PWHL Draft 2023: Round-by-round picks, top prospects, date & more

The excitement in the world of women's hockey is reaching its peak as the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) prepares for its inaugural draft in 2023. The draft is scheduled for Sept. 18. With a draft lottery determining the selection order, the league is set to welcome a new generation of talent that promises to shape the future of women's professional hockey.

Here's all you need to know about the upcoming PWHL Draft.

Lottery decides the order of selection

The Professional Women's Hockey League conducted a draft lottery to establish the selection order for the inaugural PWHL Draft. The lottery was carried out with precision by PWHL Hockey Operations during a video conference call involving all six general managers.

PWHL General Managers

1. Danielle Marmer (Boston).
2. Natalie Darwitz (Minnesota).
3. Danièle Sauvageau (Montreal).
4. Pascal Daoust (New York).
5. Michael Hirshfeld (Ottawa).
6. Gina Kingsbury (Toronto).

PWHL Draft Order

Minnesota emerged as the recipient of the first overall pick, followed by Toronto, Boston, New York, Ottawa and Montreal.

Draft Process: 15 Rounds, 90 Total Picks

The PWHL Draft is extensive, featuring 15 rounds and 90 picks. The selection process employs a snake format, which means that once a round is completed, the following round will be conducted with teams choosing in the reverse order.

Importantly, no draft picks will be traded until at least the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, setting the stage for teams to build their futures from within.

Draft order: Initial seven rounds

Round 1:

• 1. Minnesota, 2. Toronto, 3. Boston, 4. New York, 5. Ottawa, 6. Montreal.

Round 2:

• 7. Montreal, 8. Ottawa, 9. New York, 10. Boston, 11. Toronto, 12. Minnesota.

Round 3:

• 13. Minnesota, 14. Toronto, 15. Boston, 16. New York, 17. Ottawa, 18. Montreal.

Round 4:

• 19. Montreal, 20. Ottawa, 21. New York, 22. Boston, 23. Toronto, 24. Minnesota.

Round 5:

• 25. Minnesota, 26. Toronto, 27. Boston, 28. New York, 29. Ottawa, 30. Montreal.

Round 6:

• 31. Montreal, 32. Ottawa, 33. New York, 34. Boston, 35. Toronto, 36. Minnesota.

Round 7:

• 37. Minnesota, 38. Toronto, 39. Boston, 40. New York, 41. Ottawa, 42. Montreal.

Top Prospects: The Future Stars

To provide some insight, Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News compiled a list of the top prospects.

Here's the top 10:

1. Taylor Heise, F, Minnesota, NCAA
2. Alina Müller, F, Northeastern, NCAA
3. Sophie Jaques, D, Ohio State, NCAA
4. Emma Maltais, F, Ohio State, NCAA
5. Emma Soderberg, G, Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA
6. Grace Zumwinkle, F, Minnesota, NCAA
7. Chloe Aurard, F, Northeastern, NCAA
8. Jesse Compher, F, Wisconsin, NCAA
9. Gabrielle Hughes, F, Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA
10. Ashton Bell, D, Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA

Other Important dates

• The player draft - Sept. 18.
• The free agency period begins - Sept. 1.
• Draft declaration deadline - Sept. 3.
• The initial free agency period ends - Sept. 10.

Every PWHL teams' initial three-player selection

Toronto -

1. Sarah Nurse
2. Renata Fast
3. Blayre Turnbull

Ottawa -

1. Emily Clark
2. Brianne Jenner
3. Emerance Maschmeyer

Montreal -

1. Marie-Philip Poulin
2. Ann-Renee Desbiens
3. Laura Stacey

Minnesota -

1. Kendall Coyne Schofield
2. Kelly Pannek
3. Lee Stecklein

Boston -

1. Hilary Knight
2. Megan Keeler
3. Aerin Frenkel

New York -

1. Abby Roque
2. Alex Carpenter
3. To Be Announced