Six inaugural teams protect three players each from selection in the Exclusive Signing Window and the Expansion Draft
NEW YORK AND TORONTO (June 3, 2025) - The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced the 18 players protected by the league’s inaugural six teams from selection in the Exclusive Signing Window and the Expansion Draft. The submission of player protection lists is the first step of the 2025 expansion roster building process as PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver prepare for their 2025–26 season debut.
PROTECTION LISTS
Boston Fleet (3): Aerin Frankel (G), Megan Keller (D), Alina Müller (F)
Minnesota Frost (3): Kendall Coyne Schofield (F), Taylor Heise (F), Lee Stecklein (D)
Montréal Victoire (3): Ann-Renée Desbiens (G), Marie-Philip Poulin (F), Laura Stacey (F)
New York Sirens (3): Sarah Fillier (F), Ella Shelton (D), Micah Zandee-Hart (D)
Ottawa Charge (3): Emily Clark (F), Gwyneth Philips (G), Ronja Savolainen (D)
Toronto Sceptres (3): Renata Fast (D), Blayre Turnbull (F), Daryl Watts (F)
Each of the six inaugural PWHL teams had the opportunity to initially protect three players from selection in the Exclusive Signing Window and the Expansion Draft. After an inaugural team has relinquished two players - whether through the Exclusive Signing Window or the Expansion Draft - that team will be permitted to protect one additional player, increasing their protected list to four players. Players eligible to be protected must either be under contract for the 2025–26 season or the team must hold their playing rights through the 2025–26 season.
Throughout the process, Seattle and Vancouver will acquire a combined total of four players from each of the six inaugural team rosters from the 2024–25 season, including both players signed during the Exclusive Signing Window and those selected in the Expansion Draft.
EXCLUSIVE SIGNING WINDOW – JUNE 4 (9 A.M. ET) TO JUNE 8 (5 P.M. ET)
Expansion teams will be granted a five-day exclusive window to sign a maximum of five players. There is no required minimum number of players who must be signed during this window. Any unprotected player or any player on an expiring contract is eligible to be signed.
2025 EXPANSION DRAFT PRESENTED BY UPPER DECK – JUNE 9 (8:30 P.M. ET)
The Expansion Draft will feature Seattle and Vancouver selecting a minimum of seven players each until each has reached a 12-player roster. If one team enters the Expansion Draft with fewer signed players than the other, it will be granted additional selections to reach their 12. Players eligible to be selected in the Expansion Draft consist of unprotected players under contract for the 2025–26 season or those whose playing rights are held through the 2025–26 season.* The order in which teams will make their selections will be determined at the beginning of the Expansion Draft. Coverage details to be announced.
*A player’s playing rights are with their team for a minimum of two years after entry draft selection.
PLAYERS ELIGIBLE FOR A TEAM’S FOURTH PROTECTION PICK, EXCLUSIVE SIGNING WINDOW & EXPANSION DRAFT SELECTION
Boston Fleet (11): Sydney Bard (D), Hannah Bilka (F), Hannah Brandt (F), Emily Brown (D), Hadley Hartmetz (D), Hilary Knight (F), Shay Maloney (F), Ilona Markova (F), Daniela Pejšová (D), Jamie Lee Rattray (F), Sophie Shirley (F)
Minnesota Frost (12): Mae Batherson (D), Britta Curl-Salemme (F), Nicole Hensley (G), Klára Hymlárová (F), Sophie Jaques (D), Katy Knoll (F), Denisa Křížová (F), Brooke McQuigge (F), Kelly Pannek (F), Dominique Petrie (F), Claire Thompson (D), Grace Zumwinkle (F)
Montréal Victoire (11): Erin Ambrose (D), Cayla Barnes (D), Abby Boreen (F), Amanda Boulier (D), Jennifer Gardiner (F), Dara Greig (F), Amanda Kessel (F), Lina Ljungblom (F), Maureen Murphy (F), Kristin O’Neill (F), Anna Wilgren (D)
New York Sirens (14): Lauren Bernard (D), Jaime Bourbonnais (D), Alex Carpenter (F), Jessie Eldridge (F), Emmy Fecteau (F), Elle Hartje (F), Paetyn Levis (F), Maja Nylén Persson (D), Kayle Osborne (G), Abby Roque (F), Gabby Rosenthal (F), Corinne Schroeder (G), Allyson Simpson (D), Noora Tulus (F)
Ottawa Charge (12): Ashton Bell (D), Gabbie Hughes (F), Brianne Jenner (F), Jocelyne Larocque (D), Stephanie Markowski (D), Emerance Maschmeyer (G), Mannon McMahon (F), Anna Meixner (F), Kateřina Mrázová (F), Danielle Serdachny (F), Aneta Tejralová (D), Madeline Wethington (D)
Toronto Sceptres (13): Kristen Campbell (G), Megan Carter (D), Izzy Daniel (F), Julia Gosling (F), Savannah Harmon (D), Raygan Kirk (G), Anna Kjellbin (D), Emma Maltais (F), Allie Munroe (D), Noemi Neubauerová (F), Sarah Nurse (F), Anneke Rankila (F), Emma Woods (F)
PLAYERS ELIGIBLE DURING EXCLUSIVE SIGNING WINDOW ONLY
Boston Fleet (14): Lexie Adzija (F), Kelly Babstock (F), Jillian Dempsey (F), Jessica DiGirolamo (D), Loren Gabel (F), Emma Greco (D), Sidney Morin (D), Amanda Pelkey (F), Klára Peslarová (G), Jill Saulnier (F), Theresa Schafzahl (F), Emma Söderberg (G), Susanna Tapani (F), Olivia Zafuto (D)
Minnesota Frost (11): Charlotte Akervik (D), Marlène Boissonnault (G), Brooke Bryant (F), Natalie Buchbinder (D), Claire Butorac (F), Michela Cava (F), Mellissa Channell-Watkins (D), Maggie Flaherty (D), Kaitlyn O’Donohoe (F), Maddie Rooney (G), Liz Schepers (F)
Montréal Victoire (14): Sandra Abstreiter (G), Elaine Chuli (G), Claire Dalton (F), Gabrielle David (F), Clair DeGeorge (F), Catherine Dubois (F), Mikyla Grant-Mentis (F), Mariah Keopple (D), Alexandra Labelle (F), Dominika Lásková (D), Kennedy Marchment (F), Kelly-Ann Nadeau (D), Kati Tabin (D), Kaitlin Willoughby (F)
New York Sirens (9): Chloé Aurard (F), Jade Downie-Landry (F), Élizabeth Giguère (F), Taylor Girard (F), Alexie Guay (D), Brooke Hobson (D), Olivia Knowles (D), Abbey Levy (G), Kayla Vespa (F)
Ottawa Charge (12): Jessica Adolfsson (D), Logan Angers (G), Zoe Boyd (D), Shiann Darkangelo (F), Taylor House (F), Sam Isbell (D), Rebecca Leslie (F), Lucy Morgan (G), Jincy Roese (D), Natalie Snodgrass (F), Tereza Vanišová (F), Alexa Vasko (F)
Toronto Sceptres (11): Jesse Compher (F), Maggie Connors (F), Kali Flanagan (D), Carly Jackson (G), Laura Kluge (F), Jess Kondas (D), Rylind MacKinnon (D), Hannah Miller (F), Kassidy Sauvé (G), Hayley Scamurra (F), Natalie Spooner (F)
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