Goldeneyes select Caroline Harvey No. 1 overall at 2026 PWHL Draft
One of the best players in the world has been taken at the top of the board.
On Wednesday night, the Vancouver Goldeneyes selected defender Caroline Harvey with the first-overall pick of the 2026 PWHL Draft at the historic Fox Theatre in Detroit.
It comes as no surprise that the best player outside the PWHL is taken No. 1. Harvey enters the pro ranks as arguably the best defender in the world, let alone being considered one of the best skaters, period. She has more than enough talent to help turn the young franchise’s fortunes around after a tough inaugural season.
In her four years at the University of Wisconsin, the Pelham, N.H. native excelled under head coach Mark Johnson. She posted over 60 points in each of the past two seasons, matching a career-high in goals (18) this past year, while posting new bests in assists (46) and points (64).
Harvey led all defenders in scoring, finishing tied for third in overall scoring and second in assists behind Badger teammate Lacey Eden. Harvey’s play earned her a third straight First-Team All-American selection and the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best player in women’s college hockey. She and the Badgers defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes to win the NCAA championship for the second year in a row, giving the program a record nine national championships.
In 147 games in Madison, Harvey scored 54 goals and 147 assists for 201 points, ranking 10th all-time in points as a Badger.
On top of that, Harvey shone on the world stage in Milan. Along with helping the United States win the gold medal for just the third time in women’s hockey, she finished tied with Megan Keller for most points in the tournament (9), earning best defender and most valuable player honors.
The Olympic gold is only the latest hardware Harvey has earned in the international game. She was a key part of the Americans’ gold medals at the 2023 and 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championships, and was part of the 2022 Olympic and 2024 Women’s Worlds teams that won silver. Harvey also won silver and gold at the 2019 and 2020 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championships.