2013 Mock CWHL Draft: Pick-by-Pick Projections for the First 5 Rounds

The 2013 CWHL Draft shall hold many similarities to the NHL amateur draft of 2004. Due to the impending lockout, the picks of 2004 had to wait one season before competing.

With the Sochi 2014 Winter Games looming, many of the 2013 picks will forego the season to pursue their ambitions of helping their respective countries win the gold medal in women’s hockey.

Despite the possibility of having to wait one year before having a potential superstar occupy a spot on a respective roster, some players may prove to be well worth the wait. In addition, the depletion of every roster in the league will force all general managers to make wise decisions when selecting prospects.

As many active players have to invest six months at a national team training and selection camp, the right selection may not only help to ease the strain of losing an All-World player such as Meghan Agosta or Jayna Hefford, but may prove to bear the most prosperous of fruit: a Clarkson Cup championship. 

1st Round: Picks 1 Through 5

1. Alberta, Jocelyne Lamoureux (North Dakota)

While players have the opportunity to designate which territory they would like to be drafted to, the Lamoureux twins may encounter a conundrum. On one hand, many US national team members compete for the Boston Blades. Yet the Lamoureux twins’ paternal roots are from Alberta. With the province being closer to their current residence in North Dakota, it may prove to be the most ideal situation.

While Team Alberta has done an outstanding job of addressing their special teams in the 2012 draft, offensive firepower is the next key area for improvement. If Alberta were able to acquire Jocelyne Lamoureux, she would instantly put Alberta into the position of Clarkson Cup contender.

Like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, Lamoureux has the unique gift of making those around her better. She is the can’t-miss prospect of the 2013 draft.

2. Toronto, Laura Fortino (Cornell)

The top defensive prospect of the draft, Laura Fortino is too tempting for defensive-rich Toronto to overlook. A multiple All-America selection, she helped Canada claim gold at the 2012 IIHF Women's World championships. While she is a candidate for a position on Team Canada’s blueline, the Furies will be more than willing to invest a year’s patience for the long-term prosperity that she provides.

3. Brampton, Kelly Sabatine (St. Lawrence)

Faced with the prospect of losing forward Gillian Apps, Bailey Bram, Jayna Hefford and Cherie Piper to the Winter Games squad, Brampton has no alternative but to focus on offense.

One of the more underrated players in the NCAA, Kelly Sabatine has quietly built a fine career. Having improved her offensive numbers every year while at St. Lawrence, Sabatine will fill the gap on Brampton’s offense.

4. Boston, Jillian Dempsey (Harvard)

While serving as the catalyst for Harvard’s offense, Jillian Dempsey is a name to look for on the USA roster at Sochi. A key cog in USA Hockey’s future, Dempsey is a New England-grown product and a player that should help stimulate local interest in one of the finest women’s hockey teams in North America.

5. Montreal, Lauriane Rougeau (Cornell)

Another player with gold-medal aspirations, Rougeau was another anchor on Cornell’s blueline. With fellow Big Red alumnus Laura Fortino, the two were All-America selections. Rougeau stands to be a big part of the Stars youth movement on the blueline.

2nd Round: Picks 6 Through 10

6. Alberta, Monique Lamoureux-Kolls (North Dakota)

Like the Sedin twins in Vancouver, the Lamoureux twins will be one of the marquee attractions in the CWHL. Whether they play together in Boston or Alberta, the two will be an elite one-two scoring punch. Should they play on the same line, they will be threats to break the 100-point barrier, a feat never accomplished in seasons past.

7. Toronto, Jessica Wong (Minnesota-Duluth)

A steady defender with strong leadership skills, Wong has represented Canada at the Under-18 and Under-22 levels, respectively. The biggest goal of her career was the one that helped the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs claim the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four championship in a triple-overtime classic against Cornell. With an offensive touch, Wong would be a great asset on the power-play unit.

8. Brampton,  Noora Raty (Minnesota)

Considering that Montreal has an embarrassment of riches at the goaltender position, Brampton will emulate the Stars in its quest for an elusive Clarkson Cup and stock the roster with elite goaltenders.

In 2013, Brampton will obtain the finest backstop available in the draft, NCAA Frozen Four champ and Finnish national goaltender Noora Raty. Despite Liz Knox being an outstanding goaltender (and the fact that there is no guarantee Raty will ever play in the CWHL), Brampton will take the biggest risk of the draft and attempt to upgrade its goaltending position for the long-term.

9. Boston, Brianna Decker (Wisconsin)

The great migration eastbound continues for the elite players from the Universities of Minnesota and Wisconsin, respectively. US National Team member and 2012 Patti Kazmaier Award winner Brianna Decker will bring tremendous depth to the Blades offense. The 2012 acquisitions of Hilary Knight and Jen Schoullis ensured Boston had a strong second line of scoring.

The versatile Decker will provide Boston with many line options, something the club never had the luxury of doing before. This skilled forward will give head coach Digit Murphy the opportunity to build three solid scoring lines and an opportunity to give opposing defenses nightmares.

10. Montreal, Isabel Menard (Boston University)

With a vast chunk of its offensive power (Agosta, Blais, Chu and Ouellette) likely playing for gold in Sochi, the Stars will need to find a proven commodity that can compensate for the loss of so many crucial elements of an elite forward corps.

The solution to any potential offensive woes lies with Isabel Menard. Having played with Jenn Wakefield, Tara Watchorn and Marie-Philip Poulin at Boston University, Menard is a prolific scorer that has played with the Canadian Under-22 program.

3rd Round: Picks 11 Through 15

11. Alberta, Saige Pacholok (Wisconsin)

As important as offense must be for the still-young Alberta franchise, it faces the prospect of losing Meghan Mikkelson, Jocelyne Larocque and Tara Watchorn for Sochi.

With so much talent missing from their blueline, Saige Pacholok of the Wisconsin Badgers may be just the person to bolster it. Having played for Mark Johnson at Wisconsin, she has been coached by one of the best in their trade.

As an NCAA Frozen Four finalist and a teammate of Hilary Knight and Brianna Decker, she has been surrounded by elite talent and knows what it means to win. Her championship experience will help inject the right attitude while manning the blueline with defensive stalwarts such as Kelsey Webster.

12. Toronto, Sasha Nanji (Dartmouth)

An offensive-minded defender with the Big Green, Nanji registered 73 points in her first three NCAA seasons. A Second-Team ECAC and Second-Team All-Ivy in 2012, her offensive skills was complemented by an impressive plus/minus rating of plus-22. She would help add a new dimension to the Furies' stay-at-home style defense.

13. Brampton, Stefanie McKeough (Wisconsin)

The WCHA Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, McKeough is on Hockey Canada's radar. Having won the NCAA Frozen Four with the Badgers in 2011, McKeough was also named the Badgers defensive player of the year in her first three seasons with the club.

Like Saige Pacholok, she is fundamentally sound and ready to contribute at the CWHL. Facing the loss of Molly Engstrom to the US team in Sochi 2014, McKeough would fill her shoes nicely. She is a candidate for the 2018 Winter Games squad.

14. Boston, Megan Bozek (Minnesota)

In her junior season with the Golden Gophers, her 42 points ranked second among all defenders in the NCAA. A Frozen Four champion in 2012, Bozek is a natural-born leader and a big part of USA Hockey's future on their blueline.

15. Montreal, Camille Dumais (Dartmouth)

Like many other Montreal Stars players, Dumais played her CEGEP (Quebec vocational college) hockey at Dawson College. In her third NCAA season, Dumais became a member of the NCAA 100-point club. A prolific scorer, Dumais would be a great asset for a depleted Stars offense.

4th Round: Picks 16 Through 20

16. Alberta, Reagan Fischer (Dartmouth)

The native of Irma, Alberta will be a tremendous fit on Team Alberta's offense. In every season with Dartmouth, she has improved on her point total, with totals of 26, 28 and 31, respectively. In 2011 and 2012, she shared the award for ECAC Best Defensive Forward.

As Alberta needs to build its offense, Fischer would be a tremendous asset on the penalty-killing unit.

17. Toronto, Victoria Vigilanti (Quinnipiac)

Despite having backstops like Sami Jo Small and Christina Kessler, Bobcats netminder Victoria Vigilanti is too tempting for goaltending-rich Toronto to overlook. While Kelly Babstock may be Quinnipiac's superstar, the heartbeat of the squad is Vigilanti. A member of multiple All-Rookie teams in 2010, Vigilanti is a work-horse goaltender that is accustomed to games with 40 saves.

18. Brampton, Hokey Langan (Ohio State)

With Brampton having drafted Ohio State all-time scoring leader Laura McIntosh in 2012, Hokey Langan would be perfect to play on a line with her. The WCHA Rookie of the Year and WCHA scoring champion in 2010, she is a member of the NCAA 100-point club. A key reason that Ohio State became competitive in the WCHA, Langan would be a key forward on a rebuilt Brampton offense.

19. Boston, Josephine Pucci (Harvard)

A member of the United States national team, Pucci has had the privilege of playing for one of the greatest NCAA coaches ever, Katey Stone. A nominee for the 2012 Patti Kazmaier Award and a multiple All-ECAC selection, Pucci would bring an infusion of youth to the Blades defense. A key contender for a spot on the roster of Sochi 2014, Pucci will be worth the wait.

20. Montreal, Maude Blain, Connecticut

Having played for the Quebec Provincial Team at the 2007 Canada Winter Games, Blais is a fixture in Quebec hockey circles. As a team captain with the Connecticut Huskies, Blain can be counted on to provide leadership for the Stars. A multiple Hockey East All-Academic Team selection, the articulate Blain will be a great asset to Montreal's great team culture.

5th Round: Picks 21 Through 25

21. Alberta, Brittany Esposito (Northeastern)

A hardworking player with great playmaking ability, Esposito will be a key aspect in Team Alberta's efforts to create a high-scoring offense. In her junior season, Esposito scored the game winning goals in the first two games of the season for Northeastern. In the final game of the season, she had a hand in both goals, as the Huskies claimed the Hockey East Regular Season title.

Invited to Hockey Canada's Under-22 Development Camp, Esposito has a bright future ahead.

22. Toronto, Danielle Skirrow (Clarkson)

A productive scorer for the Clarkson Golden Knights, Skirrow will help the Furies overcome the losses of Johnston, Spooner and Wakefield to the Canadian Winter Games evaluation camp. 

Skirrow's junior season saw her truly emerge as an offensive force. She logged five game-winning goals during the season while ranking second on the team in goals. As a strong sniper that can provide a physical game, Skirrow will be counted upon to provide scoring.  

23. Brampton, Kristen DiCiocco (RMU)

If Noora Raty decides not to play in the CWHL, Brampton will select DiCiocco as an insurance pick. A key reason the Robert Morris Colonials won the 2012 CHA Tournament, DiCiocco already has ties to the Brampton club.

Brianne McLaughlin, a Brampton pick in the 2012 CWHL Dispersal Draft, is also the goaltending coach at RMU. In 2012, DiCiocco had a sterling 1.97 goals against while seeing action in 30 of 32 games.

24. Boston, Blake Bolden (Boston College)

The team captain of the Eagles in her senior season, Bolden was invited to the USA Hockey Evaluation Camp for the 2012 IIHF Women's Worlds. A First-Team Hockey East and First-Team New England All-Star selection in 2012, Bolden is a quiet, stoic leader that will bring stability to a Blades defense. As a power-play specialist, Bolden will be a great asset for the Blades special teams.

25. Montreal, Audrey Cournoyer (Minnesota-Duluth)

As the Montreal Stars can boast several Minnesota-Duluth alumni, including Caroline Ouellette and Emmanuelle Blais (along with Julie Chu serving as an assistant coach), Cournoyer will be a perfect fit in Montreal.

As a freshman, she was part of the Bulldogs 2010 NCAA Frozen Four championship team, providing 27 points in 41 games, respectively. Her junior season saw Cournoyer live up to her potential with a 48-point season, the type of potential the Stars will hope she can provide to their new-look offense.