Montreal draft Erin Ambrose 6th overall in inaugural PWHL draft

Montreal’s PWHL franchise was the last team to make its first-ever pick in Monday’s Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) draft.

With the sixth overall pick and to close out the first round of selections, Montreal added Canadian defenseman Erin Ambrose to their team.

La sixième choix de la draft inaugurale de la PWHL 2023 est Erin Ambrose! Enthousiaste d'accueillir Erin à Montréal. | The sixth overall pick of the 2023 PWHL Inaugural Draft is Erin Ambrose! Excited to have Erin join Montreal.
#PWHLDraft2023 pic.twitter.com/GhLCZRa2LI

— LPHF Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) September 18, 2023

Ambrose joins captain Canada Marie-Philip Poulin, forward Laura Stacey, and goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens who were all selected as the initial three players prior to the draft.

This will be the third time Ambrose will play for a team in Montreal. Previously she joined Poulin playing for the Montreal Canadiennes in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League before the league folded in 2019.

Ambrose also played for Montreal’s PWHPA team alongside Poulin, Stacey, and Desbiens.

Montreal draft picks

• Round 1 – 6th overall — Erin Ambrose, D, (CAN) 1994, Clarkson University, PWHPA
• Round 2 – 7th overall — Kristin O’Neill, F, (CAN) 1998, Cornell University, PWHPA
• Round 3 – 18th overall — Maureen Murphy, F, (USA) 1999, Northeastern University, NCAA
• Round 4 – 19th overall — Dominika Lásková, D, (CZE) 1996, Merrimack College, PHF
• Round 5 – 30th overall — Kati Tabin, D, (CAN) 1997, Quinnipiac University, PHF
• Round 6 – 31st overall — Kennedy Marchment, F, (CAN) 1996, St. Lawrence University, PHF
• Round 7 – 42nd overall — Tereza Vanišová, F, (CZE) 1996, University of Maine, PHF
• Round 8 – 43rd overall — Madison Bizal, D, (USA) 2000, Ohio State University, NCAA
• Round 9 – 54th overall — Gabrielle David, F, (CAN) 1999, Clarkson University, NCAA
• Round 10 – 55th overall — Maude Poulin-Labelle, D, (CAN) 1999, Northeastern University, NCAA
• Round 11 – 66th overall — Jillian Dempsey, F, (USA) 1991, Harvard University, PHF
• Round 12 – 67th overall — Claire Dalton, F, (CAN) 2000, Yale University, NCAA
• Round 13 – 78th overall — Elaine Chuli, G, (CAN) 1994, University of Connecticut, PHF
• Round 14 – 79th overall — Ann-Sophie Bettez, F, (CAN) 1987, McGill University, PHF
• Round 15 – 90th overall — Lina Ljungblom, F, (SWE) 2001, N/A, SDHL

Across the draft

Minnesota had the first overall selection for the inaugural draft. With their first pick, they selected American forward Taylor Heise.

Toronto selected veteran Canadian defender Jocelyne Larocque of Ste-Anne, Man., with the second pick. Ottawa took American defenceman Savannah Harmon fifth.

Heise, from Lake City, Minn., is coming off her fifth and final year at the University of Minnesota, where she was a first-team all-American after leading the NCAA in goals (30).

She was second in points (67) and tied for third in assists (37) in 39 games for the Gophers.

The 23-year-old closed a decorated career that included winning the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2022 as the top player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey.

The five-foot-nine, 160-pound Heise has also starred for the U.S. national team.

In her senior team debut, Heise was named best forward and tournament MVP at the 2022 World Championships, leading all players in goals (seven), points (18), and tied for first in assists (11).

She followed that up at this year’s worlds, finishing first in assists (11) and fourth in points (12), while helping the Americans claim gold in April in Brampton, Ont.

The club already has U.S. national team star forward Kendall Coyne Schofield, forward Kelly Pannek, and blue liner Lee Stecklein, who were all signed during the free-agency period.

Toronto signed Canadian forwards Sarah Nurse and Blayre Turnbull and defender Renata Fast in free agency.

Harmon will join forwards Brianne Jenner and Emily Clark, and goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer in Ottawa.

Swiss forward Alina Muller was selected third overall by Boston, while Canadian national team defender Ella Shelton was taken fourth by New York.

For complete draft results click here.

-With files from Sportsnet and the Canadian Press