It was a big night for two Nova Scotians selected in the PWHL’s fourth ever draft.
Wolfville native and Cornell University forward Avi Adam became the highest drafted Nova Scotian in PWHL history Wednesday night when the Montreal Victoire took her with the 24th pick in the draft.
According to data collected by the NCAA, Adam led the Big Red in points and blocks this past season and has a reputation as a strong two-way player. The pick was announced by Victoire head coach and fellow Nova Scotian Kori Cheverie.
Adam enters the league with a strong resume, including a 2025 NCAA (ECAC) Championship, 2025 regular season championship, being named to the 3rd all star team and winning gold at the 2022 World Junior Championships (WJC).
Despite her many successes, earning serious playing time for the star-studded roster of the defending champs won’t be a given.
“It’s a little intimidating but I’m definitely excited to get started,” said Adam on the PWHL stream when she was asked about joining the reigning champs at her draft night interview with host Rob Pizzo.
Joining Adam later that night was Berwick’s Megan Woodworth, who was selected 42nd overall by PWHL Hamilton, one of the four expansion teams for the 2025/26 season.
The University of Connecticut forward led her team in goal scoring in 2025, during the draft broadcast announcers Kenzie Lalonde and Cheryl Pounder said Husky head coach Chris MacKenzie called Woodworth an athlete that is “hard wired to compete” who “pushes when nobody is watching”.
In 2025, 8 of Woodworth’s 29 goals were game winners, including an overtime winner in the playoffs.
“I like to just go out there and have fun and occasionally hang around the net,” said Woodworth in an interview with Pizzo on the PWHL Draft stream. “If you stay around there long enough the puck comes to you and you can just put it in.”
According to the league, the PWHL has seen massive growth and success since they first dropped the puck in 2024. When the league ran their Takeover Tour to boost interest across North America last season, tickets in Halifax sold out in minutes.
In a previous interview with Acadia News, Nova Scotia tourism minister Dave Ritcey said the province would love to have a PWHL team, and that women’s professional hockey is a growing market on the east coast.
“Those two games sent a strong message to the league. It lies with the league, and that’s what the ‘Takeover’ events are about, playing in those markets that don’t have teams,” said Ritcey.
Although the 2026/27 PWHL schedule has yet to be released, the league typically starts the season in mid to late November, and releases their schedule in the early fall.
