Petra Nieminen: 2026 PWHL Draft Prospect Profile

Recent Statistics

Sources: eliteprospects.com and sdhl.se. SDHL stats are not directly comparable to PWHL competition.

Who Is Nieminen?

The forward from Tampere, Finland, began playing in the Naisten Liiga (the Finnish league, now called the Auroraliiga) at age 16. In that first season, she led Team Kuortane in points (15 goals and eight assists in 25 games) and was named the league’s rookie of the year.

After three seasons, the last of which saw her earn the award for the league’s best forward, she moved to Sweden and joined Luleå HF for the 2018–19 season. Her team claimed a championship that season with help from Nieminen’s 11 points in 11 playoff games. She went on to win three more SDHL titles with the club.

Nieminen truly broke out in the 2019–20 season, with 25 goals and 30 assists in 36 games, a pace of about 1.53 points per game. She earned the league MVP award that year. Since then, she has recorded no fewer than 45 points per season. Her career total with Luleå is a stunning 369 points (191 goals and 178 assists) in 264 regular-season games.

In 2025–26, Nieminen led the league in scoring with 45 points despite having played seven fewer games than the second-place finisher, Elisa Holopainen. Her 1.67 points per game led her to being named Forward of the Year.

With Finland’s national team, Nieminen has two Olympic bronze medals (2018 and 2022), three Women’s World Championship (WWC) bronze medals (2017, 2021, and 2025), and one WWC silver medal (2019). In fact, Nieminen was the one who scored the infamous “game-winning” gold-medal goal in 2019 against the USA that was controversially overturned for goaltender interference.

What Nieminen Brings to the Table

Nieminen is a powerful skater who can quickly escape the zone and make a play or take a shot.

• Silky mitts: She outmaneuvers goalies with ease on a breakaway or in a shootout.
• Speed and puck protection to push through traffic: She uses her speed to separate from defenders when she can; otherwise, she protects the puck well to push through traffic and get to the net.
• Ability to get lost in coverage: She has strong positioning and forces defenders to lose track of her, whether it’s in front of the net or behind them in the neutral zone.

Areas to Develop

As we’ve seen, the highest scorers in the SDHL don’t always see the same success in the PWHL. The ice is smaller and the game is faster and more physical. Nieminen may have to adjust to starting in a smaller role than she’s been used to on Luleå.

Where Could She Land?

Natalia projects that Nieminen will go 11th overall, but she could go higher than countrywomen Viivi Vainikka and Elisa Holopainen if teams are looking for a centre.

International players have generally done well in Boston, including fellow Finnish forward Susanna Tapani. Nieminen also brings a mix of finesse and physicality that the Minnesota Frost could benefit from.

The Bottom Line

Nieminen should go in the first round, as she’s a high-powered forward and one of the best centres in the top 20, alongside names like Tessa Janecke and Issy Wunder.