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Goldeneyes select Olympic MVP Harvey; Black rookie drafted fourth

6/18/2026

50 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Caroline Harvey Drafted

Vancouver Goldeneyes selected Caroline Harvey in the 2026 PWHL Draft at Detroit.
Harvey entered after winning International Ice Hockey Federation female player of the year, Olympic MVP.
Abbey Murphy went second to Seattle Torrent, Tessa Janecke third to Las Vegas, with 11 Olympians.
Laila Edwards was selected fourth, becoming the first Black player taken in a PWHL first round, as the league expanded to 12 teams with four markets.

Summary

Vancouver Earns Pick

Vancouver earned the first-overall pick by accumulating the most Gold Plan points, the metric that set the 2026 draft order.
The draft aired on Scripps Sports platforms in the United States and on TSN2 in Canada.
San Jose selected Laila Edwards fourth overall, making her the highest-drafted Black player in PWHL history.
Hamilton chose Finnish defender Nelli Laitinen sixth overall, the league’s first non-North American player.

History

Historical Context

The women's ice hockey tournament debuted at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, where the United States won gold over Canada in a six-team field, marking the sport’s first Olympic medal. Concerns about competitive balance were raised at the 2010 World Hockey Summit, prompting a $2 million IIHF investment to grow the game. That breakthrough underpins today’s expanded professional leagues.

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Caroline Harvey Drafted

Vancouver Goldeneyes selected Caroline Harvey in the 2026 PWHL Draft at Detroit.
Harvey entered after winning International Ice Hockey Federation female player of the year, Olympic MVP.
Abbey Murphy went second to Seattle Torrent, Tessa Janecke third to Las Vegas, with 11 Olympians.
Laila Edwards was selected fourth, becoming the first Black player taken in a PWHL first round, as the league expanded to 12 teams with four markets.

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