Predicting the top 5 scorers of the inaugural PWHL season
With the first-ever PWHL season comes the first-ever PWHL scoring race. Sheesh, this league is filled with studs.
Narrowing down this prediction to just five players was extremely difficult given the sheer amount of talent present on all six teams, but any one of these women could wear the scoring crown.
Let's get to it!
5. Marie-Philip Poulin, Montreal
Not including the PWHL's best goal-scorer would be quite dumb of us.
Poulin is the brand-new league's biggest household name for a reason. The 32-year-old has three Olympic gold medals to her name, and she scored the goal that clinched all of them.
Every single player on Montreal should be acting out the same directive: Get the puck to Captain Clutch. That plan has worked out for the Canadian national team quite well over the years as Poulin has racked up 33 goals across 58 appearances at the Worlds, as well as 17 tallies in 22 Olympic contests. Overall, Poulin ranks fifth all time with 73 points at the Worlds and second with 35 points at the Olympics.
We wouldn't blame Poulin if she felt weird about playing against some of her longtime teammates in the PWHL. But to no one's surprise, she told The Hockey News in September: "We have to be able to play against each other. It's going to be competitive, it's going to be hard, it's going to be intense."
Yep, sounds like she's ready to get this party started.
Off the ice, Poulin was a key driver of the PWHL's creation as an important member of the PWHPA. It'd be sick if she torches the league she helped create in its first season. We say she does it.
4. Taylor Heise, Minnesota
All eyes are on the first-ever draft pick in PWHL history. No pressure, Heise.
Luckily for Minnesota, the 23-year-old already seems well-equipped to handle the burden.
"I think I've always had a switch," she told The Hockey News in September. "I think I choose to turn it on when people doubt me."
Why should anyone doubt her ability to be among the league's top scorers? For those unfamiliar with what Heise has been up to lately, here's a rundown.
The center ranked second in NCAA scoring last season after posting 65 points in 38 games for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, while her 29 goals tied for the league lead. Those numbers are near-identical to the ones she put up in 2021-22 (29 goals and 66 points in 39 games) when she won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top player in women's college hockey. The consistency she's shown is scary, and she only has more room to grow.
Heise also has experience playing against many of her future PWHL opponents already, and guess what? She dominated there, too. Across two appearances at the Worlds, Heise has amassed eight goals and 30 points in 14 games. Her emergence in 2022 was particularly impressive. She paced the event with 18 points - good for second most in tournament history - in seven games while being named the Most Valuable Player and best forward.
She said it best herself, but doubt Heise at your own peril.
3. Sarah Nurse, Toronto
Nurse was one of the first free-agent signings in PWHL Toronto history. What a no-brainer, slam-dunk decision. We would've done the same thing.
The Hamilton, Ontario, native is well-accustomed to the spotlight. If what she said when Toronto announced her signing is anything to go by, she thrives on it.
"I have always seen Toronto as the mecca of hockey and pictured myself representing the city on a larger stage," she said. "It is surreal to finally have that dream come to life."
Like Poulin, Nurse is one of the sport's most recognizable, iconic faces, making her the perfect fit for a frenzied hockey market like Toronto. The 28-year-old graced the cover of NHL 23 due to her sheer star power, and she memorably stole the show at the 2023 NHL All-Star Skills Competition with a gorgeous, Peter Forsberg-esque goal on New York Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin. She'll put butts in seats at the Mattamy Athletic Centre and on the road this season.
Nurse should give those fans their money's worth on a nightly basis. She enjoyed her coming-out party at the 2022 Olympics when she went off for 18 points (five goals and 13 assists) in seven games, breaking Hayley Wickenheiser's record for the most points in a single tournament.
With all of her confidence, swagger, and talent, Nurse is a safe bet to challenge for the PWHL's first-ever scoring crown.
2. Hilary Knight, Boston
No scoring prediction would be complete without the queen of the world(s).
Knight is the all-time scoring leader at the Women's World Championship with a whopping 61 goals and 101 points in 73 contests dating back to 2007. She set the record in 2023 after chipping in with 12 points across seven outings. Even more fitting, she hit the century mark by scoring a hat trick in the gold-medal clash against Canada (point No. 100 stood as the game-winning goal in Team USA's 6-3 victory). In recognition of her dominance, Knight was named the inaugural IIHF Female Player of the Year.
She may be the oldest player on this list at 34, but she isn't showing any signs of slowing down. Knight currently leads the Rivalry Series against Team Canada with six points through the first four games.
Knight is also already used to winning in Boston. She spent a combined five seasons with the Boston Blades (CWHL) and Boston Pride (NWHL), lifting the Clarkson and Isobel Cups in 2013 and 2016, respectively.
When asked on the CBC's "Player's Own Voice" podcast in November why she returned to Boston, she said, "I wanted a challenge. I wanted to go back. I want to do something significant. And I understand the landscape of pro sports in Boston and how hard it is."
PWHL Boston is the league's most stacked team on paper, and Knight is a huge part of it. The idea of her displaying her top-notch hockey IQ while sharing the ice with Alina Muller, Loren Gabel, and reigning Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner Sophie Jaques should scare the crap out of everyone.
1. Alina Muller, Boston
If you don't know Muller's name, you will soon.
Boston fans should already be familiar with her body of work. The 25-year-old spent five seasons at Northeastern University and is the program's all-time leader with 254 points (98 goals and 156 assists) in 159 games. Muller was named a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award in each season she spent with the Huskies, and she was named the Hockey East Player of the Year on three occasions.
Muller was memorably emotional after becoming the first European player to be drafted into the PWHL, but that's not the only time she's made history. At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, a 15-year-old Muller became the youngest hockey player to medal after scoring the bronze-medal-winning goal for Switzerland.
Overall, Muller has amassed 23 points in 19 games at the Olympics, the most all time in her country's history. Now, she's shaping up to be the PWHL's first overseas star.
"No matter what people tell you, keep believing," she told TSN after being drafted. "If you work hard, doors are gonna open up. Standing here, I think it's the proof."
Muller is a wagon on her own, but the quality of her teammates in Boston is what truly gives her the edge in the inaugural scoring race. She might be centering a line with Knight on her wing. Unsurprisingly, Muller is thrilled by that concept.
"Unbelievable," she said. "I mean, she's one of the greatest players that has ever played the game. I'm already excited to even train with her. I try to learn from her, and if I can help her in any way, I'll give my best."
Muller's best will probably translate to a ton of points on the board.