Sarah Fillier grew up an NHL fan and watched its draft every year. Now that he's turned pro, he's looking forward to his draft moment.
Fillier, pronounced FILL'-ee-yay, is widely considered the top prospect heading into Monday's Professional Women's Hockey League draft. The 23-year-old center from Georgetown, Ont., said it would be an honor to be selected by one of the league's six teams in the first round, let alone first overall.
“It’s what you dream of,” Fillier said. “It’s an honor to even be recognized among the first six selections and alongside people with truly historic backgrounds.
“It’s an honor to be included on these shortlists, but placing first on the basis would be a dream come true.”
Fillier has excelled in international competitions, winning three world championships and Olympic gold with Canada over the past four years. He has 20 goals and 11 assists in 28 matches with the national team.
She was also a star at the collegiate level, playing NCAA women's hockey for the Princeton Tigers.
Fillier has scored 30 goals and 13 assists in 29 games with the Tigres during the 2023-24 season. He finished his college career at Princeton with 93 goals, 101 assists and 194 points.
However, there will be “a little learning curve” as he transitions from the American college game to the pros.
“I have a bit of experience in the International Games and Olympics from my university studies, so I feel like I have a bit of experience in changing levels, but it will definitely be uncharted territory” , he said during a video conference with journalists on Thursday. . “I think the biggest thing I'll have to adapt to is the physicality of the league.
“I think if you've watched games this year, it's something that's really increased and I don't think it's going to go away, so it'll definitely be something to watch for.”
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New York has the first overall pick in the second PWHL draft. The other selections will be, in order: Ottawa, Minnesota, league champion, Boston, Montreal and Toronto.
Julia Gosling, of London, Ont., was a teammate of Filliers on Canada's gold medal-winning team at the 2024 World Championships. She is also considered a top-10 prospect heading into the repechage at the Auditorium Roy Wilkins of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Gosling, who stands five-foot-ten and describes herself as a 200-foot power forward, had 22 goals and 29 assists in 37 games last season for St. Lawrence University. He has 60 goals and 68 assists in his 111 NCAA games.
Gosling said he knew he wanted to join the PWHL after attending the first game between Ottawa and Montreal, where Team Canada captain Michelle-Philip Poulin, a legend of the sport, was booed by fans from Ottawa.
“I never thought before that Pou would get booed, so once I was there and heard it live and the Ottawa fans were so loud, I was like, 'It's crazy,'” Gosling said. “I thought everyone was just going to cheer for her, but just because she was on the opposing team, they decided to boo her. “It was just crazy.”
Gosling was so eager to turn professional that she declared her eligibility for the PWHL after using only four of her five years of NCAA eligibility. She said it was a tough decision, but ultimately the right one for her, even though St. Lawrence will once again have a competitive roster in the 2024-25 season.
“Ultimately, after my season and after the world championship, I felt ready to take the next step, join all these elite athletes, play with the best of the best and challenge myself ” she said. “At the end of the day, that’s exactly what my gut was telling me and I’m excited to join the league.”
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