PWHL Expansion Draft: Bell to Vancouver, Bilka to Seattle
- The newest teams in the Professional Women's Hockey League, PWHL Seattle and Vancouver, took different approaches in the expansion draft as they continue to build their teams.
- Seattle, under General Manager Meghan Turner, appears to be focusing on offense, while Vancouver, led by General Manager Cara Gardner Morey, is emphasizing defense first.
- Vancouver selected ottawa defenseman Ashton Bell with the first overall pick.
Seattle and Vancouver strategically shaped their PWHL rosters in the expansion draft, with contrasting priorities setting the stage for future league battles. Vancouver,zeroing in on defense,selected Ashton Bell first,solidifying their blue line. Seattle, on the other hand, fueled their offense, bringing in key forwards like Hannah Bilka.Both teams, mindful of the salary cap, utilized the draft to strategically build their foundation, adding veterans like Hilary Knight and emerging talents to bolster competitiveness within the league, as highlighted in News Directory 3. Now that the expansion draft is complete, what moves will they make next in free agency and the upcoming PWHL draft? Discover what’s next…
PWHL Seattle, Vancouver Prioritize Different Strategies in Expansion Draft
updated June 10, 2025
The newest teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, PWHL Seattle and Vancouver, took different approaches in the expansion draft as they continue to build their teams. The draft followed a five-day exclusive signing period where both teams signed their maximum of five players.
Seattle, under General Manager Meghan Turner, appears to be focusing on offense, while Vancouver, led by General Manager Cara Gardner Morey, is emphasizing defense first.
Vancouver selected ottawa defenseman Ashton Bell with the first overall pick. bell will join Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques on Vancouver’s blue line. Vancouver ultimately chose two defensemen and five forwards.
Gardner Morey said a strong defensive core is essential for building a championship team. She also signed goalie Emerance Maschmeyer.
Seattle selected Ottawa defenseman Aneta Tejralová with the No. 2 pick. Turner than chose forwards Hannah bilka, Jessie Eldridge, and Julia Gosling.Seattle’s initial 12-player roster includes veterans Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter, along with younger talent.
Turner said she is excited for the younger players to learn from Knight and Carpenter. She added that it was hard to pass up the forwards she signed.
Both teams operate under the same salary cap restrictions. Existing teams could initially protect only three players, with a fourth added after losing two players to expansion teams. Each existing team lost four players.
Knight, a four-time Olympian and PWHL MVP finalist, tied for the league led with 29 points. Carpenter was an MVP finalist in 2024 with 23 points. eldridge tied for fifth in the league with 24 points.
Vancouver won the first pick via a ball drawing. Seattle closed the draft by selecting Boston defenseman Emily Brown 14th overall.
Turner split her picks, selecting three forwards and four defensemen, including Anna Wilgren and Megan Carter. Vancouver chose two defensemen and five forwards, including Izzy daniel, the 2024 Patty Kazmaier award winner. Daniel joins former Toronto teammate Sarah Nurse, who signed with Vancouver last week.
Vancouver also drafted forwards Brooke McQuigge, Denisa Krizova, Abby Boreen, and Gabby Rosenthal.
What’s next
The expansion teams will now participate in the free agent signing period starting June 16, followed by the six-round PWHL draft June 24 in Ottawa.