Monday, June 10, 2024

Princeton Star Fillier Taken First Overall in PWHL Draft

34 of 42 Total Draft Picks Were Former NCAA Standouts


Princeton Star Fillier Taken First Overall in PWHL Draft
Two-time Princeton All-American Sarah Fillier was drafted first overall by New York (Photo: Shelley Szwast).

Thirty-four former NCAA Division I players – including all six first-round picks – were selected during the 2024 PWHL Draft tonight at The Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul. Of the 42 total selections in the seven-round draft, 81 percent of them were former college hockey standouts.

Recent Princeton graduate Sarah Fillier was selected first overall by New York. A standout forward for the Tigers from 2018-24, Fillier earned her second straight All-American nod as a senior after scoring a career-high 30 goals among her team-leading 43 points. She was also a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award for the third time in her collegiate career.

Fillier was one of five 2023-24 All-Americans selected in tonight’s draft. That group also included Cornell senior forward and 2024 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Izzy Daniel, who went in the third round (18th overall) to Toronto. Another former Kazmaier Award winner, 2013 recipient and former Minnesota standout Amanda Kessel, was drafted in the seventh round (41st overall) by Montreal.

Twenty different schools had at least one former player drafted, led by Ohio State (eight), Colgate (six) and Clarkson (four). Boston College, Minnesota, Northeastern and Wisconsin had three each.

Also of note:

  • Among the NCAA alumnae drafted were 19 forwards, 12 defenders and three goalies.
  • At least NCAA alums were chosen in five of the seven rounds, including all six selections in each of the first, fourth and fifth rounds.
  • Minnesota and Toronto both drafted a league-high seven NCAA alums, followed by Montreal (six), New York (five), Ottawa (five) and Boston (four).

For a complete list of NCAA alumnae selected in the 2024 PWHL Draft, visit CollegeHockeyInc.com.