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chirpingfromthebox · 5 months ago

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PWHL 2024 Draft Prospects Sarah Fillier & Cayla Barnes Speak to the Media

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Transcription is under the break.

[Introductions]

CAYLA BARNES: Hi, I’m Cayla Barnes.

I just finished up my 5th year season at Ohio State. Had a great year there. I’ve played internationally for Team USA for a number of years now. Just really looking forward to this draft. This is something we all dream of and now that we have the opportunity to be in this position, I think we’re all really grateful and just looking forward to the opportunity. So super excited to be here.

[For the record, when she says "for a number of years" it's probably because she rightfully lost count. She's been playing for Team USA in World Championship games consistently since her first U18 one 2015. She was also notably part of the 2018 USA Olympic team that took home the gold.]

SARAH FILLIER: Hi, everyone. I’m Sarah Fillier.

I just finished up my extended Princeton career a couple weeks ago. Super excited for the upcoming draft. I’ve player internationally at four World Championships now and the 2022 Olympics. And having the opportunity to come out of college at the perfect time and transition into this draft is super special and kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But thanks for everyone who set up this call and thanks to everyone for being here. Covering women’s hockey is a huge part of its success and its buzz this year, so I’m excited to the next 20 minutes.

[In case you weren't already aware, Canada won Gold at the 2022 Olympics. So both these women are Olympic gold medalists. And they aren't the only ones in the draft pool this year either! Something to think about when you hear people talking about how much talent is fighting to get into the league this year.]

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FOR SARAH: WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THE TRANSITION WILL BE LIKE FROM THE COLLEGIATE GAME AND THE INTERNATIONAL GAME TO THE PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE?

FILLIER: Yeah, that’s a great question. I think it will take a little bit of a- It will be a little bit of a learning curve. I kinda have a little bit of experience from going from international and Olympic game play back to college. So I feel like I have a bit of experience in changing levels. But this will definitely be an uncharted territory for sure. But I think the biggest thing I’m going to have to adapt to is the physicality of the league. I think if you’ve watched any games this year that’s one thing that’s kinda of ramped up and I don’t think it’s going away. So that will be one thing to definitely look for.

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FOR SARAH: YOU’RE WIDELY REGARDED AS THE TOP PICK IN THIS DRAFT – HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE RECOGNIZED AND HAVE THAT DISTINCTION?

FILLIER: Yeah, I mean, it’s what you dream of. It’s an honor to even be in recognition of the first 6 picks and alongside names like Cayla here and people with really storied careers so far. It’s an honor to be even named in those short lists. But to go first overall would be a complete dream come true. I grew up watching NHL drafts and watching those moments for those guys has always been so special for them and their families. No matter where I go I’m sure it’ll be a moment I’ll remember forever and something really special to share with my family.

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FOR CAYLA: DO YOU THINK THE PHYSICALITY WILL TRICKLE DOWN INTO THE COLLEGIATE GAME IN ORDER TO PREPARE PLAYERS FOR COMPETITION OF THAT NATURE?

BARNES: I think that’s a really good question. You know, I’ve talked about it with my coaches a little bit and I hope to see it trickle down a bit. I think it would be a missed opportunity to not start incorporating that into college so players can start acclimating to that and become more prepared to enter the league. If your first time interacting with physical play like that is when you get into the league I think that’s something that’s gonna be a big adjustment for players, like Sarah said. So I think hopefully as the years go on and the physicality continues in the PWHL that it does trickle down to the NCAA to help prepare players.

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FOR CAYLA: BOTH YOU AND HANNAH BILKA HAD A GREAT CAREER AT BOSTON COLLEGE AND THEN MOVED TO OHIO STATE AND WON A NATIONAL TITLE. DO YOU THINK THAT BOLSTERED YOUR DRAFT STOCK?

BARNES: Yeah, I think it was a great move for me Bilka both. I think we came here with a certain vision in mind and we got a lot better in the process. I think definitely being able to play big minutes and just get better each and every day, that was something that we both grew a lot this year. And I know myself I grew a lot this year and had one of my better seasons that I’ve had in college. So I think I definitely had a good year and it’s helped me leading up to the draft here.

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FOR SARAH: IT’S UNLIKELY YOU WILL BE DRAFTED 5TH OR 6TH AND GET TO PLAY WITH MARIE-PHILIP POULIN, NATALIE SPOONER, SARAH NURSE. WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE TO FACE THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS?

[For anyone who is still getting familiar with all the big names, those are all top Canadian players that Fillier has played with before at the 2022 Olympics and during World Championship games.]

FILLIER: Yeah, that’s a great question. They’re all tremendous players and people who I’ve tried to follow in the footsteps of a little bit in my national team experience with Hockey Canada. I think it will be, for sure, motivating. I mean we’re great friends, you know, outside of hockey. And I’d love to come to the league and really prove myself as being a player in that sort of category as well and kind of find my identity as a pro hockey player and hopefully a very successful one. But I think playing against household names like that is motivating and I think when you watch people play against them this year you definitely saw that motivation in people.

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FOR CAYLA: YOU’VE PLAYED FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM FOR A LONG TIME AND SAW WHAT PLAYERS WENT THROUGH TO FORM THIS LEAGUE. HOW DOES THAT EXPERIENCE GIVE YOU PERSPECTIVE ON JOINING THE PWHL?

BARNES: You know, I think one word comes to mind, is just Grateful, for this opportunity, for the work that people have put in to create stability in this league, and to give younger players like me and Sarah this opportunity. You know, I’ve seen a lot that’s gone on in the past—you know, leagues folding or things not going as planned—and those players you play with on National teams not getting those opportunities. Just getting an opportunity like this, where you know there’s stability, where players have put in the work, and staff has put in the work to create an environment like this, it’s just exciting.

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WHO ARE THE PLAYERS YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING AGAINST IN THE PWHL? (OR MAYBE LEAST LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING AGAINST?)

FILLIER: I think I have two people. First I would say Maggie Connors [Toronto #22]. She’s one of my best friends from Princeton and we love playing together and we’ve played together in Summer leagues and stuff. So it’d be really cool to be on a pro stage as like best friends being able to face off against each other in different jerseys for the first time in a long time.

I think my first answer for sure would be Marie-Philip Poulin [Montréal #29]. She’s obviously been a huge role model in my hockey career and I’ve had the chance to play with her in past World’s and see how she operates and how she’s always trying to be the best player in the world, even though I think a lot of us would agree that she’s already there. It would just be cool to be in a professional league playing someone who I’ve kind of idolized growing up. I think it would be a surreal moment to realize I kind of made it as a pro athlete. Yeah. It’d be very cool to play against her.

BARNES: I think one person that comes to mind is Alex Carpenter, she’s on New York [#25]. She’s a BC alum, I’ve looked up to her for so many years. I’ve gotten the opportunity to know her through training and being on National teams. She’s one of the hardest players to defend. She’s strong, she’s fast, she’s so talented and smart. At USA camps it’s always fun, but hard to play against her, so looking forward to playing against her in a pro stage and seeing what that’s like.

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AND FOR CAYLA: WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT FROM A PLAYER LIKE HANNAH BILKA?

BARNES: Bilka is, kinda like, shot out of a cannon. She’s very- She’s quick, she’s fast, she’s sporadic. Super creative. You’ll get a lot of creativity out of her. And she can put the puck in the net. So she’s a super special player. She works really hard and any team would be super lucky to have her.

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SEEING PLAYERS FORM NON-TRADITIONAL MARKETS AND ALSO EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, WHAT DOES THIS TELL YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE WOMEN’S GAME?

BARNES: I think it just shows how women’s hockey is trending. It’s trending upward and players are getting better and players are coming from everywhere nowadays. So, you see it at Women’s Worlds, teams are getting better, games are close. It’s amazing to see.

When I was growing up there wasn’t a lot of women’s hockey where I grew up. Same with Hannah. Texas? Not a hockey state. But now we can look back and being older now there’s more hockey, it’s growing, more girls want to play. And now being able to see the PWHL I think it’s skyrocketing even more. It’s great to see people coming from everywhere in the U.S., everywhere in Canada, Europeans coming over. I think it makes the game that much stronger.

I think it means everything. It’s a huge honor and privilege to be here. Like I said, it doesn’t go unnoticed the amount of work people before us have put in. And it’s important to give credit where credit is due. You know, I’m here because of what they did. And I have this opportunity because of those founders. I’m just super grateful for that. Now girls have a dream to look to and actually see, physically, whereas when we were younger that was just a shot in the dark, a hope, for one day. So that’s just really exciting for the younger generations.

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FOR SARAH: YOU SPENT SOME TIME THIS SEASON PLAYING WING, BUT DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AT CENTER OR ON THE WING IN THE PWHL?

FILLIER: I think I’m a natural center. I’ve played center my entire life. And the last four months of my season were my first time playing wing, especially left wing.

Yeah, I mean, I’m willing to play wherever the team that I go to needs me to play. I feel like I can play different styles. At center I feel I play a full 200ft game and can contribute both offensively and defensively. And then playing wing it kind of opens me up a bit in the offensive zone and I can kind of fly the zone a bit more and get a bit more threatening offensive chances off the rush.

But I think it’s made me better at both positions, especially breaking out and understanding where people are going to be and where the best place to put the puck for people is. But, yeah, I’m not set on a position for next year. It’s probably just going to be in talks and conversations with GMs or coaches of wherever I end up.

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FOR BOTH: WHAT ARE YOUR EMOTIONS AROUND DRAFT DAY, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO HAVE FAMILY THERE AND CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO?

BARNES: Yeah, just super excited, I think. You know, a lot of us have played against each other or have teammates that are going to be there, ex-teammates that are going to be there. So I think just excited to see some familiar faces and then just obviously wanting to spend time with my family.

It’s a really special day and something that we’ve been dreaming of for so long. So just, without my family I wouldn’t be here, so just spending that day with them and ultimately just being able to take it all in. That’s kinda my plan for draft day. But super excited. Not nervous. Just gonna take what comes. You know, whatever happens I’m gonna be excited for myself and the other draftees as well. Like I said it’s just a really cool experience all around. So just more excited for the day.

FILLIER: Yeah, I would echo everything that Cayla said.

Definitely some nerves surrounding it for sure. I’ve had my life pretty planned out and kind of knew what I was going to do these past 6 years. There was never really any uncertainty over where I was going to end up or have to live. So coming out of college and just not really knowing what's going to happen in the next 72 hours is- I feel like it’s normal to have a bit of nerves and be a bit of a stressful situation, but it’s exciting.

My parents are going to be here and be beside me the whole draft, so that will be cool. And again, all the work that they’ve put in behind the scenes to get me here is super special. And this moment’s not just gonna be about me, but about my family, my parents, and I hope they soak everything in. It’s been really fun picking out their draft outfits and getting our nails done and everything and getting ready. So it’s been a really cool experience.

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FOR BOTH: SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR OF THE LEAGUE, YOU WILL HAVE TO EARN A SPOT – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DO TO ELEVATE YOUR GAMES?

FILLIER: Yeah, that’s a great point, but I think it’s exactly what we want in a professional league. If you look at any other professional league, whether men's or women's, the level of play is incredibly high and we want to put out the best product we can for the fans and build a really successful market. I think it’s great for the game that it’s gonna be so tight and you really have to prove yourself and find your way onto a roster.

It’s taking the Summer and finding ways to elevate your game. I think for me it’s about adapting to that physicality right away. Like, a specific skill that’s probably gonna come in handy is working on puck protection. Especially playing international team players every night. They’re gonna be strong and physical. To be able to make plays that I expect myself to make I’m gonna have to find some time and I think it all starts with puck protection.

BARNES: I think it’s- You know it’s never easy to take someone’s job. But like Sarah said, that’s why we’re here: we want that competitiveness. We want to put that product out. Put the best product out. I think it’s good for the league and it’s good for us. It’s gonna push us to elevate our game. You know, we have to look for ways this summer to look back at PWHL games this season and find trends and work on those. Like the physicality, might not exist in the college game thus far. So just to be prepared for camps and stuff like that. But super excited that it’s competitive. Like she said, that's what we want, we want it to be competitive and put the best players out there on the ice and the best product. So just working on those things throughout the summer to be prepared for camps in November.

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End of Interviews

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