Nelli Laitinen 2026 Draft Profile

Nelli Laitinen entered the 2026 PWHL Draft as one of the strongest defensive prospects outside the American spotlight. The Finnish blue-liner captained the University of Minnesota, returned to the Olympic stage with Finland in 2026, and has already played major minutes in senior international competition.

PWHL Hamilton made Laitinen their first ever selection taking her 6th overall in the first round of the 2026 PWHL Draft.

Laitinen’s profile is built on balance. She can move pucks cleanly through the neutral zone, join the attack with purpose, and still recover into structure. Her senior season at Minnesota showed added offensive growth, including a career-high scoring year, without sacrificing the defensive reliability that has long been part of her appeal.

You can learn more about her playstyle in this PWHL video:

Her international résumé gives her new team, PWHL Hamilton, another reason to feel confident about her future. Laitinen has represented Finland at multiple World Championships and Olympic tournaments, including the 2022 Games, where Finland won bronze. She has also held leadership roles for both club and country.

Laitinen was on Jocks Next Gen in May and broke down her path to falling in love with the sport:

Laitinen projects as a dependable top-four defender with room to keep expanding her offensive impact. Her skating, maturity, and experience against elite competition give her a strong chance to provide a steady blue-line presence in Hamilton right out of the gate.