Fleet’s Hilary Knight, Sceptres’ Natalie Spooner highlight list of unprotected PWHL players

Article content

Several stars could be on the move as the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s new franchises start building their rosters this week. The league’s six original teams released their lists of protected players Tuesday.

The Boston Fleet are keeping goalie Aerin Frankel, defender Megan Keller and forward Alina Muller, while the championship-winging Minnesota Frost will hang on to forwards Kendall Coyne Schofield and Taylor Heise, and defender Lee Stecklein.

The Montreal Victoire protected goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens, captain Marie-Philip Poulin and forward Laura Stacey, and the New York Sirens went with standout rookie Sarah Fillier, and defenders Ella Shelton and Micah Zandee-Hart.

After making their first appearance in the PWHL final, the Ottawa Charge are hanging onto forward Emily Clark, first-year goalie Gwyneth Philips and defender Ronja Savolainen, while the Toronto Sceptres have protected defender Renata Fast, and forwards Blayre Turnbull and Daryl Watts.

Just as revealing are the players that weren’t included and are available for Vancouver and Seattle to sign this week or select in Monday’s expansion draft. Here are some of the top players up for grabs.

HILARY KNIGHT: Perhaps the most surprising name on the list of eligible players, the Boston Fleet captain is coming off a 2024-25 campaign where she tied for the league lead in scoring with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists). The 35-year-old Knight is up for the Billie Jean King award as the PWHL’s most-valuable player and has a long history on the international stage, including a gold medal with the United States at the 2025 women’s world championships in April.

CLAIRE THOMPSON: The Minnesota Frost had tough decisions to make after winning back-to-back Walter Cup titles, and opted to leave the 27-year-old defender exposed. Thompson put up four goals and 14 assists in her rookie season this year, and is a finalist for the PWHL defender of the year award. She also has history with Vancouver’s new general manager, Cara Gardner Morey, having played for her at Princeton.

ERIN AMBROSE: The veteran Canadian defender is a prime pick for expansion teams looking for both leadership and a stalwart presence on their blue line. Ambrose helped the Montreal Victoire finish the regular season atop the PWHL standings with 13 assists in 28 games. The 31-year-old from Keswick, Ont., has also been a key piece of Canada’s women’s squad, and won Olympic gold at the 2022 Beijing Games.

ALEX CARPENTER: Over two seasons with the New York Sirens, Carpenter has emerged as an offensive specialist. The 31-year-old American notched 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) last season and was among the league’s top-10 goal scorers. With ample experience on the international scene, Carpenter’s presence would be missed by the Sirens.

EMERANCE MASCHMEYER: A leg injury took the goalie out of Ottawa’s lineup in mid-March and the Charge protected rookie netminder Philips after she backstopped the team to a nail-bitter overtime loss in the deciding game of the PWHL final. The 30-year-old Maschmeyer has big-game experience, helping Canada to gold at the 2022 Olympics. She’s also coming off a season where she posted a 6-7-2-0 record with a .913 save percentage, a 2.58 goals-against average and two shutouts.

NATALIE SPOONER: Spooner was named league MVP after the PWHL’s inaugural season. The Toronto Sceptres forward spent much of the season rehabbing from knee surgery and played just 14 games in 2024-25, contributing five points (three goals two assists). A two-time gold medallist for Canada, the 34-year-old Spooner would add skill, experience and leadership to any expansion team.

CANADIAN CONTENT: A number of the Canadians who won silver at the women’s world championship in April are available to the expansion squads. Forwards up for grabs include Jenn Gardiner (Montreal Victoire), Julia Gosling (Toronto Sceptres), Brianne Jenner (Ottawa Charge), Emma Maltais (Toronto Sceptres), Sarah Nurse (Toronto Sceptres), Kristin O’Neill (Montreal Victoire), Jamie Lee Rattray (Boston Fleet) and Danielle Serdachny (Ottawa Charge). Vancouver and Seattle could also bring in defenders Sophie Jacques (Minnesota Frost) and Jocelyne Larocque (Ottawa Charge), and goalie Kristen Campbell (Toronto Sceptres).

Vancouver and Seattle can sign players during an exclusive signing window between Tuesday and next Monday. An expansion draft will take place on Tuesday, followed by a league-wide entry draft on June 24.