PWHL New York drafts Princeton star Sarah Fillier with No. 1 pick

Putting numerous women’s hockey accolades and a degree in psychiatry at Princeton behind her, Sarah Fillier is fully focused on her next career challenge: Being a difference-maker on a PWHL team in New York that struggled both on and off the ice.

A New York team lacking identity, offense and wins in its inaugural season selected the 24-year-old Canadian national team forward — and dubbed “a generational talent” by league scouts — with the No. 1 pick in the Professional Women’s Hockey League draft Monday night.

“I think it’s exciting. If you look at the talent New York has, I think they’ve built a really solid foundation,” Fillier said. “It’s an amazing sports city and the fans have been amazing this whole season. And I went to school just down the road, so it feels like a bit of a homecoming.”

From outside of Toronto, Fillier is a three-time Patty Kazmaier Award finalist and completed her four-year career at Princeton ranking sixth on the school list with 93 goals and fourth with 193 points in 120 games. Internationally, she won gold at the 2022 Beijing Games, where she finished second in the tournament with eight goals, and was also a member of three Canadian world championship teams.

General manager Pascal Daoust called it a privilege to have the…