2026 PWHL Draft
| 2026 PWHL Draft | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Date | June 17, 2026 |
| Location | Fox Theatre Detroit, Michigan |
| Overview | |
| League | Professional Women's Hockey League |
| First selection | Vancouver Goldeneyes |
The 2026 PWHL Draft will be the fourth annual draft in Professional Women's Hockey League history, and will take place on June 17, 2026, at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.[1]
Eligibility
[edit]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.[2]
Top prospects
[edit]Top skaters
[edit]- Source: The Hockey News (April 25, 2026) ranking.[3]
| 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
[edit]- Source: The Hockey News (April 25, 2026) ranking.[3]
| Ranking | Player | School/club team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Andrea Brändli
|
Frolunda (SDHL) |
| 2 |  Tia Chan
|
UConn (NCAA) |
| 3 | Hailey MacLeod
|
Ohio State (NCAA) |
Format
[edit]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.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "PWHL announces details for 2026 draft, awards ceremony in Detroit". thepwhl.com. May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
- ^ Kennedy, Ian (May 7, 2026). "2026 PWHL Draft To Be Held At The Fox Theatre In Detroit". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Ian (April 25, 2026). "2026 PWHL Draft Rankings: April Top 100". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
- ^ Salvian, Hailey (April 26, 2026). "Vancouver Goldeneyes secure No. 1 pick in 2026 PWHL Draft, right to select Caroline Harvey". The Athletic. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
External links
[edit]| Teams | |
|---|---|
| Seasons | |
| Drafts | |
