On Tuesday, May 12, the PWHL released the 2026 Entry Draft list. 235 players have declared for the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft, marking the largest number of declarations since the inaugural draft.
The declaring players include 23 who played at the 2026 Olympics. Among those 23 are five gold medalists from the US: Lacey Eden, Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, Tessa Janeke, Abbey Murphy, and Kirsten Simms. Harvey, named Olympic MVP and the 2026 Patty Kazmaier Award Winner, is highly favoured to go first overall.
Players from the NCAA make up more than 50% of the draft pool. The remaining players declared from USports, the EWHL, ZhHL, SDHL, SWHL, DFEL, lower divisions of the NCAA, Spain, Italy, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, Russia, and Sweden. The list also includes 19 players who did not play in one of these major leagues last season.
Notable declarations include Canadian Olympians Meghan Agosta, who last played competitively at the 2018 Olympics, and Laura Fortino. Fortino last played at the 2026 Olympics for Team Italy. They’re joined by Swiss goaltenders Andrea Brändli and Saskia Maurer. Both players were instrumental in winning their country’s second-ever Olympic medal in Milano Cortina, with Brändli named the tournament’s top goalkeeper.
129 forwards, 69 defenders, and 37 goaltenders have declared for the draft, doing so before the May 8th deadline. Players who wish to play in the PWHL at any time, including as reserve players, camp invites, or mid-season signings, must have declared for the draft once in their careers. The higher number of declared players is likely due to the upcoming league expansion, which may include up to four teams.
The full list of players can be found here.
The 2026 PWHL Entry Draft will take place on June 17, 2026, in Detroit. The Vancouver Goldeneyes will draft first overall, while the rest of the draft order is TBD.