PWHL New York takes Sarah Fillier with first overall pick of draft

One of the myriad issues for PWHL New York in its inaugural season, at least in the mind of general manager Pascal Daoust, was a lack of consistency.

He may have corrected that flaw by selecting Sarah Fillier with the first overall pick in the league’s draft Monday night at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

“It kind of feels like I’m coming home,” said Fillier, a 24-year-old center from Princeton, during a Zoom call with New York reporters shortly after being selected. “It’s going to be exciting.”

Especially if she can replicate her offensive production with the Tigers. Fillier’s 194 points (93 goals and 101 assists) is fourth-most in Princeton’s history. New York finished the 2024 season with 53 goals scored, which was second-fewest in the league.

“I want to provide offensively and bring some creativity up front,” Fillier said.

A native of Georgetown, Ontario, Fillier has represented the Canadian national team in the World Hockey Championships and the 2022 Olympics.

The selection of Fillier is part of an overhaul of New York, which finished with a league-worst record of 5-4-3-12.

The team announced the hiring of Greg Fargo as head coach on Friday. Fargo, who had spent the previous 12 seasons as Colgate’s coach, replaced Howie Draper, who was reassigned to a special advisory role in May.

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to join PWHL New York and coach some of the best players in the world,” Fargo said in a statement. “...This is a great opportunity to continue to develop as a coach and pursue championships in the premier league of women's hockey. I look forward to working with Pascal and the rest of the organization to build on the solid foundation already in place. The upcoming off-season is full of potential, and I can't wait to get started.”