Story and File Photos by Janet Schultz, NYHOL
(NYHOL will continue to cover Professional Women’s Ice Hockey with a team in New York and many players with NY connections on the other five teams. While we miss the Buffalo Beauts and having a Pro Team here, this is just another growth phase of professional women’s hockey and who knows what the future will bring. We urge support of these six teams, plus all the local hockey in your area at all levels from grassroots to high school to collegiate to NHL and PWHL. We look forward to the 2023-24 season!)
The Professional Women’s Hockey League was born July 1, 2023 and since that time the history has been developing at a steady pace. The League and its six teams are owned by Mark Walters Group, who purchased the assets of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) in June to dissolve that league in order to launch the PWHL as the only professional women’s hockey league in North America.
The PHF was founded in March 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, which at the time was the first women’s professional hockey league to pay its players. It was re-branded in September 2021.
The demise of the PHF ended a multi-year feud between that organization and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association, which was composed of stars from the U.S. and Canadian national teams.
The PWHPA had been working with the Mark Walter Group and Billie Jean King Enterprises for over a year to create a league of their own to compete with the PHF. Instead, the year long journey to “one league” ended with the disbandment of the PHF with the formation of the PWHL.
The new league is supported by a board of directors that includes King, sports executive Ilana Kloss, Dodgers president Stan Kasten and Dodgers senior VP of business strategy Royce Cohen.
Teams in the PWHL include Montreal, Toronto, New York, Boston, Ottawa and Minneapolis. The season will commence in January 2024.
On September 1 the League named its General Managers including: Danielle Marmer, Boston; Natalie Darwitz, Minnesota; Daniele Sauvageau, Montreal; Pascal Daoust, New York; Michael Hirshfield, Ottawa and Gina Kingsbury, Toronto.
New York’s Daoust served as General Manager of the Val-d’Or Foreurs of the OMJHL from 2016-2023. He had been an assistant coach for the start-up of the University of Montreal’s women’s ice hockey team, where they won two national championships and three additional national podiums in seven years. He has also been an on-ice consultant mentoring players in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, Europe and universities/colleges.
Two weeks later the six inaugural coaches were named including: Courtney Kessel, Boston; Charlie Burggraf, Minnesota; Kori Cheverie, Montreal; Howie Draper, New York; Carla MacLeod, Ottawa and Troy Ryan, Toronto.
Draper led the University of Alberta Pandas for more than 25 years. He played at the University for the Bears and as team captain won the President’s Trophy for sportsmanship and leadership. As Head Coach of the women’s ice hockey team, he has an impressive list of accomplishments, including eight U SPORTS National Championships, two silver medals, 13 Canada West titles and four U SPORTS Coach of the Year awards.
The next step was each team signing their franchise players which included:
September 5, Ottawa signing Emily Clark/University of Wisconsin; Brianne Jenner/Cornell; Emerance Maschmeyer/Harvard.
September 6: Toronto: Renata Fast/Clarkson; Sarah Nurse/University of Wisconsin; Blayre Turnbull/University of Wisconsin.
September 6: Minnesota: Kendall Coyne Schofield/Northeastern; Kelly Pannek, U of Minnesota and Lee Stecklein, U of Minnesota.
September 7: Aerin Frankel, Northeastern; Megan Keller, Boston; Hillary Knight, University of Wisconsin. Frankel is a native of Chappaqua (NY) and is a Patty Kazmaier Awardee.
September 7: Montreal: Ann-Renee Desbeins, University of Wisconsin; Marie-Philip Poulin, Boston; Laura Stacey, Dartmouth.
New York signed their players on September 8. Alex Carpenter, Boston; Abby Roque, University of Wisconsin and Micah Zandee-Hart, Cornell.
Carpenter is from North Reading, Pa and was a Patty Kazmaier awardee. She played for the PHF with the Boston Pride; Shenzen KRS Vanke Rays (CWHL), CWHL Kunlun Red Star; and was PWHPA Player of the Year in 2022-23.
Roque was the first Indigenous player for the US National Team at the Olympics where she took silver in 2022. She played in the PWHPA for two years.
Zandee-Hart was a co-captain and captain for Cornell University and also played in the PWHPA last season. She is from British Columbia.
With management in order and three players signed to each team the PWHL held its first-ever draft in Toronto on September 18. First round draft pick goes to Minnesota, who selected Minnesota native Taylor Heise. The rest of the first round selections include: Jocelyne Larocque, Toronto; Alina Muler, Boston; Ella Shelton, New York; Savannah Harmon, Ottawa and the final section to Montreal, Kristin O’Neill.
Shelton is a defenseperson from Ingersoll, Ontario and has a New York connection after playing four years of collegiate hockey with Clarkson University. She played junior hockey with the London Jr. Devilettes and played for Toronto and Team Scotiabank in the PWHPA.
Focusing on New York selections:
Defender Jaime Bourbonnais was chosen second and ninth overall. She last played in the PWHPA and plays defense. From Mississauga, Bourbonnais played at Cornell University and for Team Canada.
Forward Jessie Eldridge, round 3, also played in the PWHPA and is from Canada. Eldridge also has a New York connection after playing her collegiate hockey at Colgate University.
In the fourth NY selected Forward Chloe Aurard a forward from Northeastern. She was born in France.
Forward Elizabeth Giguerre was selected 28th overall. She played her collegiate hockey at Clarkson University and most recently played with the Boston Pride of the PHF.
Next up was Corinne Schroeder, a goalie from Boston University and Quinnipiac University. She also played for the Boston Pride of the PHF. She is a native of Elm Creek, Manitoba.
Seventh round pick, a forward known around New York, Cornell’s Jill Saulnier. The Halifax native comes with a lot of experience with the Toronto Aeros, Calgary Inferno, Team Canada and the PWPHA.
Brooke Hobson, defense, is a native of Prince Albert and played for the Prince Albert Bears before playing four seasons with Northeastern University.
New York choose Center Jade Downie-Landry in the ninth round. She was born in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec and played most recently for the Montreal Force of the PHF. She played her collegiate career at McGill University.
Paetyn Levis is a native of Minnesota and played her high school hockey at Rogers High School before her career at Ohio State. She is a forward.
Abigail Levy is a native of Congers, New York and played her high school hockey at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Minnesota. She played two years at Minnesota State University before completing her collegiate hockey at Boston University.
During an interview following her being drafted she stated that “I am glad to be here in my hometown and feel that New York will be an amazing team.”
Western New York’s Olivia Zafuto was drafted 69th overall. Zafuto played her youth hockey with the Niagara Junior Purple Eagles, attended Nichols High School where she played her high school hockey and then played four years for Colgate University. She most recently was signed to play in the PHF with Boston. Zafuto spent two seasons playing hockey in Sweden with the HV71 of the SDHL and the Linkoping of the SDHL. She is a native of Niagara Falls.
Kayla Vespa was selected in the 13th round. She is a forward from Hamilton, Ontario who has a New York connection after playing four seasons with St. Lawrence University. The Forward played her most recent hockey with the PWHPA.
Emma Woods is a forward from Burford, Ontario. She played her collegiate hockey with Quinnipiac and then headed to Europe to play for the Vanke Rays and Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays of the CWHL and the Leksands of the SDHL. She returned to play three years for the Toronto Six of the NWHL/PHF.
New York’s final pick of the 2023-24 Inaugural Draft was Alexandra Labelle of Quebec. She played her collegiate hockey at the University of Montreal and then played professional hockey with the PWHPA and the Montreal Force of the PHF.
Now a look at some New York connections and where they landed.
Buffalo’s Maureen Murphy was drafted by Montreal in round 3, sixth overall. Murphy played for Northeastern in 2022-23 and prior to that she was at Providence College. She is a forward.
Hayley Scamurra, a familiar name to the WNY community is from Getzville. She went to Ottawa in the fifth round. Her career has taken her from Northeastern University to the NWHL/PHF Buffalo Beauts for two seasons, then to the PWHPA. She has been a member of Team USA. She also played for the PWHL in Oakville and Burlington.
Fairport native Natalie Burchbinder was drafted by Minnesota. She played high school hockey at Shattuck St. Mary’s and her college career at the University of Wisconsin.
There were no trades in this draft.
With rosters in hand, the teams will now look at free agents and then begin preparation for training camps which are scheduled for later this year. Undrafted players become free agents and may sign a Standard Player Agreement with any team at any point following the draft.
