The Professional Women’s Hockey League said Tuesday that 235 eligible players have declared for the 2026 PWHL Draft presented by Upper Deck, the largest talent pool of prospective players since the league’s inaugural season. The draft will be held Wednesday, June 17, at 5 p.m. ET at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, with the Vancouver Goldeneyes holding the first overall pick.
The field reaches well beyond one league or one country. More than half of the eligible players come from NCAA programs, and the list includes 23 players who competed at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, among them five U.S. gold medalists. Caroline Harvey arrives after being named Tournament MVP and Best Defender at the Games, and after winning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award before helping Wisconsin to a national championship.
The declaration list also includes Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms, Tessa Janecke and Abbey Murphy, along with Olympians from Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland. The international group includes four Olympians from Finland, one from France, five from Germany, three from Italy, one from Japan, two from Sweden and two from Switzerland. Andrea Braendli was named Best Goalkeeper in Milan and won Olympic bronze for Switzerland, while Thea Johansson is listed as a top Swedish scorer.
Veteran names add another layer to the class. Laura Fortino declared after winning Olympic gold in 2014 and silver in 2018 with Canada before representing Italy in 2026, and Meghan Agosta entered as a four-time Canadian Olympian and three-time gold medalist. The 235 players break down to 129 forwards, 69 defenders and 37 goaltenders, and all eligible players met the May 8 declaration deadline.
Tickets for the draft go on sale to the public Wednesday, May 13, at 10 a.m. ET, and the event will be open to ticketed fans. For the PWHL, the size of this field is the clearest sign yet that the league’s pipeline is deepening fast, with college stars, Olympic talent and established international veterans all lining up in the same draft pool.
