Latest news with #WorldChampionshipAll-Star
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 PWHL Draft Profile: Michelle Karvinen
Michelle Karvinen will be one of the oldest players entering the 2025 PWHL Draft, but her impact could also exceed that of the younger prospects entering the league. Karvinen led Frölunda to a title this season, the first in club history. Karvinen became Finland's all-time leading scorer captaining the Finns to bronze at the recent IIHF World Championships. The 34-year-old is a three-time World Championship All-Star. She was also named Best Forward at the 2014 Olympic Games. With Frölunda this season Karvinen scored 21 goals and 35 points in 32 games. She also captained Finland at Worlds. Karvinen sees the ice well and thinks the game as well as anyone on the planet. She's a good skater with soft hands and elite playmaking abilities. With Karvinen's experience and ability to elevate her game against top competition, she should be able to immediately step into a PWHL top six and contribute offensively, as well as on the defensive side of the puck. Karvinen has played in North America before scoring 131 points in 87 games with North Dakota at the NCAA level from 2011 to 2014.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Worlds Preview: Czechia Brings Best Roster Ever
Czechia has appeared in three straight bronze medal games. They won two of the bronze medals, and lost the third last season in a shootout against Finland. For Czechia's women's hockey program, it's unprecedented success. This season however, Czechia is bringing what can only be seen as their best roster ever to the 2025 IIHF World Championships. It's fitting timing for the nation to bring all of their top players to an event however, for the first time, in Czechia. When the puck drops in České Budějovice, here's a look at Czechia's hopes. For the first time ever, Kristyna Kaltounkova will play for Czechia at the IIHF World Championships. It's a significant moment considering she might already be the nation's best offensive player. Czechia has lacked players with game changing offensive ability, but Kaltounkova brings a net front presence, power forward attributes, and can shoot off the rush, or opportunistically around the net to beak games open. When you consider Kaltounkova is a newcomer, and last season Czechia played without Katerina Mrazova and Dominika Laskova, who are both expected to be in the lineup this year, it's clear Czechia has their best ever roster coming to the tournament. With nine players coming from the PWHL, and Kaltounkova and Natalie Mlynkova set to join the league as top ten draft picks, this roster is ready to push back against Canada and USA in a way they haven't experienced recently. Czechia's x-factor is their youth and newcomer Kaltounkova. We know Czechia can hold on against Canada, USA, and Finland with their nine current PWHL players and Natalie Mlynkova, a World Championship All-Star last year, all healthy and in the lineup. But Czechia's x-factor in how far they can actually go is in their youth. Adéla Šapovalivová is their best young player, and any development from Šapovalivová or Tereza Plosová, Barbora Juříčková and Tereza Pištěková are Czechia's greatest areas where they can tangibly close the gap. Even in the defensive trio of Andrea Trnková, Sára Čajanová, and Tereza Radová. All have PWHL upside, but all remain in the NCAA or Europe and continue to develop. They'll need to attempt the jump to the PWHL at some point, but even the tiniest growth from Czechia's non-PWHL core has the potential to pay dividends in a short tournament. Daniela Pejsova has been one of the best defenders in the world in international competition she she exploded onto the scene being named the Best Defender at the World Championships in 2022. Still only 22, Pejsova is the youngest player in the PWHL, and despite the fact she hasn't been utilized as anticipated in Boston this year, she's still a player with sky high potential. If Boston supports her development instead of burying her as a 6-7 defender or more recently, playing her as a winger, they've got a future star. The Worlds, with Pejsova returning to a prominent role alongside the veteran mentors who have helped grow with the national team, should help Pejsova thrive yet again in this tournament on both sides of the puck. When the restrictions are removed, it will be interesting to see how quickly Pejsova can recoup her confidence in a short event. Next season Czechia's roster will get another developmental boost as some of their young players including Adéla Šapovalivová and Tereza Plosová will head to the NCAA with Wisconsin and Minnesota respectively. They'll likely be joined next season, or shortly after by national team members Barbora Juříčková and Tereza Pištěková who are both looking at the NCAA. These players need to go to the NCAA to keep Czechia building. The nation will see a large group of younger players left off this group including Anezka Cabelova, Julie Jebouskova, Adela Pankova, Aneta Senkova, Linda Vocetkova, and Barbora Proskova join the NCAA in the next two seasons as well. Czechia's roster has a few seasons left with their current veteran core, and the team looks like they'll continue to improve in that window.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Caroline Harvey Sets Single Season Points Record For Wisconsin Defenders
No defender in the University of Wisconsin's history has scored more points in a single season than Caroline Harvey. Harvey claimed the mark notching her 50th and 51st points of the season in a 6-1 win over Bemidji State on Friday. Harvey opened the scoring six minutes into the game as Claire Enright drove into the zone and passed it to Harvey who took a shot that was saved before retrieving her own rebound to beat an outstretched Kaitlin Groess in Bemidji's net. Harvey hit the mark, recording 51 points in only 33 games. 'My teammate had said something to me about the milestone, but I'm just glad we got the win, we just had a week off," said Harvey. "We're going to keep pushing forward and we're focused on the playoffs and what matters.' The previous record of 49 points in a season was shared by former American national team blueliner Kerry Weiland who has five World Championship and Olympic medals to her name, and former Canadian national team member Meaghan Mikkelson, who has 11 World Championship and Olympic medals, was twice named a World Championship All-Star, and was named the Best Defender at the World Championships in 2011. The mark is an accomplishment for Harvey considering the long line of standout defenders who've come through the Wisconsin program. It's a group that includes current PWHL defenders Mellissa Channell-Watkins, Anna Wilgren, and Natalie Buchbinder, as well as North American national team members like Carla MacLeod, Molly Engstrom, and Bobbi Jo Slusar. Harvey is also the runaway scoring leader among defenders nationally this season. She's followed distantly by fellow USA national team member Haley Winn who has 42 points in 32 games for Clarkson, and Canadian national team member Nicole Gosling, who has 34 points in 34 games also for Clarkson.
