The NWHL Draft took place on Tuesday, let’s see who all was selected!
Round 1:
1- Connecticut Whale – F Taylor Girard, Quinnipiac University
The forward who hails from Macomb, MI, was the first overall selection. First time Connecticut was picking the first overall pick. She played 5 years of college hockey, her first 3 years at Lindenwood University, and her last 2 years at Quinnipiac University. In the 105 games played, she’s tallied 32 goals and added 37 assists for a total of 69 points.
2- Buffalo Beauts – D Emilie Harley, Robert Morris University
The defender hails from Syracuse, NY. She played 4 years of college hockey, all at Robert Morris University. She bring some leadership experience, as she was an alternate captain during her senior year. In the 130 games played for the program, she’s scored 10 times and added 37 assists for a total of 47 points.
3- Toronto Six – F Meagan Beres, Boston College
The first of three consecutive picks for the Six, the forward hails from North Vancouver, BC. She played 4 years of college hockey, all at Boston College. She was captain of the team during her senior campaign. In the 132 games played, she scored 8 goals and added 30 assists for a total of 38 points.
4- Toronto Six – F Tatum Skaggs, Ohio State University
The forward who hails from Hartland, WI, played 4 years of college hockey at Ohio State University. She would go on to play 141 games for the University. In those games she would tally 65 goals, which is good for fourth all time in the school’s history. She would also add 59 assists for a grand total of 124 points.
5- Toronto Six – D Taylor Davison, York University
The last pick of the Toronto Six in the first round, the defender hails from Oakville, ON. She would play for 4 years at York University. She would play 94 games, in that time frame, she would net 13 goals and add 33 assists for a grand total of 46 points.
6- Minnesota Whitecaps – D Mak Langei, Bemidji State University
This was the last pick of the first round. The defender hails from East Grand Forks, MN. She played 4 years at Bemidji State University. During her senior year, she was captain of the team. In the 130 games she played, she scored 11 goals and added 36 assists for a total of 47 points.
Round 2:
1(7)- Buffalo Beauts – F Anjelica Diffendal, Robert Morris University
The forward, who played her college hockey at Robert Morris University for 4 years, hails from Pittsburgh, PA. In the 4 years at RMU, she would play 122 games for the program, scoring 24 goals and adding 16 assists, for a grand total of 40 points.
2(8)- Connecticut Whale – F Emma Polaski, Syracuse University
The forward who hails from Morristown, NJ played 4 years of college hockey, all at Syracuse University. In the 128 games she played for the school, she would score 31 goals and add 31 assists for a grand total of 62 points.
3(9)- Toronto Six – F Annie MacDonald, Princeton University
The forward who hails from Fall River, NS played her college hockey at Princeton University. She would play 93 games for the program. She would tally 10 goals and add 33 assists for a total of 43 points.
4(10)- Toronto Six – D Rachel Marmen, Mercyhurst University
The defender who also hails from Oakville, ON, played 4 years of college hockey at Mercyhurst University. In those 4 years, she would play 123 games. In those games, she would tally 13 goals and add another 39 assists, for a grand total of 52 points.
5(11)- Metropolitan Riveters – D Caroline Ross, Colgate University
With the first selection of the night for the Riveters, they would take the defender who played 5 years of college hockey. The first two years at Boston College and her last three at Colgate University. During her last two years at Colgate, she was captain of her squad. She would play 145 total games, amassing 3 goals and adding 21 assists for a total of 24 points.
6(12)- Minnesota Whitecaps – D Tina Kampa, Bemidji State University
With the last pick of the second round, the Whitecaps selected a defender who played for Bemidji State. The defender who hails from Maple Grove, MN played 4 years of college hockey. During her senior year, she was an alternate captain of her team. She played 127 games, scoring 4 goals and adding 29 assists, for a grand total of 33 points.
Round 3:
1(13)- Buffalo Beauts – F Kennedy Ganser, University of Alberta
The first of three consecutive picks for the Beauts in this round. The forward hails from Provost, AB, who played her college hockey at the University of Alberta for 4 years. In the 112 games she played, she scored 34 goals and added 51 assists for a total of 85 points.
2(14)- Buffalo Beauts – D Anna Zikova, University of Maine
The defender, who hails from Cesky Tesin, Czech Republic, was the first non-North American player selected in the draft. She played her college hockey at the University of Maine for 4 years. In those 4 years, she played 63 games, tallying 6 goals and adding 19 assists for a total of 25 points. She also boasts a lot of international experience, having played for the Czech Republic during the World Championships. She is also a World Junior U18 Bronze Medal winner.
3(15)- Buffalo Beauts – F Missy Segall, Hamilton College
The last pick by the Beauts this round, the forward hails from Wellesley, MA. She would play her college hockey at Hamilton College for 4 years. She played 76 games, scoring 25 goals and adding 26 assists for a total of 51 points.
4(16)- Toronto Six – F Leah Marino, Robert Morris University
The forward, who hails from South Lake Tahoe, CA, played 3 years of college hockey at Robert Morris University. In the 97 games she played, she would go on to score 5 times and add another 6 assists for a total of 11 points.
5(17)- Metropolitan Riveters – D Julia Scammell
The defender who hails from Truro, NS, played 4 years of her college hockey at the University of New Hampshire. In those 4 years, she would play 120 games for the program, scoring 1 goal and adding 11 assists for a total of 12 points.
6(18)- Minnesota Whitecaps – F Taylor Wente, University of Minnesota
The forward hails from Plymouth, MN. She played 4 years of college hockey, all at the University of Minnesota. She would play 127 games for the program, scoring 29 goals and adding 44 assists for a total of 73 points.
Round 4:
1(19)- Buffalo Beauts – F Allison Attea, College of the Holy Cross
The forward hails from Buffalo, NY, played her college hockey at Holy Cross for 4 years. She would play 111 games for the program, scoring 8 goals and adding 12 assists for a total of 20 points.
2(20)- Connecticut Whale – D Hannah Bates, St. Cloud State
The defender hails from Trenton, MI. She would play 4 years of college hockey at St. Cloud State. She would play 120 games for the program, tallying 2 goals and adding 15 assists for a total of 17 points.
3(21)- Boston Pride – F Finley Frechette, Cornell University
The forward, who hails from Weston, MA, would play her college hockey at Cornell University for 4 years. In the 101 games she played, she would score 7 goals and add 5 assists for a total of 12 points.
4(22)- Toronto Six – F Olivia Atkinson, Concordia University
Atkinson is the third player of the draft who hails from Oakville, ON. The forward played college hockey at two different Universities. First three years at at McGill University, and her last two at Concordia University. In the 79 games, she tallied 28 goals and added 28 assists for a total of 56 points. She also boasts playing in the CWHL for the Montreal Canadiennes. She would play 17 games for the club, scoring 2 goals and adding an assist for 3 total points.
5(23)- Metropolitan Riveters – D Jordan Sanislo, Sacred Heart University
The defender, who hails from Whippany, NJ, played 4 years of college hockey at Sacred Heart University. During her junior season, she was the alternative captain, and during her senior year, she was captain of the squad. In the 107 games played, she would score 6 times and add 8 assists for a total of 14 points.
6(24)- Minnesota Whitecaps – G Jenna Brenneman, Penn State University
The first goalie taken in the draft goes to the Minnesota Whitecaps. The goalie hails from Eagan, MN. She played her college hockey at two different universities. First at Clarkson University for 2 years, and her last two years at Penn State. During her time at Penn State, she boasts an under 2.40 GAA and has around a .900 Save Percentage.
Round 5:
1(25)- Buffalo Beauts – D Casey Traill, Castleton University
With the first pick of the last round, the Beauts selected a defender who hails from South Shields, Great Britain. The first English hockey player in the NWHL. She played her college hockey at Castleton University for 4 years. She played for 93 games for the program, scoring 13 goals and adding 20 assists for a total of 33 points. She boasts international experience, having played for Great Britain during the World Championships.
2(26)- Connecticut Whale – F Grace Middleton, University of New Hampshire
The forward hails from Midland, MI, played her college hockey at the University of New Hampshire for 4 years. In those 4 years, she played 127 games for the program, scoring 8 goals and would also add 15 assists for a total of 23 points.
3(27)- Boston Pride – F Abby Nearis, Brown University
The forward who hails from Beverly, MA, played 4 years of college hockey at Brown University. During her time there, she would captain the squad. She played 83 games for the program, tallying 4 goals and adding 10 assists for 14 total points.
4(28)- Toronto Six – F Daria Tereshkina, University of Maine
The forward, who hails from Chelyabinsk, Russia, played her college hockey for the University of Maine. She would play 4 years at the school. During her 4 years there, she would score 11 goals and add 18 points for a total of 29 points.
5(29)- Metropolitan Riveters – D Morgan Schauer, Long Island University
The defender, who hails from Cleveland, OH, played her college hockey at two universities, 2 at Robert Morris and her last 2 at LIU, where she captained the team during both years. She played a total of 85 games during her 4 years, tallying 1 goal and adding 9 assists for a total of 10 points.
6(30)- Minnesota Whitecaps – F Kendall Williamson, Colgate University
With the last pick of the draft, the Whitecaps would select a forward who hails from Edina, MN. She played her college hockey at Colgate University for 4 years. In those 4 years, she would play 107 games, scoring 3 goals and adding 2 assists for a total of 5 points.
Congrats to all those selected! The next major event for the NWHL is the International Draft, which will take place on July 25th.
You can check out the full press release here:
2021 NWHL DRAFT RECAP
by Paul Krotz
Brooklyn, NY- The National Women’s Hockey League today announced the results of the 2021 NWHL Draft featuring collegiate graduates from across North America. A total of 30 players were selected by the league’s six member clubs over the five-round process and were introduced live on Twitch for the first time in league history.
The 2021 NWHL Draft Show hosted by Erica Ayala and Katie Gaus with interviews from players and staff from across the NWHL in addition to all 30 pick announcements can be replayed at twitch.tv/NWHL.
“These athletes represent the future of the NWHL and professional women’s hockey in North America who will help inspire the next generation of young girls and boys,” said NWHL Commissioner Tyler Tumminia. “We are proud to celebrate all of the hard work, dedication, and resiliency that have driven their careers this far. I hope all of the players enjoy this special moment with family and friends, and we can’t wait to see you and all of our fans in Season 7.”
Forward Taylor Girard, who scored 16 points in 15 games this season for Quinnipiac University, was selected first overall by the Connecticut Whale who opened the draft for the first in franchise history.
“It’s so special to be drafted by the Whale,” Girard said on the NWHL Draft Show. “I got to know the area of Connecticut the last few years and I love living on the east coast. I’m really happy I can still be close to Quinnipiac and it will make the adjustment easier. I’m excited to really just contribute in any way that I can. I’m really excited to get to know my new teammates and start this next season with the Whale.”
Defender Emilie Harley, the sister of Dallas Stars prospect Thomas Harley, was chosen second overall by the Beauts and was the first of a draft-high three players to come from Robert Morris University just weeks after the announced cancellation of the school’s hockey programs.
“Without RMU I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you right now. It’s such a family atmosphere and we were really successful this year,” Harley said. “It’s really exciting first of all to be drafted, that doesn’t happen for a lot of people, so that’s really a special moment. I’ve been talking to (GM) Nate (Oliver) a little bit and I’m really just excited to get to Buffalo. They’re one of the teams in the league who have won the Isobel Cup before so I’m excited just to get there and bring it back.”
Vancouver native Maegan Beres who captained Boston College this past season rounds out the draft’s top three and was the first of a trio of consecutive picks made by the Toronto Six in the first round.
“I’m super excited to join the Toronto Six. It’s just such an honor to be able to play for them on home soil here in Canada,” Beres said. “I couldn’t be more excited, especially with the leadership that they have and that they’ve recently just announced for the team. Coming from Boston College I’m going to take my experiences there and just kind of run with it here with the Toronto Six. I’m obviously excited to learn from everyone who has already been there, played in the NWHL, and played for this program. I’m incredibly excited for it and ready to get going with it.”
The Six followed up their selection of Beres by choosing Tatum Skaggs of Ohio State University at fourth overall, then local defender Taylor Davison of York University at number five making her the highest player ever selected from a U SPORTS program in NWHL Draft history. Defender Mak Langei of Bemidji State University wrapped up the first round going sixth overall to the Minnesota Whitecaps and was the first of five players chosen to stay in the State of Hockey. The Metropolitan Riveters first selection came in the second round and was defender Caroline Ross of Colgate University. The Boston Pride made their first pick in round four choosing forward Finley Frechette from Cornell University.
The 30 selected players by position equal 16 forwards, 13 defenders, and one goaltender. They represent a total of 24 different programs including 19 NCAA Division I teams, three U SPORTS teams, and two NCAA Division III teams. Programs developing multiple players include the aforementioned BSU and Colgate, plus the University of New Hampshire and the University of Maine all with two players behind RMU’s three. Seven programs were represented for the first time in NWHL Draft history including Hamilton College, College of the Holy Cross, St. Cloud State University, Pennsylvania State University, Castleton University, Long Island University, and Concordia University.
20 of the players selected are from the United States followed by seven from Canada and three international countries including Czech Republic, Russia, and for the first time in NWHL Draft history a player from England when Casey Traill went in the fifth round to the Beauts. Following Minnesota’s draft-high five players, the state breakdown includes three players from Massachusetts, Michigan and New York hometowns, two from New Jersey, and one from each of California, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. By province, three players come from Ontario, two from Nova Scotia, and one from Alberta and British Columbia.
Toronto led the way with eight total selections followed by Buffalo with seven, Minnesota with five, Connecticut and Metropolitan with four each, and Boston with two.
All picks in the NWHL Draft were announced by special guests representing female and male sports leaders, media personalities, league partners, and fans.
2021 NWHL DRAFT RESULTS:
Player, Position, Team, Collegiate Program / Hometown
Click on a player’s name to see their collegiate program profile
Links to pick announcements will open on Twitter
ROUND 1:
1. Taylor Girard (F) Connecticut Whale (via BUF) (Quinnipiac University / Macomb, MI)
Pick announced by Kim Davis, NHL Senior Executive Vice President
2. Emilie Harley (D) Buffalo Beauts (via CTW) (Robert Morris University / Syracuse, NY)
Pick announced by Jeff Marek, NHL on Sportsnet Host
3. Maegan Beres (F) Toronto Six (via BOS) (Boston College / Vancouver, BC)
Pick announced by Katie Crowley, Boston College Head Coach
4. Tatum Skaggs (F) Toronto Six (Ohio State University / Hartland, WI)
Pick announced by Kim Ng, Miami Marlins General Manager
5. Taylor Davison (D) Toronto Six (via MET) (York University / Oakville, ON)
Pick announced by Angela James, Toronto Six Assistant Coach
6. Mak Langei (D) Minnesota Whitecaps (Bemidji State University / East Grand Forks, MN)
Pick announced by Bill Guerin, Minnesota Wild General Manager
ROUND 2:
7. Anjelica Diffendal (F) Buffalo Beauts (Robert Morris University / Pittsburgh, PA)
Pick announced by Michele Roberts, NBPA Executive Director
8. Emma Polaski (F) Connecticut Whale (Syracuse University / Morristown, NJ)
Pick announced by Linda Cohn, ESPN Anchor
9. Annie MacDonald (F) Toronto Six (via BOS) (Princeton University / Fall River, NS)
Pick announced by Kelsey Koelzer, Arcadia University Head Coach & NWHL Advisor
10. Rachel Marmen (D) Toronto Six (Mercyhurst University / Oakville, ON)
Pick announced by P.K. Subban, New Jersey Devils Defenseman
11. Caroline Ross (D) Metropolitan Riveters (Colgate University / Rochester, NY)
Pick announced by Jean Afterman, New York Yankees SVP, Assistant General Manager
12. Tina Kampa (D) Minnesota Whitecaps (Bemidji State University / Maple Grove, MN)
Pick announced by R. Renee Hess, Black Girl Hockey Club Founder and Executive Director
ROUND 3:
13. Kennedy Ganser (F) Buffalo Beauts (University of Alberta / Provost, AB)
Pick announced by Meghan Hunter, Chicago Blackhawks Director of Hockey Admin and Amateur Scout
14. Anna Zíková (D) Buffalo Beauts (via CTW) (University of Maine / Ceský Tešín, Czech Republic)
Pick announced by Anne Lieberman, Athlete Ally Director of Policy and Programs
15. Missy Segall (F) Buffalo Beauts (via BOS) (Hamilton College / Wellesley, MA)
Pick announced by Meghan Chayka, Stathletes Co-Founder
16. Leah Marino (F) Toronto Six (Robert Morris University / South Lake Tahoe, CA)
Pick announced by Kate Scott, NBCSN Play-by-Play Announcer
17. Julia Scammell (D) Metropolitan Riveters (University of New Hampshire / Truro, NS)
Pick announced by Alyse LaHue, NJ/NY Gotham FC General Manager
18. Taylor Wente (F) Minnesota Whitecaps (University of Minnesota / Plymouth, MN)
Pick announced by Katie Million, USA Hockey Director of Women’s National Team Programs
ROUND 4:
19. Allison Attea (F) Buffalo Beauts (College of the Holy Cross / Buffalo, NY)
Pick announced by Lyndsey Fry, Arizona Coyotes Director of External Engagement and Female Hockey
20. Hannah Bates (D) Connecticut Whale (St. Cloud State University / Trenton, MI)
Pick announced by Glenn Witman, You Can Play Co-Founder
21. Finley Frechette (F) Boston Pride (Cornell University / Weston, MA)
Pick announced by Caley Chelios, Tampa Bay Lightning Radio Analyst and Digital Reporter
22. Olivia Atkinson (F) Toronto Six (Concordia University / Oakville, ON)
Pick announced by Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette, Concordia Head Coach and Interim Head Coach
23. Jordan Sanislo (D) Metropolitan Riveters (Sacred Heart University / Whippany, NJ)
Pick announced by Madison Packer, Metropolitan Riveters Captain
24. Jenna Brenneman (G) Minnesota Whitecaps (Pennsylvania State University / Eagan, MN)
Pick announced by Spencer Knight, Florida Panthers Goaltender
ROUND 5:
25. Casey Traill (D) Buffalo Beauts (Castleton University / South Shields, England)
Pick announced by Beauts fan Heidi Wilkinson
26. Grace Middleton (F) Connecticut Whale (University of New Hampshire / Midland, MI)
Pick announced by Whale fan Wayne Heinze
27. Abby Nearis (F) Boston Pride (Brown University / Beverly, MA)
Pick announced by Pride volunteer Bob Varney
28. Daria Tereshkina (D) Toronto Six (University of Maine / Chelyabinsk, Russia)
Pick announced by Six fan Dani Breen
29. Morgan Schauer (D) Metropolitan Riveters (Long Island University / Cleveland, OH)
Pick announced by Riveters fan Desmond Garrett
30. Kendall Williamson (F) Minnesota Whitecaps (Colgate University / Edina, MN)
Pick announced by Whitecaps PA Announcer Kirk Possehl
NWHL clubs will have a two-week window to exclusively sign their draft picks to contracts for the 2021-22 season. Any selected players who go unsigned in this timeframe will become eligible for free agency at 9:00 a.m. ET on July 14. Any unselected players immediately qualify for free agency beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET on June 30. The inaugural NWHL International Draft will be held on July 25.
RMU Petition:
It was announced, that the funding for the Division 1 Men’s and Women’s hockey programs of Robert Morris University was cut. Here is the statement from RMU:
If you have the time, please consider signing the petition to help save RMU’s hockey programs, link provided:
Bring Back the RMU Hockey Programs Change.org Petition
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-rmu-hockey
TXHT will continue to provide NWHL coverage as more signings and news are announced.
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