With the first overall pick in the inaugural PWHL draft, Minnesota’s team selected former Gophers center Taylor Heise on Monday in Toronto.
Heise, 23, was the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner and led the NCAA scoring in each of her last two seasons with the Gophers.
The pick was not unexpected. A native of Lake City, Minn., Heise was a no-brainer for Minnesota general manager Natalie Darwitz, who spent the last two years as Heise’s position coach at her alma mater. With the 13th overall pick, Minnesota chose Heise’s linemate at Minnesota, wing Grace Zumwinkle.
“It’s called the State of Hockey back home, and I know that’s up for discretion, but having a lot of people from home will be big for the team,” Zumwinkle said.
Currently training in Blaine with Team USA, Heise made her international debut last fall in the IIHF world championships and scored seven goals and 18 points as the U.S. won the silver medal. She was named the tournament’s top forward and most valuable player.
“It’s my home. Everyone I love is there. And it’s the State of Hockey,” Heise said on the CBC’s livestream. “I’m just honored that I’m going to be able to play and to show little girls that anything is possible if you keep working hard.”
With the 12th overall pick, sixth in the second round, Minnesota picked Nicole Hensley, the first goaltender taken. A two-time Olympian and gold medal winner in 2018, Hensley was the goaltender on the U.S. IIHF team last fall and recorded a .946 save percentage.
“I’m super excited to be going to Minnesota with Lee, Kendall, Taylor and Kelly. Can’t wait to be alongside them and see what we can do this year,” Hensley said.
With the second overall pick, Toronto selected former Minnesota Duluth player and Team Canada star Jocelyne Laroque. Boston selected Northeastern wing Alina Mueller, the NCAA’s second-leading scorer as a senior, with the third pick.
Final PWHL rosters will be 23 players with a salary cap of $1.265 million. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, three players must make at least $80,000 a year and the bottom nine must make at least $35,000.
PWHL Draft
First-round selections in Monday’s inaugural PWHL draft in Toronto:
Round 1
Minnesota — Taylor Heise (Lake City, Minn.), F, University of Minnesota
Toronto — Jocelyne Larocque (Ste. Anne, Manitoba), D, PWHPA
Boston — Alina Müller (Winterthur, SUI), F, Northeastern
New York — Ella Shelton (Ingersoll, Ontario), D, PWHPA
Ottawa — Savannah Harmon (Downers Grove, Ill.), D, Clarkson
Montreal — Erin Ambrose (Keswick, Ontario), D, PWHPA
Round 2
Montreal — Kristin O’Neill (Oakville, ON), F, PWHPA
Ottawa — Ashton Bell (Deloraine, Manitoba), D, Minnesota Duluth
New York — Jamie Bourbonnais (Mississauga, Ontario), D, PWHPA
Boston — Sophie Jaques (Toronto, Ontario), D, Ohio State
Toronto — Emma Maltais (Burlington, Ontario), F, Ohio State
Minnesota — Nicole Hensley (Lakewood, Colo.), G, PWHPA
