The inaugural draft for the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) was held on Monday, September 18th, in Toronto. Minnesotans filled up the draft board, with 12 Minnesotans selected throughout the 15-round draft. That included Taylor Heise, the Lake City Native, who played high school hockey at Red Wing before she went on to captain the University of Minnesota, where she won the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award.
Stats on the Draft and Women's Hockey in Minnesota
- In 2022-23, Minnesota led all American states with 13,390 registered Girls skaters and 5,196 of those being 8 & Under skaters, which makes up 20% of all American 8 & Under skaters.
- 12 Minnesotans were selected, which makes up 13% of all players drafted and 41% of all Americans drafted.
- Of the 12 Minnesotans drafted, 12 different non-profit community-based associations were represented.
- Homecoming: 7 Minnesotans were selected by PWHL Minnesota.
| Round | Pick | Player | Team | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Taylor Heise | Minnesota | Lake City |
| 3 | 13 | Grace Zumwinkle | Minnesota | Excelsior |
| 4 | 20 | Gabbie Hughes | Ottawa | Lino Lakes |
| 4 | 24 | Maggie Flaherty | Minnesota | Lakeville |
| 5 | 27 | Hannah Brandt | Boston | Vadnais Heights |
| 8 | 43 | Madison Bizal | Montreal | Elk River |
| 8 | 46 | Emily Brown | Boston | Blaine |
| 9 | 49 | Sidney Morin | Minnesota | Minnetonka |
| 10 | 57 | Paetyn Levis | New York | Rogers |
| 10 | 60 | Sophia Kunin Shaver | Minnesota | Wayzata |
| 13 | 73 | Liz Schepers | Minnesota | Mound |
| 15 | 85 | Sydney Brodt | Minnesota | Mounds View |