PWHL Las Vegas selects Tessa Janecke with the No. 3 pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft
One of the most decorated players in college hockey is heading to the desert.
On Wednesday night, PWHL Las Vegas selected Tessa Janecke. with the third-overall pick of the 2026 PWHL Draft at the historic Fox Theatre in Detroit.
Janecke might be a surprise to some, as University of Wisconsin stars Laila Edwards and Kirsten Simms were high on a lot of people’s draft boards.
Janecke enters the pro ranks as one of the top stars coming out of the NCAA. At Penn State University, she became the program’s all-time leading scorer, helping the Nittany Lions break the mold as a good team from Atlantic Hockey America, and making them relevant on the national stage.
The 22-year-old didn’t not hit 50 points for the third year in a row, but she certainly ended her college career on a high note. The Orangeville, Ill. native was named the AHA Forward and Player of the Year for the third straight year. She scored 26 goals and 22 assists for 45 points in 31 games this season, good for 14th in the NCAA in scoring, and was named one of the three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top player in women’s college hockey.
Not only did she help Penn State to win a fourth straight AHA championship, but the Orangeville, Ill. native helped the team reach the Women’s Frozen Four for the first time, ultimately losing to the eventual national champion Wisconsin Badgers in the national semifinals.
In 145 games with the Nittany Lions, Janecke scored 89 goals and 112 assists for 201 points.
Along with an illustrious college career, Janecke has tasted glory on the world stage. She has been part of the United States team that has won gold at the 2023 and 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship, scoring the game-winning goal in the ladder, as well as taking home gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics.