Forward Hannah Bilka was reunited in Seattle with former Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight in the PWHL’s expansion draft Monday night.
Seattle and fellow league newcomer Vancouver took distinct approaches in continuing to build their respective identities during the seven-round draft.
Seattle general manager Meghan Turner split her picks in selecting three forwards and four defensemen. Meanwhile, Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey chose five forwards and two defensemen, starting with the opening selection of Ottawa blueliner Ashton Bell.
The expansion draft followed the PWHL’s five-day exclusive signing period in which both teams signed their allowed maximum of five players.
The order of selection was determined by a ball drawing, with Vancouver winning and Gardner Morey choosing to select Bell first. Seattle then had the next two picks in choosing Ottawa defenseman Aneta Tejralova and then Bilka.
Each team then followed with two selections apiece, with Seattle getting the 14th and final pick.
Seattle focused on adding offensive forwards to join the already signed trio of Knight, Alex Carpenter and Danielle Serdachny.
Aside from Bilka, Boston’s first pick in the 2024 draft, Seattle drafted New York forward Jessie Eldridge, who finished tied for fifth in the league with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) last season, and Toronto forward Julia Gosling, the Sceptres first-round pick in last year’s draft.
On defense, Seattle also chose Toronto’s Megan Carter, Boston’s Emily Brown and Montreal’s Anna Wilgren, who is reunited with Victoire blueliner Cayla Barnes, who was signed last week.
Brown’s selection was notable from a Seattle perspective. Brown captured the attention of former WNBA Seattle Storm star Sue Bird, who was in attendance during Boston’s neutral-site game against Montreal at Seattle in January.
Bird took a picture of Brown in the penalty box with the caption, “Bad Girl.” Fleet players eventually had the picture printed on T-shirts.
In Vancouver, Bell and Boston’s Sydney Bard join a blueline group that already includes the Minnesota offensive-minded tandem of Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques.
After selecting Bell, Vancouver went on a run of selecting five forwards, including Toronto’s Izzy Daniel, who closed her senior season at Cornell in being selected the 2024 Patty Kazmaier award winner as women’s hockey MVP. Daniel joins former Toronto teammate Sarah Nurse, who signed with Vancouver last week.
Vancouver also selected the Minnesota forward tandem of Brooke McQuigge and Denisa Krizova, Montreal forward Abby Boreen and New York forward Gabby Rosenthal.
Both expansion franchises are working under the same salary-cap restrictions as the league’s other six teams, though the PWHL does not reveal player salaries. And both enjoy an advantageous head start with the league limiting existing teams to initially protecting only three players, before allowed to add a fourth player to the list after a team loses two from its roster.
Each of the existing teams lost four players apiece, with the rules favoring the expansion teams by allowing them to be competitive from the start of the PWHL’s third season, expected to open in November.
With each having 12-player rosters, the expansion teams now join the rest of the league in taking part in the PWHL draft on June 24 in Ottawa.
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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
