DETROIT, MI (June 17, 2026) – PWHL Hamilton selected six players in the 2026 PWHL Draft presented by Upper Deck, adding four forwards, one defender and one goaltender to the organization’s roster. These selections add depth to the team’s lineup ahead of the 2026-27 season, joining ten players already under contract.
“Tonight we finished with six excellent picks,” said PWHL Hamilton General Manager Meghan Duggan. “It’s just so exciting how our roster is coming together — the draft was a great opportunity to build off the expansion process with the players we selected tonight. It was a great night for some of these young players who are looking forward to their rookie seasons next year.”
Hamilton 2026 PWHL Draft Picks:
Round 1 — 6th Pick Overall – Nelli Laitinen, D, University of Minnesota (NCAA), Lohja, FIN
Round 2 — 18th Pick Overall – Jade Iginla, F, Brown University (NCAA), Lake Country, BC
Round 3 — 30th Pick Overall – Elyssa Biederman, F, Colgate University (NCAA), Franklin, MI
Round 4 — 42nd Pick Overall – Megan Woodworth, F, University of Connecticut, Berwick, NS
Round 5 — 54th Pick Overall – Emma-Sofie Nordström, G, St. Lawrence University, Herning, Denmark
Round 6 — 66th Pick Overall – Mya Vaslet, F, Penn State University, Stittsville, ON
A total of 72 players were selected by the league’s 12 teams during the six-round process at Detroit’s Fox Theatre. Click here for full results.
ABOUT PWHL HAMILTON
PWHL Hamilton is one of 12 teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), which was founded in 2023. The PWHL began its inaugural season in January 2024 and features the best women’s hockey players in the world. PWHL Hamilton was officially announced as one of the league’s four new expansion teams on May 13 and will debut at TD Coliseum in the fall. Fans can place a time-stamped deposit here, opens in a new tab to secure priority access to season tickets for PWHL Hamilton’s historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. To learn more and stay up to date, visit HamiltonPWHL.com, subscribe to PWHL Hamilton’s newsletter here, opens in a new tab, and follow the team on Facebook PWHL Hamilton, opens in a new tab, Instagram @PWHL_Hamilton, opens in a new tab, X @PWHL_Hamilton, opens in a new tab, TikTok @PWHL_Hamilton, opens in a new tab, YouTube PWHL Hamilton, opens in a new tab, Threads @PWHL_Hamilton, opens in a new tab, Bluesky @PWHL-Hamilton, opens in a new tab, and LinkedIn PWHL Hamilton, opens in a new tab.
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