The PWHL is coming off unprecedented attention after the Olympics, and it just added four new teams in its second expansion push. But going into only its fourth season, it is still nascent and looking to continue its breakout. The 2026 draft class—widely regarded as its best yet—could help it do just that.
A record 236 players, including five U.S. Olympic gold medalists, are up for claim at this year’s PWHL draft on June 17 in Detroit. GMs are banking on the skills of top prospects to bolster the talent needed to fill 104 new roster spots from expansion—but their star power off the ice is just as big of an asset.
Headlining the class are Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards, longtime friends who both made the 2026 Olympic All-Tournament team while playing for Team USA in Milan. Both are expected to be top-three picks for their hockey talent, but they also bring with them a platform of nearly 200,000 combined TikTok followers that has helped propel them to household-name status in the hockey world.
The draft class also includes Minnesota Olympian and projected top-three pick Abbey Murphy, whose between-the-legs assist against Minnesota State went viral in January. Likely first-rounders Kirsten Simms of Wisconsin and Penn State’s Tessa Janecke are also Olympians who have generated social media buzz.
