24-05-2025
2025 PWHL Draft Profile: Nina Jobst-Smith
Nina Jobst-Smith will look to become the second German skater and third player ever from her nation to compete in the PWHL.
Jobst-Smith, spending the entirety of her NCAA career with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, was named a Second Team All-WCHA conference star this season. She was the only PWHL Draft eligible defender from the WCHA named to an All-WCHA roster this season.
Jobst-Smith is a two-way defender who can contribute on both sides of the puck. As a captain at Minnesota-Duluth, she had 18 points in 37 games, and picked up five points in eight games for Germany this season at the Olympic Game qualifiers and World Championships.
For Jobst-Smith, she's been following the PWHL and watching as other Minnesota-Duluth alumni make the step to the league.
"The league has been amazing to follow over the past two seasons," Jobst-Smith told The Hockey News. "Watching many of my teammates graduate and represent PWHL teams has been both exciting and motivating for me personally. What was once an idea or a dream for athletes, has become a reality thanks to the many trailblazers, investors, and operations staff of the PWHL."
"With the recent expansion announcements, it is obvious that the demand for both players and viewership is and will continue to rise," she added. "I hope to be a part of the PWHL not only to continue living out my passion for hockey, but also to inspire the next generation of future female hockey players."
Jobst-Smith is considered one of only a handful of defenders who are PWHL ready and could have been in the league as a contributor this season.
She was among NCAA leaders in blocked shots with 61, and was one of the best in the nation winning 63.2% of her puck battles, a mark that was second among PWHL Draft eligible players coming from the NCAA.
Jobst-Smith is ready for the PHWL's physical style where her competitive nature and ability to end plays angling attackers to the boards will be valued. With the puck on her stick, Jobst-Smith is evasive in her own zone showing her ability to quickly turn pucks up ice and transport the play out of danger zones. Offensively she sees the ice well from the blueline managing risk and keeping pucks in on the attack.
Academically, Jobst-Smith earned a degree in civil engineering from Minnesota-Duluth.
