After leading Cornell University to the NCAA quarterfinals and winning just about every honor there is to offer, Izzy Daniel, 24, will continue her hockey career in the Professional Women's Hockey League.
On Monday night, the PWHL's Toronto drafted the Minneapolis native with the 18th overall pick, making her the eighth Cornell graduate to lace up skates in the league. Danielle was projected by many experts to be taken in the first two rounds, but her size (she's listed at 5'5″) and lack of international experience may have contributed to her slipping to the third round.
The 2024 PWHL Draft, to be held in Daniel's home state of Minnesota, is the league's second annual draft and will see 42 players selected over seven rounds. Princeton's Sarah Phillier was the No. 1 pick by PWHL New York, and four of the top six picks in the draft are from the ECAC.
Danielle, who received the Patty Kazmaier Award in March, presented annually to the top NCAA women's hockey player, led Cornell in both goals and assists during her junior and senior years. In the 2023-2024 season, Cornell forwards were second in the nation in assists per game (1.12), third in points per game (1.74) and seventh in goals per game (.62). In addition to receiving the Patty Kazmaier Award, Danielle was named both the Ivy League and ECAC Player of the Year and ECAC Forward of the Year. Danielle's outstanding senior season earned her selection to the All-ECAC and All-Ivy First Teams.
PWHL Toronto ended an impressive first season on a disappointing note, finishing first in the regular season but losing to Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. Led by general manager Gina Kingsbury and coach Troy Ryan, the team selected Julia Gosling with the sixth overall pick in the first round.
Daniel was considered one of the best prospects in the draft due to his creativity with the puck on his stick, and Reds fans have marveled at both his scoring ability and his knack for making timely passes in the offensive zone.
While Daniel has never played internationally, which is a negative impact on his resume compared to other top PWHL prospects, his glowing praise for Daniel from his Cornell teammates is a testament to the former team captain's leadership abilities. Current PWHL players such as Jayme Bourbonnais '20 and Christine O'Neill '20 raved about playing with Daniel in Ithaca and seemed confident in his transition to the PWHL.
“I think she's one of the best players I've ever played with and one of the smartest,” Bourbonnais told The Sun in May. “I'm excited to see what happens in the upcoming draft.”
The PWHL completed its inaugural season on May 29, with Minnesota defeating Boston in Game 5 of the Finals to win the league's first championship in history. The league has set multiple records for attendance at professional women's hockey games, with a high of 21,105 fans attending the Montreal vs. Toronto game at Montreal's Bell Centre on April 20. The league's six founding teams hosted a combined total of more than 483,000 fans throughout the regular season and playoffs, averaging 5,689 per game.
