It's been a quiet August in the PWHL. Aside from the signing of Claire Thompson by PWHL Minnesota , there has quite literally been no movement or announcements. We did, however, learn that PWHL team logos and names would be coming a few weeks later than promised with those now expected to come in September. Similarly, we should be seeing PWHL Minnesota's new general manager named sometime in the near future as the posting for the job has been closed and it's believed the role is all but filled.
It doesn't mean the PWHL has stopped working, with many of the same issues this offseason as the league faced before their inaugural campaign including names and logos, uncertainty surrounding venues, and a now expanded schedule to fill.
Here's what we're hearing and seeing from around the PWHL.
Teams In Attendance At National Development Series
Speckled among USA Hockey and Hockey Canada evaluators and coaches, and the plethora of NCAA programs watching the U-18 series, PWHL staff from across the league have been watching the National Development Series closely, as it's the first major even in the 2025 PWHL Draft scouting season. Minnesota's Mira Jalosuo and Montreal's Mikael Nahabedian were both in attendance this week, and of course PWHL Toronto staffers Gina Kingsbury, Troy Ryan, and Rachel Flanagan, and PWHL Boston's Stefanie McKeough are there pulling double duty. The camp has several notable PWHL Draft eligible players on the ice from Canada's Kendall Cooper and Jenna Buglioni, to USA's Rory Guilday, Haley Winn, and several others.
Don't Expect The PWHL To Be In Europe This Year
Speaking of those National Development Team players, according to national team officials at the series this week, it's likely that the teams on the ice this week, or at least the majority of those rosters, will be the teams competing in December at the Women's Euro Hockey Tour in Finland ...not senior national teams...and not teams made up of PWHL players. This explains USA's willingness to load up their Development Team with senior national team players. It's expected the Canadian and American Development teams will be the groups in action playing senior national teams from Sweden, Finland, Czechia, and Switzerland at the December event. Canada and USA keeping their Development Teams together for additional time this season and into the future also looks like a tactical step from the nations to begin building toward a women's version of the World Junior Championships. It's a topic the IIHF has been discussing for some time
Kessel Unlikely To Play?
It seemed to be a common belief among agents, team staff, and officials in attendance at the national team events this week that Amanda Kessel won't be wearing a PWHL Montreal jersey this year, and perhaps won't be wearing any PWHL jersey. The expectation for players who declared for the PWHL Draft is that they were willing to play anywhere they were selected. It's why the CBA was set up as it was prior to year one, as the national team group of PWHPA players wanted to be able to choose where they played, unlike the majority of the league who had to play where they were picked in year one. Unless something changes this summer, it's more likely Kessel is back working for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins next season. As previously reported, it was a well known fact that Kessel only wanted to play in Boston . One factor holding up the ability to trade Kessel, or Abby Boreen for that matter, is the fact that moves continue to need to be salary neutral, money in for money out, and roster spot in for roster spot out. At the moment, the PWHL is still not allowing teams to trade draft picks, and due to salary restrictions, it's unlikely a team could afford to pay a second player drafted in the first or second round even if they did acquire a pick.
Injuries Not Omissions
USA's development team will get stronger at some point this season, and PWHL scouts will need to wait a little longer to begin their draft year looks at two of America's top young talents. Absent from the USA Hockey national festival earlier this month was senior national team star Abbey Murphy. Were she healthy, Murphy would have been there, and would have been playing for USA this week as well. The same goes for Casey O'Brien, who reportedly had offseason surgery, but will be ready to go for the NCAA season. O'Brien projects as a likely top 10 pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft. Murphy could go first overall if she technically could return to the NCAA for one more season due to the fact she gained a season of eligibility not only from COVID, but from the 2022 Olympic year as well. She's among a very small group, alongside American teammate Lacey Eden, who will be able to add a fifth year to their NCAA careers beyond this coming season when the COVID years expire.
Bobrowski Lands On His Feet
It's been a quiet front in Minnesota as the league sought a new general manager to replace Natalie Darwitz. In the meantime, another now former member of Minnesota's Walter Cup winning staff, Jake Bobrowski has landed on his feet accepting a head coaching role at Northland College . Bobrowski has head coaching experience at Elmira College and previously served as an assistant with the University of Minnesota.
Term Continues To Be A Sticking Point
There are three big names still to be signed in Sarah Fillier, Danielle Serdachny, and Ronja Savolainen. While money is seemingly getting closer, term remains the topic of the day as agents see the benefit of their players being free agents following year three when significant money will come off the books, with or without expansion. Speaking of term, which has been the biggest topic of negotiations this offseason, agents and general managers alike are worried about next year's draft class. When that class goes to sign their first contracts, they'll only be one year away from a potential pay day. The scenario teams and agents foresee are players wanting one year contracts, and those willing to take longer using the pending cash flow to the market as a bargaining chip. While Fillier, Serdachny, and Savolainen are the top picks who remain unsigned, there are other intriguing players on the board. Ilona Markova of Russia is one name to watch to see how Boston approaches visa issues. Markova will need some kind of contract, whether it's a signing her for camp, or to a one year deal to get to the USA.
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