17-05-2025
2025 PWHL Draft Profile: Anna Shokhina
The last time the world got to see Anna Shokhina play against top competition was the 2022 Olympics. She's Russia's top forward, and the fact she's looking to North America could open new avenues for Russian players.
Last season Ilona Markova declared for the PWHL Draft and was selected by the Boston Fleet. Ultimately, she didn't make the roster, but was close, and will also look to return to North America this year.
Shokhina however, is in a tier above Markova as a player.
In the last eight seasons, Shokhina has led the ZhHL, Russia's women's league, in scoring five times. She's a perennial All-Star and has won the league's Best Player Award multiple times.
As she told The Hockey News of choosing to pursue the PWHL, "This is a strong league in the world, I am very interested in playing at this level."
Shokhina is a strong shooter both in tight and from the blueline or right circle on the power play. She has all the skills necessary to play in the PWHL, the question will be, who will take her, and how high.
There was risk involved in picking Markova last year. She had finished 19th in ZhHL scoring, was young, and didn't have the same physical maturity and experience of Shokhina. Last season, Shokhina finished 18 points ahead of Markova in Russian scoring.
This year, Shokhina led the ZzHL in scoring by 13 points, totalling 30 goals and 73 points in only 42 games. She also led the playoffs in goals and points with nine goals and 16 points in nine games.
Internationally, Shokhina has represented Russia at three Olympics, multiple World Championships, captained Russia's U-18 national team, and won three gold at the Universaide.
It's hard to imagine a PWHL won't take a shot on Shokhina. The Russian league is very weak with only a few competitive teams, meaning Shokhina will need to quickly get up to speed. She certainly can compete in the PWHL given time, and could evolve into a draft day steal depending on how she adapts.
