The 2026 PWHL Draft was the fourth annual draft in the Professional Women's Hockey League, and took place on June 17, 2026, at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.
Caroline Harvey was selected first overall by the Vancouver Goldeneyes.
Eligibility The declaration period for the draft opened on March 1, 2026, and closed on May 8. Undrafted players will become free agents; players must declare for the draft to reach free agency. Selected players may re-enter the draft if they are not signed to their draft club after two years. No player may declare for more than two drafts.
Top prospects Top skaters Source: The Hockey News (April 25, 2026) ranking.
Ranking Player School/club team 1 Caroline Harvey (D) Wisconsin (NCAA) 2 Abbey Murphy (RW) Minnesota (NCAA) 3 Laila Edwards (D/RW) Wisconsin (NCAA) 4 Tessa Janecke (C) Penn State (NCAA) 5 Nelli Laitinen (D) Minnesota (NCAA) 6 Kirsten Simms (LW) Wisconsin (NCAA) 7 Lacey Eden (RW) Wisconsin (NCAA) 8 Emma Peschel (D) Ohio State (NCAA) 9 Issy Wunder (C) Princeton (NCAA) 10 Sydney Morrow (D) Minnesota (NCAA)
Top goaltenders Source: The Hockey News (April 25, 2026) ranking. Ranking Player School/club team 1 Andrea Brändli Frolunda (SDHL) 2 Tia Chan UConn (NCAA) 3 Hailey MacLeod Ohio State (NCAA)
Expansion
The PWHL expanded by four new teams for the 2026–27 season, creating teams in Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose.
Protected lists and expansion player distribution process The league created a six-phase expansion process for existing teams to protect some players, and for expansion teams to sign players. Phase 1, which was June 2–3, allowed existing teams to sign and protect three players. Phase 2, from June 5–8, allowed expansion teams to acquire five players from existing teams. Phase 3, June 10–12, allowed unsigned and unprotected players to negotiate with all teams. Phase 4, June 14–15, saw expansion teams build their rosters to reach 10 players. Phase 5, June 16 and 18, allowed existing teams to negotiate with and sign their own remaining players on expiring contracts. Finally, Phase 6 (after June 18) allowed all remaining eligible players on expiring contracts to sign with any team.
Protected players BostonMinnesotaMontrealNew YorkOttawaSeattleTorontoVancouverAerin FrankelTaylor HeiseAnn-Renée DesbiensSarah FillierRebecca LeslieAlex CarpenterRenata FastSophie JaquesMegan KellerKelly PannekMarie-Philip PoulinKristýna KaltounkováGwyneth PhilipsHannah MurphyRaygan KirkEmerance MaschmeyerHaley WinnMaddie RooneyLaura StaceyCasey O'BrienRonja SavolainenAnna WilgrenElla SheltonSarah NurseShay MaloneySidney MorinMaggie FlahertyJaime BourbonnaisGabbie HughesJulia GoslingKali FlanaganIzzy DanielAbby NewhookLee SteckleinLina LjungblomMaja Nylén PerssonFanuza KadirovaMikyla Grant-MentisEmma GentryJenn GardinerSusanna TapaniGrace ZumwinkleKati TabinMicah Zandee-HartSarah WozniewiczDanielle SerdachnyNatalie SpoonerHannah Miller
Signed players PWHL HamiltonPWHL DetroitPWHL San JosePWHL Las VegasPlayerFormer teamPlayerFormer teamPlayerFormer teamPlayerFormer teamBrianne JennerOttawa ChargeDaryl WattsToronto SceptresCorinne SchroederSeattle TorrentMae BathersonMinnesota FrostKayle OsborneNew York SirensCayla BarnesSeattle TorrentRory GuildayOttawa ChargeKendall CooperMinnesota FrostAlina Müller Boston FleetHannah BilkaSeattle TorrentAnne CherkowskiNew York SirensErin AmbroseMontreal VictoireNicole GoslingMontreal VictoireBritta Curl-SalemmeMinnesota FrostKristin O’NeillNew York SirensHayley ScamurraMontreal VictoireEmily ClarkOttawa ChargeJesse CompherToronto SceptresMaddi WheelerNew York SirensMegan CarterSeattle TorrentZoe BoydBoston FleetSydney BardVancouver GoldeneyesHadley HartmetzBoston FleetNicole HensleyMinnesota FrostRiley BrengmanBoston FleetTaylor GirardNew York SirensMaggie ConnorsToronto SceptresMaureen MurphyMontreal VictoireAllyson SimpsonNew York SirensShiann DarkangeloMontreal VictoireMariah KeoppleSeattle TorrentKaty KnollMinnesota FrostAbby HustlerMinnesota FrostNina Jobst-SmithVancouver GoldeneyesNatálie MlýnkováMontreal VictoirePeyton HempOttawa ChargeHilary KnightSeattle Torrent (via PWHL Las Vegas)Daniela PejšováBoston Fleet
Format The top selection in the draft was determined by the Gold Plan, where standings points accumulated by a team that can no longer make the playoffs count as draft order points, and the team with the most draft order points received the first overall selection.
Draft order On June 15, 2026, the PWHL announced the draft order of selection. Order Team 1 Vancouver Goldeneyes2 Seattle Torrent3 PWHL Detroit4 PWHL San Jose5PWHL Las Vegas6PWHL Hamilton7New York Sirens8Toronto Sceptres9Minnesota Frost10Boston Fleet11Ottawa Charge12Montreal Victoire
Selections by round Round one # Player Nationality PWHL team School/club team 1 Caroline Harvey (D) Vancouver Goldeneyes Wisconsin (NCAA) 2 Abbey Murphy (F) Seattle Torrent Minnesota (NCAA) 3 Tessa Janecke (F) PWHL Las Vegas (from Detroit) Penn State (NCAA) 4 Laila Edwards (D) PWHL San Jose Wisconsin (NCAA) 5 Lacey Eden (F) PWHL Las Vegas Wisconsin (NCAA) 6 Nelli Laitinen (D) PWHL Hamilton Minnesota (NCAA) 7 Emma Peschel (D) New York Sirens Ohio State (NCAA) 8 Kirsten Simms (F) Toronto Sceptres Wisconsin (NCAA) 9 Sara Swiderski (D) Minnesota Frost Ohio State (NCAA) 10 Grace Dwyer (D) Boston Fleet Cornell (NCAA) 11 Vivian Jungels (D) Ottawa Charge Wisconsin (NCAA) 12 Petra Nieminen (F) Montreal Victoire Luleå (SDHL)
Round two # Player Nationality PWHL team School/club team 13 Issy Wunder (F) PWHL Las Vegas (from Vancouver) Princeton (NCAA) 14 Sydney Morrow (D) Seattle Torrent Minnesota (NCAA) 15 Andrea Brändli (G) PWHL Detroit Frölunda HC (SDHL) 16 Sloane Matthews (F) PWHL San Jose Ohio State (NCAA) 17 Thea Johansson (F) Vancouver Goldeneyes (from Las Vegas) Minnesota Duluth (NCAA) 18 Jade Iginla (F) PWHL Hamilton Brown (NCAA) 19 Elisa Holopainen (F) New York Sirens Frölunda HC (SDHL) 20 Jamie Nelson (F) Toronto Sceptres Minnesota (NCAA) 21 Viivi Vainikka (F) Minnesota Frost Brynäs (SDHL) 22 Casey Borgiel (D) PWHL Detroit (from Boston) Colgate (NCAA) 23 Jordan Ray (F) Ottawa Charge Yale (NCAA) 24 Avi Adam (F) Montreal Victoire Cornell (NCAA)
Round three # Player Nationality PWHL team School/club team 25 Jules Constantinople (D) Vancouver Goldeneyes Northeastern (NCAA) 26 Emerson Jarvis (F) Seattle Torrent Quinnipiac (NCAA) 27 Leah Stecker (D) Boston Fleet (from Detroit) Penn State (NCAA) 28 Tia Chan (G) PWHL San Jose Connecticut (NCAA) 29 Josefin Bouveng (F) PWHL Las Vegas Minnesota (NCAA) 30 Elyssa Biederman (F) PWHL Hamilton Colgate (NCAA) 31 Carina DiAntonio (F) New York Sirens Yale (NCAA) 32 Brooke Disher (D) Toronto Sceptres Ohio State (NCAA) 33 Madelyn Christian (F) Minnesota Frost Penn State (NCAA) 34 MK O'Brien (F) PWHL Detroit (from Boston) Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA) 35 Tereza Pištěková (F) Ottawa Charge SDE Hockey (SDHL) 36 Zoe Uens (D) Montreal Victoire Quinnipiac (NCAA)
Round four # Player Nationality PWHL team School/club team 37 Katie DeSa (G) Vancouver Goldeneyes Penn State (NCAA) 38 Grace Elliott (F) Seattle Torrent University of British Columbia (U Sports) 39 Kyla Josifovic (F) PWHL Detroit Connecticut Huskies (NCAA) 40 Lily Shannon (F) PWHL San Jose Northeastern Huskies (NCAA) 41 Saskia Maurer (G) PWHL Las Vegas SC Bern (Switzerland) 42 Megan Woodworth (F) PWHL Hamilton Connecticut Huskies (NCAA) 43 Katelyn Roberts (F) New York Sirens Penn State (NCAA) 44 Jane Kuehl (F) Toronto Sceptres Princeton Tigers (NCAA) 45 Tova Henderson (D) Minnesota Frost Minnesota Duluth (NCAA) 46 Jaden Bogden (F) Boston Fleet Northeastern Huskies (NCAA) 47 Tory Mariano (D) Ottawa Charge Northeastern (NCAA) 48 Hailey MacLeod (G) Montreal Victoire Ohio State (NCAA)
Round five # Player Nationality PWHL team School/club team 49 Kendall Butze (D) PWHL Las Vegas (from Vancouver) Penn State (NCAA) 50 Gracie Gilkyson (D) Seattle Torrent Yale (NCAA) 51 Sena Catterall (F) PWHL Detroit Clarkson (NCAA) 52 McKenna Van Gelder (F) PWHL San Jose Cornell (NCAA) 53 Alexis Petford (F) PWHL Las Vegas Colgate (NCAA) 54 Emma-Sofie Nordstrøm (G) PWHL Hamilton St. Lawrence (NCAA) 55 Grace Wolfe (D) New York Sirens St. Cloud State (NCAA) 56 Emerson O'Leary (F) Toronto Sceptres Princeton (NCAA) 57 Darya Gredzen (G) Minnesota Frost Biryusa Krasnoyarsk (ZhHL) 58 Jenna Goodwin (F) Boston Fleet Frölunda HC (SDHL) 59 Neena Brick (F) Ottawa Charge MoDo (SDHL) 60 Erica Rieder (D) Montreal Victoire Luleå (SDHL)
Round six # Player Nationality PWHL team School/club team 61 Ashley Messier (D) Vancouver Goldeneyes Minnesota Duluth (NCAA) 62 Gabriella Durante (G) Seattle Torrent Real Torino (IHLW) 63 Georgia Schiff (F) PWHL Detroit Cornell (NCAA) 64 Reichen Kirchmair (F) PWHL San Jose Providence (NCAA) 65 Sydney Healey (F) PWHL Las Vegas Boston University (NCAA) 66 Mya Vaslet (F) PWHL Hamilton Penn State (NCAA) 67 Naomi Boucher (F) New York Sirens Yale (NCAA) 68 Alyssa Regalado (D) Toronto Sceptres Cornell (NCAA) 69 Lara Beecher (F) Minnesota Frost Clarkson (NCAA) 70 Maeve Kelly (D) Boston Fleet Boston University (NCAA) 71 Taylor Otremba (F) Ottawa Charge Minnesota State (NCAA) 72 Émilie Lavoie (F) Montreal Victoire Concordia (U Sports)
Trade notes
References
External links Official website