2024 Top 25 Under 25: Emma Maltais (9)

Coming off a storied college career, Emma Maltais joined PWHL Toronto looking to make the same impact.

Last season

Emma Maltais stormed onto the professional hockey scene this past season. Joining PWHL Toronto after being drafted 11th overall, Maltais scored the league's first 'jailbreak' goal while notching her first professional tally.

In the 2023-2024 season, Maltais tied PWHL Minnesota's Grace Zumwinkle for the most points by a rookie, led rookies in assists, and tied for the league lead in assists. She was nominated for Rookie of the Year and to the all-rookie team.

In Toronto's short-lived trip to the playoffs, Maltais put up two points.

Although she didn't have the same points flair as she did in college, it's clear that Maltais found her footing in her first season and will be a threat next season.

Internationally, Maltais scored two goals on the way to winning gold with Team Canada at the Women's World Championships.

Career

While playing for the U22 AA Oakville Hornets, Maltais won two silver medals for Team Canada at the U18 Women's World Championships. While playing in the NCAA, Maltais was invited to play for Team Canada at the Olympics, Rivalry Series and World Championships. At 24 years old, she's won four gold medals at the senior national level.

After leading the Hornets to a triple crown (season, league, and provincial champions in the same year), Maltais played five seasons at Ohio State University.

As a freshman, Matlais led the team in points and was second overall in the WCHA. She continued this scoring streak in her sophomore year, leading the team in points again with 43 points in 35 games and earning her second straight All-WCHA Team appointment.

In her junior year at OSU, Maltais set a new single-season points record and broke the single-season assist record. As a senior, in a shortened season due to COVID-19, Maltais led the team in assists. She also notched her 100th assist, making her one of only two Buckeyes to do so.

She finished her extra year of eligibility in the 2022-2023 season and put up 48 points, making her the only Buckeye to reach 200 points.

Future

Unlike many rookies this year, Emma Maltais didn't seem to break her stride when she joined the PWHL. The jump to pro hockey isn't easy, and competing against the top goaltenders in the world made scoring difficult for everyone this year. To be in the top 10 in points and tied for first in assists alongside players like Natalie Spooner and Marie-Philip Poulin is really impressive.

I expect that we'll see Maltais put up even better numbers in her second season. Having a year of that level of hockey and physicality under her belt should help her to feel more comfortable.

She brings a lot of energy to any team and line, so I expect we'll see her buzzing around the net lots again next season.

Too high or too low?

Honestly, I think Emma Maltais slots in exactly where she should be on this list. She had a strong season and the only rookie forward with more points is ranked higher than her on our list. If anything, I might have bumped her up a couple of positions but I think she had a quiet season, especially with Natalie Spooner rightfully stealing the PWHL Toronto spotlight.

It's also difficult to compare players who are still in college or are playing different positions because the level of hockey is different. As a significant member of Team Canada and PWHL Toronto, I think putting Maltais in the top 10 makes perfect sense.