Predicting 2025 PWHL Rookie of the Year candidates — Young talent that will elevate league

This upcoming rookie class has the potential to blow last year’s out of the water when it comes to point totals and impact they could have on their new team. Let’s discuss some candidates that I can see being in the conversation for 2025 PWHL Rookie of the year.

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PWHL rookies to watch

Sarah Fillier — New York

The Princeton standout is the easiest pick here. As I type this, the first overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft has yet to sign her entry level deal with the New York Sound, although it’s expected to be done soon. Sarah Fillier is the definition of a generational player. The Canadian really broke out during the 2022 Winter Olympics where she helped lead Canada to a gold medal, scoring eight goals and dishing three assists in her 11 games played.

Not only can Fillier put the puck in the net, but her two-way game is up there with the best in her draft class. Sarah Fillier will make an impact for New York the moment she skates on to the ice for training camp. She’s not only an incredible hockey player, but a strong leader who will shock people this season by showing them she doesn’t really look like a rookie.

Danielle Serdachny — Ottawa

Okay I promise I’m not going in order of the 2024 PWHL Draft on purpose, but Danielle Serdachny was also an easy pick. Hey Ottawa, do you like a physical, smooth-skating and lethal offensive weapon? Alright good — because that’s who you’re getting in Serdachny.

Last season with Colgate, Danielle Serdachny took the NCAA by storm. In her 40 games played, she had 22 goals and 39 assists, her second highest total in her collegiate career. You want to talk about domination? Alright let’s talk about her 71 points in 40 games played the previous year. Serdachny is an absolute dog. She will do anything asked of her, and she will not be pushed around. I’m personally looking forward to seeing her dish the puck to players in Ottawa all season long and, at this moment, she’s my pick for Rookie of the Year.

Izzy Daniel — Toronto

If this was an article about the biggest draft steals in women’s hockey history, Izzy Daniel would be towards the top of my list. The 2024 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Izzy Daniel somehow fell into the laps of the Toronto Sceptres in the 2024 PWHL Draft. The league’s inaugural regular season champs selected the Cornell forward with a third round pick and, in my opinion, it was the steal of the entire draft.

During her final college season Izzy Daniel recorded 21 goals and 38 assists in 34 games played. Izzy Daniel continues to be criminally underrated and she heads into her rookie season with that same feeling. On a team that has already proven to everyone how much they can score, Daniel is someone who can both dish the puck and put the puck in the back of the net. Her hockey IQ is at an elite level that should translate to the professional level fairly quickly. Get those rookie of the year ballots ready because I think Izzy Daniel will be on several of them. 

This upcoming rookie class is loaded with talent and several young players will take the PWHL by storm. Some of my other picks for rookie of the year in 2025 include Claire Thompson (MIN), Cayla Barnes (MTL), Daniela Pejšová (BOS), Hannah Bilka (BOS) and Ronja Savolainen (OTT).