Sarah Fillier didn’t have to go far to begin her professional hockey career.
A product of nearby Princeton University, Fillier was selected first overall by PWHL New York in Monday’s Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) draft.
It’s a natural fit beyond the local ties.
Fillier, 24, leaves Princeton ranked fourth in school history with 93 goals and second with 101 assists. She scored a career-high 30 goals in 29 games last season, making her the only player in NCAA women’s ice hockey to average more than a goal per game.
She joins a New York team in need of offense, having finished second-to-last with 53 goals in the league’s inaugural 2023-24 season and in last place in the six-team standings with a 5-4-3-12 record.
“I want to make an immediate impact on that roster,” Fillier told the Daily News.
“I bring a ton of speed and a ton of creativity offensively,” she said. “I like to have fun in the offensive zone and be able to contribute every night for my team, but I think I play really responsibly in the defensive zone and bring a complete 200-foot game.”
Fillier joins a New York roster headlined by forward Alex Carpenter, whose 23 points last season ranked fourth in the PWHL. Fillier said she told New York general manager Pascal Daoust and newly hired head coach Greg Fargo that she’s willing to play center or wing, where she spent the final four months of her senior season.
Last year’s debut of the PWHL followed the collapse of the Canadian’s Women’s Hockey League in 2019. Fillier said she watched many of the PWHL games last season in her dorm room at Princeton and believes the league exceeded expectations in year one.
“I think everyone at this draft has a responsibility to continue to push this league forward and continue to grow,” Fillier said. “We had tremendous role models in the league last year, and what they did with the league has been inspiring and motivating. Hopefully this new draft class can do the same.”
New York bounced between three venues — Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., and Newark’s Prudential Center — last season.
The organization hopes the 5-5 Fillier can provide a boost to a franchise seeking stability with the hiring of Fargo, who joined last week after 12 seasons with Colgate University, including a 2023-24 campaign in which he led the school in Hamilton, N.Y., to a 27-6-1 record.
Fillier, who hails from the Toronto area, brings with her a winning pedigree, having starred on the Canadian women’s team that took home the gold medal at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Fillier’s eight goals in seven games at those Olympics ranked second on Canada.
“At the Olympics, you’re dealing with a lot of stressors and adversity, and you never really know what you’re gonna get until those first games,” Fillier said.
“That’s probably how this summer’s gonna go until we finally step on the ice and I get to wear that New York jersey. The game, internationally, is physical and fast, and I think that’s exactly what the pro league is going to give.”
