Eric Boggs
The skill of Ohio State’s 2023-24 national championship-winning women’s hockey team shone brightly in Monday night’s PWHL draft.
Eight Ohio State players were picked out of the 42 total selections in this year’s Professional Women’s Hockey League draft, the second in the league’s history. No other team had more than five players drafted, with Colgate coming in second.
Two Buckeyes were among the top five picks. Boston chose forward Hannah Bilka with the No. 4 pick, and Montreal selected defenseman Cayla Barnes at No. 5. In the second round, Montreal picked Jenn Gardiner at No. 11. Three more Buckeyes were taken in the fourth round: New York picked forward Gabby Rosenthal at No. 19, Ottawa drafted defenseman Stephanie Markowski at No. 20, and Toronto chose defenseman Lauren Bernard at No. 24. The draft concluded with Boston selecting Hadley Hartmetz at No. 40 and Toronto picking goaltender Raygan Kirk, the Most Outstanding Player of Ohio State’s Frozen Four win, at No. 42.
These eight players join eight other former Ohio State athletes already in the PWHL. Sophie Jaques, Liz Schepers, and Clair DeGeorge helped Minnesota win the league’s first Walter Cup in May. Other Buckeyes in the league include Madison Bizal (Montreal), Paetyn Levis (New York), Emma Maltais (Toronto), Natalie Spooner (Toronto), and Jincy Roese (Ottawa).
Ohio State’s success at the professional level is a testament to the outstanding program built by head coach Nadine Muzerall. With the upcoming opening of Ohio State’s new ice hockey rink, the community is buzzing with excitement for the program’s past achievements, current success, and future potential.
