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Arrowhead alumna Skaggs, 13 Wisconsin alums join new pro women's hockey league

jr radcliffe, milwaukee journal sentinel
·2 min read

Monday's inaugural draft for the newly formed Professional Women's Hockey League featured a number of Wisconsin-connected skaters. The six-team league will include franchises in New York, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Minnesota-St. Paul, and 13 former Wisconsin Badgers are already assigned to squads.

The league essentially takes the place of the Premier Hockey Federation and includes a collective bargaining agreement with the league's players' association. A previous Canadian Women's Hockey League folded in 2019.

The PWHL has the financial backing of Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and is expected to run November to May.

Teams were allowed to sign three free agents during an initial 10-day period; all other players (including those who just recently completed NCAA eligibility) were then available for selection in the 15-round draft.

Former Wisconsin goalie Kristen Campbell was taken by Toronto in the third round.
Former Wisconsin goalie Kristen Campbell was taken by Toronto in the third round.

Included in the draft was Arrowhead High School graduate Tatum Skaggs, a forward who played college hockey at Ohio State and spent time with Team USA hockey. She was drafted in the 14th round by Boston. She played for the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals at the 12U and 14U level.

In 2020, Skaggs scored an overtime goal against then-No. 1 Wisconsin in the championship of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association championship game. Doing her best Arike Ogunbowale impression, Skaggs had also scored the overtime game winner in 4-3 victory against Minnesota in the semifinal.

Former University of Wisconsin goalie Kristen Campbell was taken by Toronto in the third round, and Toronto also selected recent UW graduate and forward Jesse Compher in the fifth round. Center Daryl Watts was taken in the sixth by Ottawa.

Recent UW grads went to Minnesota in round 7 (defender Natalie Buchbinder) and round 10 (forward Sophia Kunin-Shaver) to Toronto in round 10 (defender Mellissa Channell) and to Boston in round 11 (forward Sophie Shirley).

Former Badgers standouts Sarah Nurse (Toronto), Emily Clark (Ottawa), Ann-Renée Desbiens (Montreal), Hilary Knight (Boston) and Abby Roque (New York) were signed as free agents.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin skaters all over inaugural pro women's hockey league