DETROIT, MI (June 17, 2026) – PWHL Las Vegas selected eight players in the 2026 PWHL Draft presented by Upper Deck, adding six 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 eight players already under contract.
"We are absolutely thrilled with how the 2026 PWHL Draft unfolded for our organization,” said PWHL Las Vegas General Manager Dominique DiDia. “We believe we added a group of talented, competitive and high-character players who align with the culture and identity we’re building in Las Vegas. Today was an important step in building a championship-caliber team, and we couldn’t be more excited about the future.”
PWHL Las Vegas 2026 PWHL Draft Picks:
Round 1 – 3rd Pick Overall (via Detroit) – Tessa Janecke, F, Penn State University, Orangeville, IL
Round 1 – 5th Pick Overall – Lacey Eden, F, University of Wisconsin, Annapolis, MD
Round 2 – 13th Pick Overall (via Vancouver) – Isabel Wunder, F, Princeton University, Toronto, ON
Round 3 – 29th Pick Overall – Josefin Bouveng, F, University of Minnesota, Uppsala, SWE
Round 4 – 41st Pick Overall – Saskia Maurer, G, SC Bern (SWHL), Rothenbach im Emmental, SUI
Round 5 – 49th Pick Overall (via Vancouver) – Kendall Butze, D, Penn State University, Cleveland, OH
Round 5 – 53rd Overall Pick – Alexis Petford, F, Colgate University, Balgonie, SK
Round 6 – 65th Overall Pick – Sydney Healey, F, Boston University, Arthur, 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 LAS VEGAS
PWHL Las Vegas 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 Las Vegas was officially announced as one of the league’s four new expansion teams on May 13 and will debut at T-Mobile Arena 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 Las Vegas’ historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. To learn more and stay up to date, visit LasVegasPWHL.com, subscribe to PWHL Las Vegas’ newsletter here, opens in a new tab, and follow the team on Facebook PWHL Las Vegas, opens in a new tab, Instagram @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, X @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, TikTok @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, YouTube PWHL Las Vegas, opens in a new tab, Threads @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, Bluesky @PWHL-LasVegas, opens in a new tab, and LinkedIn PWHL Las Vegas, opens in a new tab.
PWHL, the PWHL Logo, and PWHL team names and logos are trademarks of the PWHL. © PWHL 2026. All Rights Reserved.