New England’s own Caroline Harvey goes No. 1 in PWHL Draft to the Goldeneyes

Sport admin June 17, 2026 0 Comments

New England’s own Caroline Harvey goes No. 1 in PWHL Draft to the Goldeneyes

DETROIT — The fluorescent spotlight from a TV camera slowly climbs up Caroline Harvey’s face, shining directly into her steely blue eyes, and she doesn’t blink.

She’s ready for this moment.

In the leadup to the 2026 PWHL Draft, Harvey was all anyone wanted to talk about — and for good reason. At her pre-draft media availability Tuesday, a crowd of reporters swarmed her, and the cameras rolled nonstop as she gave measured answers about how excited she is for life as a pro.

A once-in-a-generation talent with skills often likened to Bobby Orr, Harvey is poised to be the next star in the PWHL, and Wednesday at the Fox Theatre, she took the next step toward making that a reality as the first pick in the draft.

The Goldeneyes selected Harvey, who grew up between Groton, Mass. and Salem, N.H., and though Vancouver’s pick was no surprise, the crowd leapt to its feet and exploded in a cacophony of noise when PWHL executive vice president for hockey operations Jayna Hefford called Harvey’s name.

Harvey stood calmly in her crisp, white suit and hugged the people around her — in total she was joined by about a dozen friends, family members, and coaches from New England, New York (where she went to high school), and Wisconsin, where she stepped into the spotlight as a college player. Not to mention half a dozen Badgers teammates expected to go in the first round.

“To have a lot of family and friends to come from the [New England] area out here to support who have been along for the whole journey — it’s just a special, special time,” Harvey said. “I love New England so much.”

The past few months have been a whirlwind for Harvey, who won gold with Team USA and was named MVP at the Milan Olympics in February, led the Badgers to a second consecutive NCAA championship in March, won the Patty Kazmaier award, and began the pre-draft process while finishing her senior year and graduating from college.

On Wednesday, just before she was selected, was named the IIHF female player of the year.

“It’s overwhelming in the best way,” she said.

Already considered one of the best defenders in the world at 23 years old, Harvey is an elite skater and two-way player. She had 18 goals and 46 assists with the Badgers last season despite missing a month for the Olympics.

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Harvey led NCAA defenders in points and averaged 1.94 per game, good for second in the nation behind Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy (2.13), who was drafted second by the Seattle Torrent. She was named WCHA Player of the Year and Defender of the Year, making her the first player in WCHA history to be the top defender three times.

She was just the third defender to win the Patty Kazmaier Award and will join the second, Sophie Jaques, on the Goldeneyes’ blue line.

“She’s such a stud,” Harvey said of Jaques. “Her IQ is off the charts, and it’d be an honor to play with her.”

This week, Harvey connected with Cayla Barnes at a sponsor event, and Barnes, a three-year PWHL veteran who joined Detroit’s expansion team this month, offered a simple but sage piece of pre-draft advice: Enjoy the moment.

That’s a message Harvey reiterated a number of times after being drafted first.

“You have no idea until you officially hear [your name], and this draft class is just so deep, and so many phenomenal players, and anyone can get picked at any time,” she said. “I’m just honored to hear my name called.”