Seattle fills out forward group, while Vancouver emphasizes defense following PWHL expansion draft

PWHL Seattle GM Meghan Turner can already envision having her top two lines in place with a group of forwards led by Hilary Knight. In Vancouver, general manager Cara Gardner Morey's emphasis was defense first.

The league's two newest teams took distinct approaches in continuing to build their respective identities during the league's seven-round expansion draft on Monday night. The draft followed the PWHL's five-day exclusive signing period in which both teams signed their allowed maximum of five players.

Though Vancouver used five of its seven selections on forwards, Gardner Morey opened the draft by choosing Ottawa defenseman Ashton Bell with the No. 1 pick.

Bell and Boston's Sydney Bard, selected 13th on Monday, join a talented blueline that already includes the former Minnesota tandem of Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, who signed with Vancouver last week.

''I was a defender and I really think it's such a valuable position, and finding the right D and having a great core, one through eight even, is what makes championship teams,'' said Gardner Morey, who is also set in net with the signing of Ottawa goalie Emerance Maschmeyer.

In Seattle, Turner used the No. 2 pick on selecting Ottawa defenseman Aneta Tejralová. She then chose forwards with Seattle's next three selections in picking Boston's Hannah Bilka, New York's Jessie Eldridge and Toronto's Julia Gosling.

The trio join a forward group that already features Knight, Alex Carpenter and Danielle Serdachny, who were signed last week.

Seattle's initial 12-player roster features a mix of leadership in veterans Knight and Carpenter and emerging youth with four of six players selected in the first round of last year's draft in Serdachny (selected second), Bilka (fourth), defenseman Cayla Barnes (fifth) and Gosling (sixth).

''I'm really excited for these younger players to be able to learn from truly some of the best in the game in terms of Alex Carpenter and Hilary Knight,'' Turner said of the two long-time U.S. national team stars. ''I don't know if I was specifically forward-minded, but it's hard to pass up the three that I did sign.''

Both expansion franchises are working under the same salary-cap restrictions as the league's other six teams, though the PWHL does not reveal player salaries. And both enjoy an advantageous head start with the league limiting existing teams to initially protecting only three players, before allowed to add a fourth player to the list after a team loses two from its roster.

Each of the existing teams lost four players apiece, with the rules favoring the expansion teams by allowing them to be competitive from the start of the PWHL's third season, expected to open in November.

Seattle's lineup features plenty of offense.

Knight, a four-time Olympian, is an PWHL MVP finalist this year after finishing tied for the league lead with 29 points. Carpenter was an MVP finalist in 2024, when she finished tied for second with 23 points. And Eldridge, this season, finished tied for fifth in the league with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists).

Vancouver earned the first pick after winning a ball drawing. Both teams then alternated in having two picks each before Seattle closed the draft by selecting Boston defenseman Emily Brown 14th.

Turner split her picks in selecting three forwards and four defensemen, rounded out by Montreal's Anna Wilgren and Toronto's Megan Carter.

Vancouver chose two defenseman and five forwards, including Toronto's Izzy Daniel, who closed her senior season at Cornell in being selected the 2024 Patty Kazmaier award winner as women's hockey MVP. Daniel joins former Toronto teammate Sarah Nurse, who signed with Vancouver last week.

Joining Thompson and Jaques in Vancouver are two more members of the two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost in forwards Brooke McQuigge and Denisa Krizova. Vancouver also drafted Montreal forward Abby Boreen and New York forward Gabby Rosenthal.

Next up for the expansion teams is joining the rest of the league in the free-agent signing period that opens on Monday followed by the six-round PWHL draft on June 24 in Ottawa.

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AP women's hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey