2021 NWHL Draft Preview
We are almost here. In a year with an absurd level of confusion and unknowns heading into the NWHL Draft, let me try and break down some of what we know before you tune in tomorrow night.
When: Tuesday, June 29th, 7 PM EST
Where: Twitch.tv/nwhl
Draft Order
Round 4
19) Buffalo
20) Connecticut
21) Boston
22) Toronto
23) Metropolitan
24) Minnesota
Round 5
25) Buffalo
26) Connecticut
27) Boston
28) Toronto
29) Metropolitan
30) Minnesota
Round 1
1) Connecticut (via Buffalo)
2) Buffalo (via Connecticut)
3) Toronto (via Boston)
4) Toronto
5) Toronto (via Metropolitan)
6) Minnesota
Round 2
7) Buffalo
8) Connecticut
9) Toronto (via Boston)
10) Toronto
11) Metropolitan
12) Minnesota
Round 3
13) Buffalo
14) Buffalo (via Connecticut)
15) Buffalo (via Boston)
16) Toronto
17) Metropolitan
18) Minnesota
Players to Watch
With everyone in the NCAA having the ability to return with an extra year of eligibility, the pool of draft eligible players is in flux. It has been debated behind closed doors what would happen should a player who is selected choose to instead return to school in the fall, with some (myself included) suggesting that the player’s rights are held by the drafting team for another calendar year. That being said, I’ve spent the last few months trying my best to coordinate a list of players who would theoretically be available should teams only select players who are going to sign. Therefore, this list is only DI players who I have confirmed will not return to college hockey in the fall, as well as select DIII and USports players that may have completed their educations and may choose not to return to school. This list is by no means comprehensive, and I’d be shocked if more than a few players on it are amongst the ones drafted on Tuesday. This is also not a ranking, so there is no specific way this is organized. If a player’s name is underlined, clicking on it will bring you to a prospect report for that player.
East Grand Forks, Minnesota
D Tina Kampa, Bemidji State
Maple Grove, Minnesota
D Briana Jorde, Bemidji State
Thief River Falls, Minnesota
D Kara Werth, Bemidji State
Moorhead, Minnesota
D Abby Ecker, Bemidji State
Grey Eagle, Minnesota
D Antonia Matzka, Holy Cross
Moedling, Austria
F Katie MacCuaig, Holy Cross
Massena, New York
F Bailey Bennett, Holy Cross
Gardena, California
D Allison Attea, Holy Cross
Buffalo, New York
F Grace Peluso, Holy Cross
Edina, Minnesota
F Mackenzie Griffith, Holy Cross
West Hartford, Connecticut
Plymouth, Minnesota
F Grace Middleton, New Hampshire
Midland, Michigan
F Ellie Sasaki, New Hampshire
Markham, Ontario
D Julia Scammell, New Hampshire
Truro, Nova Scotia
F Veronika Pettey, Northeastern
Potomac, Maryland
F Tatum Skaggs, Ohio State
Hartland, Wisconsin
D Lisa Bruno, Ohio State
Whitby, Ontario
F Laura Kluge, St. Cloud State
Berlin, Germany
F Emma Bigham, St. Cloud State
Minnetonka, Minnesota
D Hannah Bates, St. Cloud State
Trenton, Michigan
F Emma Polaski, Syracuse
Morristown, New Jersey
D Kristen Siermachesky, Syracuse
New Liskeard, Ontario
F Kennedy Ganser, University of Alberta
Provost, Alberta
G Chiara Pfosi, Aurora
Ipsach, Switzerland
D Aimely Michaud-Nolan, Colby College
Wells, Maine
F Audrey Belzile, Concordia
La Presentation, Quebec
G Fabiana Petricca, Dalhousie
Vaughn, Ontario
G Elizabeth Hanson, Elmira
Stoughton, Massachusetts
F Emma Crocker, Elmira
Worcester, Massachusetts
Holliston, Massachusetts
F Ashlie Jones, Endicott
Billerica, Massachusetts
D Lauren Ferraiuolo, Endicott
North Haven, Connecticut
F Jordan Hansen, Hamline
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
F Hannah Tracy, Johnson & Wales
Hanson, Massachusetts
F Tianna Lopes, Manhattanville
West Vancouver, British Columbia
F Jade Downie-Landry, McGill
Montreal, Quebec
Killingworth, Connecticut
F MacKenzie Lombardi, Morrisville
Hamilton, Ontario
F Katelyn Brown, Neumann
Springfield, Pennsylvania
Bow, New Hampshire
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
F Lauren Nicholson, Ryerson
Dresden, Ontario
G Julia Benjamin, University of New England
Tolland, Connecticut
F Jules Kennedy, William Smith
Winthrop, Massachusetts
F Callie Hoff, Wisconsin-River Falls
Hermantown, Minnesota
What to expect?
Honestly, who the heck knows. We’ve already seen a bunch of wheeling and dealing by the Beauts to maneuver their way into additional draft picks, and Toronto literally owns half of the 1st Round (and 2 more in the 2nd). We don’t have a concrete notion of the draft class. It’s going to be wild, crazy, and fun, and I encourage you all to tune in along with us!
