Now that the protected lists for the PWHL’s expansion have been released for every team, it’s time for PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle to start building their teams. The Exclusive Signing Window for both teams started at 9 am ET on Wednesday morning, June 4th, and goes until 5 pm ET on Sunday, June 8th, with the Expansion Draft following on Monday night, June 9th.
After putting together lists on which players teams should protect, The Hockey Writers PWHL team of Jess Amato and Mariah Stark held a mock draft over Zoom to put together the two new franchises, starting with 12 players each. Jess took PWHL Seattle, and Mariah took PWHL Vancouver. Disclaimer: This is not based on cap space. We understand this may not accurately reflect what the teams look like.
Julia Gosling, Forward
Julia Gosling played in all 30 games for the Toronto Sceptres this season, and although she tallied just 10 points, she showed a lot of promise. She also has a lot of size at 5-foot-10, which will be beneficial in a very physical league. She’s played only one season, but she was surrounded by experienced veterans who showed her what it’s like to play in a top league.
Possibly the biggest credit to her game is her ability to step up in the postseason; she played in all four games for the Sceptres against the Minnesota Frost, and she registered three goals for three points. PWHL Vancouver will need someone who can step up in important situations, and despite her being 24 years old, she has proven she can bring her game up to that next level.
Gabbie Hughes, Forward
She was a valuable part of the Ottawa Charge all season, and as they made their first PWHL playoff appearance. She improved her game from her first season to her second, and just like Gosling, she was a factor in the postseason. She’s a little bit older at 26 years old, but that just means slightly more experience. This league is all about speed and scoring skills, and that’s what Hughes and Gosling will develop into as they spend more time in the league.
Izzy Daniel, Forward
By now, it’s easy to see a theme of young, strong forwards, but a team has to build its foundation with players who will stick around. Izzy Daniel is another one of those young players who can provide a lot to a team. She didn’t produce a lot of points, but she made an impact in her first year. She also stepped up with a single assist in the postseason. The more time she spends in the league, the better she’ll become.
Sarah Nurse, Forward, Captain
Here’s where the veteran presence joins the lineup, and that is Sarah Nurse. She was left unprotected, likely because of her injury issues and her age, but she is still a force to be reckoned with. She has an incredible amount of experience and would serve as a great leader for a new team. Her numbers did drop slightly from her first to her second season, but again, she was dealing with an injury that caused her to miss eight games of the season.
While she would be a great captain, she’s also a strong center, and every team needs a player who can win faceoffs. Those types of players are often underappreciated but greatly noticed when a team doesn’t have one. Nurse would be a great addition to this team, and they would follow her lead.
Clair DeGeorge, Forward
The team has a lot of young, offensive forwards chosen, which means they need a more defensive-minded forward like Clair DeGeorge. She provides some offense, but not as much as the others, because she likes to help out her defenders. She’s not afraid to block shots and is just as important as her scoring teammates. She hasn’t been able to produce in the postseason, but she also brings that type of experience to her game.
Gabby Rosenthal, Forward
While every team needs a strong center, it’s even better if they can have two, and Gabby Rosenthal fits that second role. She doesn’t contribute a lot of offense, but she won a whopping 54 percent of her faceoffs, which is a pretty impressive number considering it was her first year in the league. The offense will make its way once she adjusts a bit more, but winning faceoffs is key to any team’s success.
Sophie Jaques, Defender
Another veteran presence, but she has won 2 Walter Cups, and is a top defender no matter what team she’s on is Sophie Jaques. She struggled a little with her first team, the Boston Fleet, in her first season, but when she was traded to the Minnesota Frost, she truly shone. Amazingly, they didn’t protect her, but the team has so much depth, someone unfortunately had to be left out.
Regardless, Jaques will be a fantastic leader on the blue line, and PWHL Vancouver won’t have to worry about contributions from the defense with her on the roster. She was tied for second on the roster in points, and she’s great at blocking shots as well.
Erin Ambrose, Defender
Like Jaques, Erin Ambrose is a defender who can produce a lot of offense, and together, they would make an intriguing pairing, maybe too much power for a defensive pair. She did have fewer points in her second season compared to her first, but 13 points is still impressive for a defender in 28 games played. She doesn’t forget about her defensive game either and works hard to keep players away from her goaltender, along with blocking shots.
Mellissa Channell-Watkins, Defender
Another Frost player who has strong defensive skills and really made an impact in this season’s PWHL playoffs was Mellissa Channell-Watkins. She’s not a big player, but isn’t afraid to use her body when necessary, and doing that gave her team puck possession multiple times. She’s speedy, and although Ambrose and Jaques would make a good pairing, Channell-Watkins has played with Jaques as well and would fit together well.
Jocelyne Laroque, Defender
With the selections already made, the team has plenty of offensive-minded defenders, but they also need some who will put defense first, and that’s Jocelyne Laroque. Her offensive numbers are there, but not in the same way as the others. She also spent time with the Sceptres in her first season before heading to the Charge and then right back to the Sceptres. She knows what it’s like to be on a new team with new teammates and will be able to adjust quickly, which is what this team will need as well.
Nicole Hensley, Goaltender
Now, to the goaltending, the majority of the starters were protected by their respective teams, but Nicole Hensley was left open. She was part of a great tandem with Maddie Rooney, but with Rooney being a free agent, it’s likely the Frost will pursue her in free agency, which leaves Hensley. Every team needs a strong goaltender for their backbone, and Hensley can have that opportunity with PWHL Vancouver.
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When she gets on a roll, she’s a difficult goaltender to get anything past, and she can be a capable starter. It’ll be interesting to see her away from Rooney, but she’s a goaltender who can adapt and would make a great leader as well.
Emma Söderberg, Goaltender
Hensley knows what it’s like to be part of a strong tandem, and every team wishes they had a solid one instead of relying solely on a starter. Emma Söderberg hasn’t had a chance to play many games because she was back up to Aerin Frankel, but if given the chance to play more games, she can be a strong goaltender. Maybe not a consistent starter, but someone that can share the ice, similar to what the Frost did with Hensley and Rooney. She can be that goaltender, and Hensley would make a great partner for her.
Vancouver has Options
This is only 12 players of what will be a 23-player roster, but it’s a solid start to being a competitive team in the league. Of course, both teams will likely have very different rosters in this mock draft, and the cap space has to be abided by, but it’s always fun and interesting to make a team. Hopefully, both teams can get what they want and help the league continue to show how strong the women’s game is. The next event after the Expansion Draft will be the PWHL Entry Draft at the end of June, when each team will make picks to build out the rest of their rosters.
