PORTLAND — The Portland Winterhawks made some Western Hockey League history by selecting 15-year-old goaltender Morgan Stickney in the 10th round of the 2023 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft on Thursday.
Stickney, a native of Redondo Beach, Calif., is the first female American-born player to be selected in this draft.
“I’ve always been a fan of the Winterhawks and to now be a part of this organization is a dream come true,” Stickney said in a statement issued by the Winterhawks.
“To be drafted in the same league (Canadian Hockey League) as Manon Rhéaume and drafted to a team with a history of goalie legacy is an honor. I want to thank everyone who has supported me to this point and I look forward to what’s to come.”
One of the top 2008-born goaltenders in the country, Stickney dominated the 2022-23 season with Shattuck St. Mary’s 16U women’s program. She held a 23-4-3 record across 33 games with a sterling .928 save percentage and 1.52 goals-against average.
She finished as a runner-up at the 2023 USA Hockey Nationals, earning a .950 save percentage and allowing one goal per contest.
“Morgan has excelled at the highest levels of USA Hockey. Her play for the LA Jr. Kings and Shattucks St. Mary’s is well deserving of recognition with our selection in the WHL Draft,” said Winterhawks Assistant to the General Manager and Director of Scouting Mike Coflin in a statement. “We are already looking forward to hosting Morgan and all our new Winterhawks prospects at the Neely Cup training camp in late August, and this will be a very rewarding hockey experience for her.”
Before moving to Minnesota to play for Shattuck St. Mary’s, Stickney previously played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings AAA organization. She played on the boys 10U, 11U, 12U and 13U teams and helped the Jr. Kings rank top five nationally all four years she played, including a #1 ranking during the 2020-21 season.
Since 2017, Stickney has won 37 tournaments and collected numerous awards, including earning 2023 North American Elite Female Showcase Most Outstanding Goaltender honors. She was invited to skate at the CCM68 combine in 2022, one of North America’s most premier development camps.
Additionally, Stickney has maintained a 4.0 GPA through her freshman year of high school and was recognized as an honor roll student.
