharing the net with former Sirens goalie Corinne Schroeder, but if she is able to perform with the starts she’s given, she can easily win the starting job.
There are a lot of players to watch out for this season as the league continues to take shape and chemistry is formed. It will be yet another entertaining PWHL campaign and hopefully there are more surprises and breakouts in the years to come.
