Sarah Fillier has a degree from Princeton, but she's opting for a pro hockey career by entering the PWHL draft on Monday.
The projected No. 1 pick from sa国际传媒 took a moment to cherish her past six years in college.
On the ice, 鈥� she took two seasons off to focus on helping sa国际传媒 win gold at the 2022 Beijing Games 鈥� by finishing among the Tigers鈥� all-time scoring leaders in fourth with 194 points. Off the ice, the 23-year-old leaves the Ivy League with a degree in psychiatry.
鈥淚 just feel free to be honest. I loved my time at Princeton. It was a challenge academically for sure and a challenge athletically,鈥� Fillier told The Associated Press last week.
鈥淚 feel like getting a Princeton degree is so worth it. But now I鈥檓 home and the only thing on my mind is the pro league and draft and trying to be the best hockey player that I can be,鈥� she added. 鈥淎nd I feel like I earned that after these four years.鈥�
From suburban Toronto, Fillier tops a deep class of prospects 鈥� filled out by a large crop of European veterans after the league's first season鈥� entering the six-team, seven-round draft in St. Paul, Minnesota.
New York holds the first pick based on its last-place finish, followed by Ottawa. Newly crowned champion Minnesota goes third after its fourth-place finish. Boston, Montreal and Toronto round out the order.
Among the top-ranked prospects are players coming directly out of college, including Colgate centre Danielle Serdachny, who scored the at the world championships in April. The possibility of Serdachny going first escalated Friday when , who was her coach at Colgate.
Then there鈥檚 U.S. national players, forward Hannah Bilka and defender Cayla Barnes, who helped Ohio State win the NCAA championship in March. Also in the mix are more experienced players who either took last year off from hockey or come from Europe.
Three-time U.S. Olympian Amanda Kessel spent last season as with the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins. Canadian defender Claire Thompson focused on her second year studying medicine at NYU. Both are timing their return with an eye on competing at the 2026 Olympics in Italy.
鈥淚 missed (playing) a lot. I think that this year was really excellent in putting things in perspective,鈥� the 26-year-old Thompson said. 鈥淚 think that has motivated me and made me really truly want to come back to hockey. Not because it鈥檚 something that I should do, but because it鈥檚 something I really want to do.鈥�
Among Europeans, 28-year-old forward Noora Tulus ends her nine-year pro stint in Sweden to test her skills in the PWHL.
鈥淚鈥檓 super-excited but I鈥檓 also nervous. It鈥檚 going to be best against best and you鈥檙e around the best,鈥� said Tulus, a two-time Olympian for Finland. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking to see where (are) my limits.鈥�
The influx of talent increases the competition for what remains a limited number of roster spots 鈥� 23 active plus a three-player reserve squad 鈥� for a league that isn鈥檛 considering expansion until after the 2024-25 season.
Two of three PWHL general managers polled by The AP expect about 25 of the 42 players drafted to make the roster next season. The third GM projected the number to be 30.
Of the 167 players declaring for the draft, 35 are international players representing 19 countries, including Japan, Hungary and Italy.
Though spots are limited, the PWHL to cement itself as the world鈥檚 premier women鈥檚 league. And Europeans are driven to come to North America to help develop their games in a .
Players from the Czech Republic, for example, rely on playing outside their home country because of a lack of a league and development program.
鈥淚n Czech, it鈥檚 a bad situation,鈥� said 21-year-old defender Daniela Pejsova, who spent the past six years in Sweden.
鈥淚 mean, I鈥檓 proud of the program with what we have with a national team, but there needs to be some more steps forward,鈥� she added. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping that the Czech players are going to this league more to move women鈥檚 hockey overall forward.鈥�
The growth of the sport is also apparent in the U.S. with players developing in non-hockey markets, such as Bilka, who is from Texas, and Barnes, from California.
鈥淚t鈥檚 growing. More girls want to play. And now being able to see the PWHL, I think it鈥檚 skyrocketing even more,鈥� Barnes said. 鈥淲hen we were younger, that was just a shot in the dark, a hope. So that鈥檚 really exciting for the younger generations.鈥�
Defending champion Minnesota is in flux after the . Coach Ken Klee will oversee the team鈥檚 draft selections.
In a twist, Abby Boreen is draft eligible despite being a member of Minnesota鈥檚 championship team. Boreen is in this situation because she signed a reserve contract with Minnesota after not declaring for the draft last year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely unique,鈥� said Boreen, who had five goals and seven points in 14 games, including five in the post-season. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have the opportunity to experience the draft last year so, honestly, I鈥檓 super-excited.鈥�
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AP Women鈥檚 Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
John Wawrow, The Associated Press
