Belle River's Sarah Marchand is a different player now. After playing NCAA hockey at Syracuse and St. Lawrence, the 23-year-old forward has a year of pro hockey under her belt after playing last season in Sweden for Modo in that country's elite women's league.
This season, Marchand is hoping to stay in North America and play in the Professional Women's Hockey League. "This year, I'm fully invested in PWHL," Marchand said. "This is what I want to do and seems there's more interest."
The PWHL Draft is set for Wednesday and will be held in Detroit at the Fox Theater starting at 5 p.m., broadcast on TSN and TSN2. On Monday, the league announced its draft order with the Vancouver Goldeneyes securing the first overall pick.
Detroit, one of four new expansion franchises, will have the third overall pick. Hamilton, also an expansion team, picks sixth, the Toronto Sceptres pick eighth, the Ottawa Charge select 11th, and the champion Montreal Victoire select 12th. The order will remain the same in all six rounds, with 72 players scheduled to be selected.
To be eligible for the PWHL Draft, a player had to declare by May 8. "Basically, my agent sent me the PWHL form," Marchand said. "You fill it out and declare for the now you're eligible to get drafted into the league." A record 235 players declared for this year's draft, the largest talent pool since the league's inaugural season. Players from eight countries have declared, with 23 having played at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
After being selected, a player has two years to sign with that team or is returned to the draft pool. Even if a player goes unselected, it does not close the door to playing in the league. "After the draft, if you're not taken, you're a free agent and can sign," Marchand said. "I entered the draft last year, but I signed a contract in Sweden with Modo. I didn't get picked up, so I played my season over there."
She posted solid numbers with nine goals and 25 points in 36 games and was a plus nine. "I had a pretty decent season and showed I can play at that level with a pretty good team," said Marchand, a Southwest Wildcats product. "It's a very fast-paced game in Sweden and a big adjustment, but I was able to be successful in a well-known, established league."
According to The Hockey News, Marchand is the area's top prospect for the draft and is rated No. 70 among its top 125 prospects. "I probably won't go over for the draft," Marchand said. "I think I'll watch with my parents and hang out at the house and hope for a phone call."
