Hilary Knight, Nurse among PWHL players exposed to expansion teams

Karissa Donkin · CBC Sports

· Posted: Jun 03, 2025 12:09 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Boston Fleet skipper Hilary Knight, archetypal Toronto Sceptres signing Sarah Nurse, defender of the twelvemonth nominees Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques are among the players PWHL Seattle and Vancouver volition person the accidental to adhd during the enlargement process.

Each existing squad was allowed to support 3 players to commencement with, and those extortion lists became nationalist connected Tuesday afternoon. The existing teams volition suffer 4 players each passim the enlargement process.

Seattle and Vancouver tin statesman talking to and signing unprotected players and pending escaped agents connected Wednesday morning, arsenic they physique their rosters successful mentation to statesman play successful the fall. Over 5 days, Seattle and Vancouver tin each motion arsenic galore arsenic 5 players.

The enlargement draught is acceptable for Monday astatine 8:30 p.m. ET. Seattle and Vancouver volition extremity the process with 12 players each.

Only 3 goaltenders were protected during the process: Boston's Aerin Frankel, Montreal's Ann-Renée Desbiens and Ottawa's Gwyneth Philips, who was named the playoff MVP. All 3 are nominated for the league's goaltender of the twelvemonth award.

Many teams prioritized seasoned leadership. The Minnesota Frost, for example, protected some the team's skipper Kendall Coyne Schofield and adjunct skipper Lee Stecklein, successful lieu of players similar Thompson and Jaques. Taylor Heise was besides protected by the Frost.

WATCH | How the PWHL's enlargement process volition work:

"The concern that we're successful close present with the league is there could beryllium much expansion," Frost GM Melissa Caruso said earlier successful the week. "So it's astir similar we're readying for precise abbreviated periods of clip close present knowing that we're going to beryllium experiencing alteration again coming up successful the adjacent mates of mates of years."

Other teams prioritized high-end defenders, knowing those are astatine a premium. The New York Sirens, for instance, exposed scorer Alex Carpenter successful lieu of protecting defenders Ella Shelton and Micah Zandee-Hart.

After an existing squad loses 2 players to expansion, a 4th tin beryllium protected.

Notable omissions

Other apical players up for grabs by Seattle and Vancouver see Montreal Victoire defenders Erin Ambrose and Cayla Barnes, Boston Fleet rookie Hannah Bilka, Sirens guardant Jessie Eldridge, Ottawa skipper Brianne Jenner and starting goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer, and seasoned Frost guardant Kelly Pannek, who is ever reliable successful the faceoff circle.

The extortion lists

• Boston Fleet (3): Aerin Frankel (G), Megan Keller (D), Alina Müller (F). 
• Minnesota Frost (3): Kendall Coyne Schofield (F), Taylor Heise (F), Lee Stecklein (D). 
• Montréal Victoire (3): Ann-Renée Desbiens (G), Marie-Philip Poulin (F), Laura Stacey (F). 
• New York Sirens (3): Sarah Fillier (F), Ella Shelton (D), Micah Zandee-Hart (D). 
• Ottawa Charge (3): Emily Clark (F), Gwyneth Philips (G), Ronja Savolainen (D). 
• Toronto Sceptres (3): Renata Fast (D), Blayre Turnbull (F), Daryl Watts (F).