The German national goalkeeper Sandra Abstreiter was drafted by the team from Ottawa in the 19th round in the 12th round of the Professional Women's Hockey League Draft in 68th place on the night of Tuesday, September XNUMXth. Abstreiter is the first German player to be given the chance to play for one of the six founding locations of the PWHL.
The announcement of a new professional women's league in North America made headlines this summer. The Original Six from Boston, New York and Minnesota (USA) as well as Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal (Canada) are set to officially start league operations in January 2024. The team names, logos and home arenas have not yet been decided. A final logo for the league will also be decided in the next few weeks.
Sandra Abstreiter: "I had my first contact with the team's manager last Friday. They told me a lot about the city and of course also talked to me about their plans for the future. At the same time, I was also in contact with New York. I followed the draft last night from home, on the phone with friends and family. Of course you're excited about every round, even though it's clear that as a goalkeeper you won't be picked right at the beginning. When my name was called, everyone cried out for a moment. At the same time, I received an incredible number of messages. Everyone congratulated me and there was really great support from many people. I'm just really happy to be able to go to Ottawa now and I'm excited to see what awaits me there."
DEB-Sports director Christian Künast: “I had a short time to talk to Sandra after the draft today. She can really be proud of herself and she really deserves it, especially with her very good performance at the World Cup. Especially considering that not many European players were selected, this pick is of great importance for German women’s ice hockey.”