Pittsburgh Hockey Digest

NWHL

RMU’s Jaycee Gebhard Selected by Toronto in 1st Round of 2020 NWHL Draft

Robert Morris alum Jaycee Gebhard was drafted by Toronto with the sixth overall selection in the first round of the 2020 NWHL Draft on Tuesday.

Gebhard, 22, finished her four years at Robert Morris last month, wrapping up a historic career that saw her leave the school as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 198 points in 139 career games. Gebhard also finished as RMU’s all-time leader in assists with 124 and in points per game with 1.424.

In her senior season in 2019-20, Gebhard scored 20 goals and recorded 43 assists in 36 games, setting school records for assists and points in a season.

“Congratulations to Jaycee on being drafted to the NWHL expansion team in Toronto,” RMU head coach Paul Colontino said in a statement. “Toronto, you’re getting an absolutely amazing player and, better yet, just an outstanding person. Good luck to the new expansion team in Toronto and good luck to you too, Jaycee!”

The Plenty, Saskatchewan native will have the opportunity to sign with the expansion Toronto team, which is new for the 2020-21 season. The NWHL, the first professional women’s hockey league in the United States, has teams in Boston, Buffalo, Connecticut, New York, and Minneapolis. The Toronto team will be the first Canadian franchise.

Gebhard is the first RMU player drafted in the first round of the NWHL draft and third former RMU player overall to be drafted into the league, joining Brittany Howard, who was drafted 10th overall by the Buffalo Beauts in 2017 and Maggie LaGue, who was drafted in 2018.

Howard never played in the NWHL, instead joining the Toronto Furies of the CWHL. That league folded following the 2018-19, with Howard, LaGue and most other players instead joining a barnstorming tour sponsored by the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association. The Toronto NWHL team is attempting to replace the Furies in that market.

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