DULUTH — Five alumnae of the Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey program were selected Tuesday in the 2025 Professional Women’s Hockey League Draft at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Ottawa.
Three Bulldogs went in the third round, most notably fifth-year senior defenseman and co-captain Nina Jobst-Smith to expansion PWHL Vancouver with the 19th pick overall. Jobst-Smith was born in Great Britain, where her father, Andrew is from. Her mother, Jessica, is from Germany. The family moved to North Vancouver when she was 3 years old.
“It’s so special,” Jobst-Smith said on the broadcast after teary-eyed hugs with loved ones in Ottawa. “I’ve been gone from home for so long now. Seeing what’s been built there already, I’m just really looking forward to getting back to Vancouver.”
Jobst-Smith is a member of the German national team. She spent the 2018-19 season playing in Germany before returning to British Columbia for a season and then enrolling at UMD in the fall of 2020.
Between
and the IIHF World Championship, Jobst-Smith had two goals and three assists in eight games with Germany this spring. The All-WCHA second-team pick had three goals and 15 assists in 37 games with the Bulldogs in 2024-25, and finished her college career with 67 career points.
Jobst-Smith was the third pick of the third round. Her teammate, UMD fifth-year senior wing Olivia Mobley, went one pick earlier at No. 18 overall to the Boston Fleet. Mobley came to UMD after playing three seasons at Quinnipiac and one national championship season at Ohio State. Mobley had the team-high of 19 goals for UMD in 2025-26.
The other Bulldogs co-captain, Clara Van Wieren, was the seventh pick of the third round and No. 23 overall Tuesday. The Michigan native is going as close to home as she can in women’s pro hockey, to play for the Toronto Sceptres.
Minnesota Duluth forward Clara Van Wieren (25) reacts to a third-period goal from forward Caitlin Kraemer (11) during the first round of the WCHA tournament on Friday, Feb. 28 at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group
“I’m so excited, I’m so excited to get started. I had great conversations with Gina (Kingsbury),” Van Wieren said on the draft broadcast, referencing the Toronto general manager and former Bulldogs assistant coach. “I’m excited to get to Toronto.”
Van Wieren was an All-WCHA third-team pick and the 2024-25 WCHA Most Outstanding Athlete. She was the Bulldogs’ co-leading scorer with 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points and has played more career games in a UMD jersey than anyone in program history, 174.
With Jobst-Smith going to Vancouver and Van Wieren to Toronto, seven of the last 11 Bulldogs to wear the ‘C’ as captain or co-captain the past 10 seasons have been selected over the first three PWHL drafts.
Toronto picked two Bulldogs on Tuesday, nabbing senior defenseman and alternate captain Hanna Baskin in the sixth round, No. 43 overall. The defenseman from Minnetonka had a career-high 21 assists and 22 points in 2024-25 after breaking out as a junior in 2023-24 with five goals and 18 points.
Minnesota Duluth defenseman Hanna Baskin (10) shoots the puck against Minnesota on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group
“I’m so excited,” Baskin said on the draft broadcast. “I’ve been able to learn from some pretty good D at Duluth. I’m looking forward to Toronto. It’s a great organization with great players in it. I just can’t wait.”
Fifth-year senior wing Olivia Wallin was the second-to-last pick of the 2025 draft, being taken by expansion PWHL Seattle in the sixth round with the No. 47 overall pick. Wallin, whose college career began at Penn State, shared the team-high of 40 points with Van Wieren while leading UMD in assists with 24.
“That’s super exciting,” Wallin said of joining an expansion team. “You get to know your fan base a little closer since it’s the first season. I’m super excited to go.”
Bulldogs on the move this offseason
A number of Bulldogs are switching PWHL jerseys in 2025-26, starting with 2022 Olympic gold medalist Ashton Bell. The Ottawa Charge defenseman was the first overall pick in the PWHL expansion draft, going to PWHL Vancouver, where she’ll now once again be teammates with Jobst-Smith.
Michela Cava is also joining Vancouver on a two-year deal after winning back-to-back Walter Cup championships with Minnesota in PWHL’s first two seasons.
Sidney Morin, the 2018 Olympic gold medalist for the United States, signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Frost after becoming a free agent. Morin was drafted by Minnesota in the inaugural draft in 2023, but went unsigned and wound up with Boston the past two seasons.
Morin replaces former Bulldog Maggie Flaherty on the Minnesota blue line. Flaherty signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Victoire.
Elizabeth Giguere signed a one-year deal with Ottawa after playing two seasons in New York. Giguere reunites with former Bulldogs teammates Gabbie Hughes and Mannon McMahon.
One former Bulldog who isn’t going anywhere is 2018 Olympic hero Maddie Rooney. She signed a three-year extension with the Minnesota Frost.
Gabbie Hughes sings at draft
Hughes, the Bulldogs’ 2023 Hockey Humanitarian Award winner, made two cameos during the draft Tuesday. She announced the Charge’s fifth round pick. She also came out at the start of the draft to sing with musician Jamie Fine.