Rochester native expected to be a high pick in PWHL draft. Could she be No. 1?

When the top women's hockey prospects gather this June for the third annual Professional Women's Hockey League draft, a Rochester native is expected to be among the top selections. Haley Winn, a star defenseman at Clarkson University and a Bishop Kearney graduate, has declared herself eligible for the draft, according to the PWHL. The window to declare for the draft began in March and continues through May.

This year's draft is set for Tuesday, June 24 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Ottawa, Ontario. Winn is already a decorated collegiate and international player. A senior for the Golden Knights, Winn is a two-time All-American that, in 2024-25, was named the ECAC Player of the Year and a top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award given to the nation's top player.



Her 46 points this season ranked tied for 14th in the country and second among all defensemen. Winn is already a decorated international player, having helped the United States earn gold and silver medals in the last two IIHF World Championships (this year's tournament is currently taking place in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia, where the Americans won all four of their preliminary round games). Where will Winn land in the PWHL?An offensive-minded, right-handed defenseman, the 21-year-old Winn has long been considered one of the top up-and-coming women's players.

Prior to her time at Clarkson, Winn was a standout for Bishop Kearney's Girls Selects hockey program, and as a collegiate, was quickly established as one of the ECAC's top players. In The Hockey News' pre-World Championship prospect ranking, Winn slotted at No. 2.

"A fantastic skater who uses her feet to take away time and space, and to quickly transition pucks up ice. Topped all players in NCAA hockey in average time on ice, and her possession and play driving numbers are off the charts. She's the real deal and will make an impact on a PWHL top four," wrote THN's Ian Kennedy.

The Athletic's Hailey Salvian shared that sentiment, claiming that a defense-needy team could make the case for picking Winn No. 1 overall. Exactly which team that will be remains to the seen.

The six-team PWHL uses a unique process to determine draft order -- the more points after being eliminated from playoff contention, the higher the draft slot. There's also rumblings that the PWHL could expand for next season, though no official announcement has been made. The league currently has three teams stateside (Boston, Minnesota, New York) and three in Canada (Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto).

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Haley Winn expected to be a top draft pick in PWHL draft 2025.