Women's Hockey
Harvey, 23, was the clear No. 1 prospect in a deep draft class that features five players who won gold at the Milan Olympics with Team USA. Sarah Stier / Getty Images
DETROIT — Following a disappointing inaugural season, the Vancouver Goldeneyes have a new franchise player after drafting defender Caroline Harvey first overall at the 2026 PWHL Draft on Wednesday.
Harvey, 23, was widely considered the best player in the class of 2026 and was the No. 1 prospect in The Athletic’s March draft ranking. She is the first defender to be selected No. 1 in PWHL history, with three consecutive forwards (Taylor Heise, Sarah Fillier and Kristýna Kaltounková) previously taking the top slot.
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“I’m feeling super grateful and blessed in this moment,” Harvey said after her selection. “It’s a surreal moment. We’ve dreamed of this since being little girls, of having a sustainable professional league, and there was none when we were young, and now there’s one to stay, and to step into that next year, it’s quite the honor — and I’m super excited to get started with the Goldeneyes.”
Harvey is a special talent and has already solidified herself as one of the best women’s hockey players in the world. Vancouver general manager Cara Gardner Morey wouldn’t go so far as to say selecting Harvey was a no-brainer, out of respect for other top prospects such as Abbey Murphy, Laila Edwards and Tessa Janecke. She did, however, say Harvey is one of the best defenders in the world.
“(Defense) is a really important piece of every roster, so you’re going to prioritize that position,” she said. “To have one of the best ones in the country, North America, probably in the world right now, is pretty special.”
Harvey is a modern-day, smooth-skating defender, an offensive threat in all situations and has the deceptive ability to change shooting lanes quickly.
For all her exceptional puck skills, it’s Harvey’s world-class skating ability that makes her special.
“I haven’t seen a player with Caroline’s speed at the blue line,” said longtime Wisconsin associate head coach Dan Koch in February. “Then her ability to add the offensive side too is really unique. It’s hard to compare her to anyone else in the past.”
At just 23, Harvey is already the third-highest-scoring defender in Women’s World Championship history, behind only Finland’s Jenni Hiirikoski, who has played 96 games to Harvey’s 34, and American defender Angela Ruggiero, who is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. At the Milan Olympics, Harvey set a new scoring record for an American defender, leading the tournament with nine points in seven games.
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While it was never really in doubt, going first overall is a fitting capstone on a season that saw Harvey win Olympic gold, tournament MVP, the 2026 Patty Kazmaier Award (given to the best player in college hockey) and a third national championship with the Wisconsin Badgers. Just hours before the draft, Harvey was also named the IIHF’s Female Player of the Year.
Shortly after her name was called, Harvey waited beside the stage at the Fox Theatre to see her teammate and best friend Laila Edwards be selected fourth overall to expansion franchise San Jose.
The duo have grown up together, going from high school to the Wisconsin Badgers and becoming Olympic gold medalists at each other’s side. Their families were seated next to each other in the front row, and when Harvey was selected, Edwards burst into tears.
“We’ve been talking about this moment for a long time,” Edwards said. “After I gave her a hug I started crying and I couldn’t stop. I was just so excited to hear her name, and for her to be one of the first people I saw when I went behind the curtain was really special.”
In Milan, Edwards became the first Black woman to play for — and win a gold medal with — the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team. On Wednesday night, Edwards also became the highest-drafted Black player in PWHL history.
That Edwards was available to first-time general manager Troy Ryan might have come as a shock to some fans, considering Edwards’ impressive resume. She’s an Olympic gold medalist and three-time NCAA champion who can play on a top line or top defensive pair for club and country.
“Honestly, I don’t think you can find a better player to start a franchise with,” said Ryan. “(She has) the ability to play forward, the ability to play D, the ability to be on a power play. She’s obviously won at every level
she’s played that. The charisma, the character … What a fun, great athlete to start a franchise with.”
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Still, the first round of the draft was stacked with five players who won gold at the Olympic women’s hockey tournament in Milan earlier this year. Both Seattle (with the No. 2 pick) and Las Vegas (No. 3) had pretty clear needs at the forward position, and there was no better forward available than Abbey Murphy.
She was the most productive player in the NCAA this season, leading the nation in goals per game (1.29) and points per game (2.13). Murphy is a unique talent with a great shot, the ability to blow past defenders and go viral for her playmaking ability. She and No. 1 center Alex Carpenter should make for a formidable top-line duo in Seattle with both players able to play a high-flying offensive style.
“I’m ready to be reunited with Carp,” Murphy said. “I’ve learned so much from her in the last couple years being able to be her teammate (on Team USA) and have her as a leader.”
With the No. 3 pick — acquired in a trade that sent U.S. star Hilary Knight to Detroit — the league’s new expansion team in Las Vegas selected center Tessa Janecke.
At Penn State, Janecke was a program builder, leading the Nittany Lions to four straight conference championships and the team’s first-ever Frozen Four in her senior year. She leaves Hockey Valley as Penn State’s all-time scoring leader — for men’s and women’s hockey — with 201 points in 145 career games, and became the first woman in program history to be named a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award and a First-team All-American.
Janecke is a complete two-way package, a strong skater and should be able to step into the 1C role in Vegas. General manager Dominique DiDia also added Wisconsin forward Lacey Eden with the fifth overall pick. Eden, 24, led the NCAA with 77 points and 48 assists this season. She’s a well-rounded offensive player and can be relied on in the defensive zone and on the penalty kill, which makes her an easy fit with DiDia’s defensive-focused roster.
The first true “surprise” of the night came at No. 6, when Hamilton selected Finnish defender Nelli Laitinen, leaving star winger Kirsten Simms on the board. Hamilton GM and American women’s hockey legend Meghan Duggan said Laitinen was the best available player and someone the team had their heart set on.
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Laitinen was an all-situations defender over four years at the University of Minnesota under head coach Brad Frost, who is an adviser to Hamilton general manager Meghan Duggan.
“She’s one of the greatest (defenders) I’ve ever played with,” said Murphy, another Minnesota alumnus. “She’s reliable on and off the ice, and to see her name being called up so early … I couldn’t be more happy for her.”
To the luck of the Toronto Sceptres — which lost top-six forwards Daryl Watts, Jesse Compher and Maggie Connors in expansion — Simms was somehow still available at the No. 8 slot. At No. 7, the New York Sirens selected Emma Peschel.
Simms — ranked by The Athletic as the second-best forward in the draft — will inject much-needed skill back into the Toronto lineup. Simms was the only player available in the 2026 draft to score 70-plus points twice in her NCAA career. She is an incredible playmaker with some of the best hands in the sport, and a great shot of her own, which is exactly what Toronto needs.
“There’s a lot of just natural instincts offensively that very few athletes have,” said Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury, who also confirmed that Emma Maltais will be signing with a new team when free agency opens on Friday. “(Simms) can score goals in all different situations and scenarios — you can’t pass that type of offense up.”
Host Detroit didn’t make a selection until the second round (15th overall) after trading its first-rounder in exchange for Knight. Still, the thousands of fans inside the Fox Theatre were loud throughout the evening. When Detroit was eventually on the clock, the venue erupted for several minutes until general manager Manon Rhéaume arrived at the podium to make her selection.
The team, which has seven Olympians signed to its inaugural roster, selected Swiss star goalie Andrea Brändli with its first-ever draft pick.
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Brändli, 29, was the top goalie available after posting a .953 save percentage at the Milan Olympics, helping Switzerland win a bronze medal. The crowd popped so loud that Brändli said she couldn’t even hear her name called by Rhéaume, one of her childhood idols.
“I still can’t really believe it,” Brändli said. “Just hearing the crowd cheer was unbelievable. I (felt) so honored to be standing up there in front of the crowd and to get started here (with Detroit).”
1. Vancouver Goldeneyes: Caroline Harvey (LHD)
2. Seattle Torrent: Abbey Murphy (RW)
3. Las Vegas (via Detroit): Tessa Janecke (C)
4. San Jose: Laila Edwards (RHD/RW)
5. Las Vegas: Lacey Eden (RW)
6.Hamilton: Nelli Laitinen (LHD)
7. New York Sirens: Emma Peschel (LHD)
8. Toronto Sceptres: Kirsten Simms (LW)
9. Minnesota Frost: Sara Swiderski (RHD)
10. Boston Fleet: Grace Dwyer (LHD)
11. Ottawa Charge: Vivian Jungels (LHD)
12. Montreal Victoire: Petra Nieminen (C)
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