Conner McDavid, Alexander Ovechin, Auston Matthews, Conner Bedard- one thing all these names have in common is that they represent the first overall pick for a professional hockey league. However, the newest name to join that list is Taylor Heise. The biggest difference: she’s a woman. Heise was recently selected first overall in the PWHL, or the Professional Women’s Hockey League, inaugural draft. Selected by the soon to be named team reigning from Minnesota, Heise represents a new era in professional hockey, an era where women have a national stage to demonstrate their skills on the ice. Despite not yet naming teams, tickets have been selling at an incredible rate, and the atmosphere at the games is sure to be electric. The PWHL is planned to start its season in January of 2024, so keep an eye out to watch some of the best hockey players in the world play on the national stage for the first time in a long time.
