General | June 17, 2026 | 7:58
Not only is the city of Detroit getting its own PWHL team for the 2026-27 season, but the 2026 PWHL Draft is making its way to the Motor City. On May 6, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations, Amy Scheer, announced at Little Caesars Arena, alongside the expansion announcement, that the league would return for the 2026 PWHL Draft, presented by Upper Deck, on June 17 at the Fox Theater.
Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming draft and how PWHL Detroit is building its inaugural roster.
The PWHL's Newest Expansion Teams
Along with PWHL Detroit, three additional teams will be joining the league for its fourth season: PWHL Hamilton, PWHL Las Vegas, and PWHL San Jose. The four teams make up just the second expansion class in PWHL history, now joining the current field, which consists of the Minnesota Frost, Boston Fleet, Ottawa Charge, Montréal Victorie, New York Sirens, Toronto Sceptres, Vancouver Goldeneyes, and Seattle Torrent.
PWHL Detroit was the first expansion team announced, followed by PWHL Hamilton and PWHL Las Vegas a week later, on May 13, then PWHL San Jose shortly after, on May 19.
The Entry Draft
On Wednesday, June 17, all the teams will gather at the Fox Theater to convene the fourth annual PWHL Draft. All 12 teams will participate in the six-round entry draft, with the No. 1 overall pick determined by Gold Plan points standings, which this year was awarded to the Vancouver Goldeneyes.
At the draft, PWHL Detroit will have the third pick in each of the six rounds. The four expansion teams received picks three through six, and the order was determined by a randomized draw in the presence of all the General Managers. At the conclusion of the draft, 72 players will have been selected, with each team gaining six new women to their roster.
This year, the PWHL Draft has a record number of players declared and eligible, with 236 women declaring. This group includes 128 forwards, 68 defenders, and 40 goaltenders, with more than 50% of draft-eligible players from NCAA programs.
Among the 236 draftees in this year's draft are 23 Olympians from eight countries who competed in Milano Cortina 2026, including five U.S. gold medalists.
Top prospects for this year's PWHL Draft include left defensemen U.S. Olympian and three-time NCAA Women's Hockey champion Caroline "KK" Harvey, right wing U.S. Olympian Abbey Murphy, and right wing/defensemen U.S. Olympian and three-time NCAA Women's Hockey champion Laila Edwards, according to The Hockey News.
While the entry draft hasn't begun, the roster building for the 2026 PWHL draft is already in full swing, with the inaugural teams already building their rosters. The six-phase process benefits PWHL Detroit and the three other new teams by creating balance, promoting early competitiveness, and increasing player opportunities.
Phase One: Expansion Player Distribution Process
From June 2-3, the four expansion teams began drafting their roster in phase one. During this phase, each existing team can protect three players from being drafted by the new teams. These protected players must have contracts for the 2026-27 season, or an expiring player can sign with an existing team before being protected from the expansion teams.
While no players are drafted to new teams during this phase, the current eight teams are guaranteed to keep at least three of their existing players on their rosters for the upcoming season.
Phase Two: Expansion Team Foundational Signing Period
After the current PWHL teams protected three of their players, the four new teams began building their rosters in phase two. The foundational signing period for the expansion teams took place from June 5 to June 8. During this time, each team submitted a list of 20 players they were interested in signing to their inaugural roster. Teams could only sign players from this list, which included unprotected players under contract and those with expiring contracts.
On June 5, PWHL Detroit signed its first-ever player, selecting Toronto Sceptres forward Daryl Watts. Watts becomes the first player in PWHL history to sign a four-year contract following her expansion foundational offer from PWHL Detroit. The Toronto, ON, native currently ranks second all-time in goals (32), tied for third in points (63), and is the second player to reach 50 career points after three years in the league.
"I am incredibly excited and honoured to join PWHL Detroit and be part of building something special," Watts shared with PWHL Detroit on Instagram. "Hockeytown has such a rich hockey tradition and passionate fans, and I can't wait to represent this city and help bring a championship-caliber team to Detroit."
From the Seattle Torrent, defender Cayla Barnes and forward Hannah Bilka signed three-year and two-year contracts, respectively, with Detroit. Barnes has earned two gold medals (2018 and 2026) and a silver medal (2022) at the last three Olympic Winter Games with Team USA and earned an NCAA National Championship with Ohio State during her last collegiate season, while Bilka earned All-Star honors at her first Olympics with Team USA and earned an NCAA National Championship alongside Barnes and the Buckeyes.
Rounding out a busy signing day on June 5 for PWHL Detroit is forward Britta Curl-Salemme from the Minnesota Frost. Curl-Salemme was signed to a three-year agreement and already has a Walter Cup Championship, All-Rookie Team honors, Olympic Gold Medal, and three NCAA National Championships under her belt. She finished the 2025-26 season third in league scoring with 29 points in 30 games, setting a new single-season record with 18 assists.
Completing phase two for PWHL Detroit, the team's fifth player signed on June 8 was Toronto Sceptres forward, Jesse Compher. The Northbrook, Illinois native, will already be making history in her first season in Hockeytown, as she and her older brother (and Detroit Red Wings forward) J.T. Compher will be the first NHL/PWHL sibling duo to play in the same city. Like all of her newest teammates, Compher has an Olympic medal and an NCAA National Championship title to her name.
Phase Three: Preliminary Open Signing Period
The next phase, which occurred from June 10 to 12, was the preliminary open signing period. Existing teams can lock in three additional protections to their roster, while expansion teams are allowed to sign a maximum of three additional players. At the end of this phase, existing teams will have six protected players on their roster, and expansion teams will have built their roster with up to eight total signings.
PWHL Detroit's first signee from phase three is defender Sydney Bard. The New Hartford, New York, native becomes the team's second defender, joining Barnes. Bard signed a two-year contract after one season with the Vancouver Goldeneyes and her rookie season with the Boston Fleet.
"I'm so grateful and excited for the opportunity to sign with PWHL Detroit and be a part of a new era of women's hockey in the Motor City," Bard said on the team's Instagram. "I felt the excitement throughout the community during the Takeover Tour and have only seen it grow. I'm honored to have the chance to represent the city of Detroit in the inaugural year, contending for a Walter Cup!"
After adding six players, Detroit finally signed a Michigan native to its roster: forward Taylor Girard from Macomb. She makes her return to Little Caesars Arena after playing the first PWHL games in the state during the Takeover Tour in 2025 and 2026. Girard joins the team on a two-year contract and reunites with her former Boston Fleet teammates, Bard and Bilka, from her rookie season.
Phase Four: Expansion Team Signing Period
Concluding the drafting process with existing teams, phase four allows expansion teams to build their rosters until they reach 10 players by June 14 and 15. All players who were not signed or protected in the first three phases are eligible during this period, following the same criteria established in those phases. If the expansion teams have not signed 10 players by the end of phase four, an additional selection process will be implemented to complete their rosters.
PWHL Detroit began phase four by signing another Michigan native, forward Shiann Darkangelo from Brighton. Darkangelo returns home after winning a Walter Cup title with the Montréal Victoire in 2026 and reaching the Walter Cup finals in 2025. She honed her skills in Detroit's local Little Caesars hockey program before playing collegiately at Syracuse and Quinnipiac, as well as winning two Isobel Cups with the Premier Hockey Federation's Buffalo Beauts (2017) and as a captain of the Toronto Six (2023).
On a one-year professional contract, defender Nina Jobst-Smith joins Hockeytown as the team's ninth player. After having spent her rookie season in Vancouver, Jobst-Smith looks to compete in her first full season after being placed on a long-term injury reserve. Although she resides in North Vancouver, British Columbia, she represented Germany in her Olympic debut, scoring the team's first goal of the tournament. Jobst-Smith is the sixth player on PWHL Detroit's roster to have Olympic experience.
The final player to be signed during phase four, completing the expansion team's lineup before the draft, is forward Ella Hubard. With the Boston Fleet, Hubard scored three game-winning goals, which is tied for second among rookies. She has signed a one-year PWHL Standard Player Agreement alongside Jobst-Smith and is the seventh forward to be added to PWHL Detroit's inaugural roster.
Phase Five: Existing Team Re-Signing Period
Taking place before and after the draft, phase five allows the existing teams to negotiate and re-sign the remaining players on expiring contracts that were not signed by the new teams during phases one through four. However, these players are not required to sign with their former team during this phase. They may choose to sign or wait until the final phase, the open signing period.
Phase Six: Open Signing Period
The draft is complete, the inaugural teams have selected their players from the existing teams to begin their roster, and now it becomes an open opportunity for all teams. The open signing period begins on June 19 at 12 p.m. (ET), and all remaining eligible players on expiring contracts are eligible to sign with any team in the league. Not only that, but any player who went undrafted is eligible to sign league-wide. Each PWHL team can participate to build their roster up to 23 active players and up to three reserve players for the 2026-27 season.
Conclusion of PWHL Draft: The Official PWHL Detroit Team
While Hockeytown's newest team continues to build over the next few weeks, Detroit is getting closer to having its inaugural PWHL roster for puck drop in late November. As head coach Josh Sciba and General Manager Manon Rhéaume keep adding players to PWHL Detroit, the city gets more excited about the team coming to Little Caesars Arena.
The city of Detroit is getting closer to welcoming its first professional women's team! Although currently unnamed, residents across Michigan will welcome the team with open arms, ready to witness history.
