Who Are The Top 10 Pro Players In The World Outside North America?

The world has focused all attention on the PWHL recently, for good reason. But there remains a strong cohort of professional players outside the PWHL. Some of these, like Sarah Bujold, Madison Bizal, Savannah Norcross, Akane Shiga, Kristin Della Rovere, and Maude Poulin-Labelle have played in the PWHL. Others have yet to come to North American at the NCAA level like Hilda Svensson and Adela Sapovalivova.

But there remains a third group of players who have yet to test the professional waters in the PWHL, and who, if they did play NCAA hockey, have returned to a European league. To be considered for this list, a player must not have played in the PWHL, and must not be headed to an NCAA program.

Here's a look at the top women's professional hockey players currently playing outside North America.

1. Viivi Vainikka, Lulea, SDHL (Finland) - Vainikka won't stay on this list long as it's a well known fact she intends to declare for the PWHL at her first opportunity. The Finnish speedster has been among the top scorers in the SDHL for several seasons, she's thrived on the international stage, and she's waiting to test herself on a nightly basis against the best in the world. She has Olympic and World Championship medals, and multiple titles in Europe, but she has the PWHL on her bucket list.

2. Lara Stalder, EV Zug, PostFinance (Switzerland) - It would be an incredible treat to see Switzerland's top player flash her skill, and bring her menacing nature to the ice in the PWHL. It's unlikely that happens as Stalder is committed to building the sport in Switzerland. She's had a Hall of Fame career, but might not reach that recognition without a stop in the PWHL. The Swiss captain is an elite player.

3. Michelle Karvinen, Frolunda, SDHL (Finland) - Karvinen is one of the players who just missed the PWHL in their prime, and it's a loss for the entire hockey world. Seeing her come to North America even for a single year would be a culmination of the work it took for decades to get to the point of a unified singular league. Karvinen has a Hall of Fame resume with an Olympic Best Forward award, and three World Championship All-Star nods. She's won titles in three different leagues, and has hit double digits in Olympic and World Championship medals. She's one of the best in the world, regardless of league.

4. Jenni Hiirikoski, Lulea, SDHL (Finland) - When Jenni Hiirikoski retires, she'll be a first ballot IIHF and Hockey Hall of Famer, regardless of whether she ever steps foot in the PWHL or not. She's been named the best defender at the World Championships seven times, and twice more at the Olympic Games. Finland's penultimate leader, Hiirikoski has more individual honors and has won more team titles than any non-North American on the planet. At 37, Hiirikoski is in the twilight of her storied career.

5. Petra Nieminen, Lulea, SDHL (Finland) - It surprised some to see Nieminen sign for two more seasons in Sweden after the launch of the PWHL. At 25, the power forward has plenty of time remaining to test North America. She's physical, she can score, but it's been a down year for her in 2024-25. On the international state, Nieminen is a force, including a pair of World Championship All-Star nods. The list of European players who could immediately step into the PWHL and contribute is shrinking, but Nieminen remains high on that list.

6. Hanna Olsson, Frolunda, SDHL (Sweden) - Sweden's offensive leader in recent seasons, the decision to declare for the PWHL Draft remains in Olsson's hands. She's a well balanced contributor who is a high end playmakers, and without her contributions, Sweden would not have taken the leaps and bounds forward on the international stage they're now experiencing. Getting Olsson to North America would be a major boost for Sweden and global competition.

7. Andrea Brandli, MoDo, SDHL (Sweden) - Brandli is the best goaltender in the world outside the PWHL right now. She's been spectacular everywhere she's been from Ohio State to Boston University, Team Switzerland and now MoDo. PWHL expansion would give Brandli a shot to step into a more prominent role in the league. She's capable, but made the wise choice as a goalie to go where she can play. Sitting on the bench coming out of college hockey should be the last choice, and she kept her development moving forward.

8. Michaela Pejzlova, Ambri-Piotta, PostFinance (Czechia) - She's the only member of Czechia's forward core to stay in Europe. Not just Europe, but Pejzlova has favored weaker leagues in Finland and Switzerland where she's dominated. It's kept the puck on her stick and allowed her significant reps, but it's also starting to form a gap. She's among a group who the PWHL would benefit from, and would also benefit from the PWHL herself. She's a smart offensive player who has shown her ability against the best internationally.

9. Elisa Holopainen, Frolunda, SDHL (Finland) - After dominating in Naisten Liiga, Holopainen levelled up and is dominating in the SDHL sitting atop or among league scoring leaders all year. She's an excellent shooter and sees the ice well, and at 22 is still getting better. We'll likely see Holopainen in North America after the Olympics.

10. Anna Shokhina, Dynamo-Neva St. Petersburg, ZhHL (Russia) - Russia's horrendous invasion of Ukraine has had a devastating human cost. In sport, Russia has been banned from international competition, and the result is that Russia's women's hockey system has collapsed. The level of play has sunk to an all-time low, and even the IIHF's decision to freeze Russia's rankings no longer makes sense as they would be well below nations who were surrounding them at the time. There remains a handful of bright young stars, and veterans in Russia, none more capable than Anna Shokhina. She'll likely never get her chance to play in North America, and it's unlikely we'll see any Russian players attempt a move like Ilona Markova did this year.

Honorable Mention: Jenniina Nylund, Sanni Rantala, Emilia Vesa, Sara Hjalmarsson, Sara Cajanova, Estelle Duvin