The talent of Ohio State’s 2023-24 national championship-winning women’s hockey team was on full display in Monday night’s PWHL draft.
Ohio State players accounted for eight of the draft’s 42 total picks. No other team produced more than five picks (Colgate) in this year’s Professional Women’s Hockey League draft, the second draft in the league’s history.
Ohio State produced two of the top five picks in the 2024 draft as Boston selected forward Hannah Bilka with the No. 4 overall pick and Montreal chose defenseman Cayla Barnes with the No. 5 pick.
And the first Buckeye is off the board!
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) June 10, 2024
Bilka is headed to @PWHL_Boston #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/hCsibbUrDb
Back-to-back Buckeyes drafted in the first round@Cayla_barnes27 is selected fifth overall by @PWHL_Montreal #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/D822pZo8sW
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) June 10, 2024
Jenn Gardiner was the third Buckeye off the board as Montreal selected her with the No. 11 overall pick in the second round.
.@jenngardiner12 is a #ProBuck@PWHL_Montreal selects Jenn with the 11th overall pick #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/MdSM6lqWGO
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) June 11, 2024
Three Buckeyes were selected in the fourth round. New York selected forward Gabby Rosenthal with the No. 19 overall pick, Ottawa drafted defenseman Stephanie Markowski with the No. 20 pick and Toronto closed out Round 4 by selecting defenseman Lauren Bernard at No. 24 overall.
.@gabbyrosenthal5 is @PWHL_NewYork bound! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/cmq0BQMXQl
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) June 11, 2024
Back-to-back Buckeyes (again!)@stephmarkowskii is drafted 20th overall by @PWHL_Ottawa #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/7YifnKYYix
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) June 11, 2024
.@PWHL_Toronto gets a good one! @lauren19bernard goes 24th overall to Toronto, and is announced by Coach Muzerall #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/c3GCj11mLS
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) June 11, 2024
Two more Buckeyes were selected in the draft’s final three picks. Boston selected Hadley Hartmetz with the No. 40 overall selection while Toronto drafted goaltender Raygan Kirk, the Most Outstanding Player of Ohio State’s Frozen Four win, with the No. 42 pick to conclude the draft’s seventh and final round.
.@Hadley078 is the fourth Buckeye blue liner drafted @PWHL_Boston selects Hadley with the 40th overall pick#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/ODcE4RNUow
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) June 11, 2024
KIRKY @raygan_kirk01 is selected by @PWHL_Toronto with the final pick of the draft#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/72bpThA1Dm
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) June 11, 2024
Those eight Buckeyes join eight other former Ohio State players who played in the PWHL‘s inaugural season. Sophie Jaques, Liz Schepers and Clair DeGeorge were all part of the Minnesota team that won the league’s inaugural Walter Cup in May. Other former Buckeyes in the league include Madison Bizal (Montreal), Paetyn Levis (New York), Emma Maltais (Toronto), Natalie Spooner (Toronto) and Jincy Roese (Ottawa).
