Photo by: Professional Women's Hockey League
Five Badgers selected in the first round of the 2026 PWHL Draft
June 17, 2026 | Women's Hockey
Harvey becomes first-ever Badger drafted in top spot
DETROIT — In a historic night for the Badgers, five former Wisconsin Women's Hockey student athletes were selected in the first round of the 2026 Professional Women's Hockey League Draft.Â
Caroline Harvey will head to Vancouver after becoming the first-ever Badger and defender to be selected in the number one spot. Laila Edwards and Lacey Eden went back-to-back at fourth and fifth overall to San Jose and Las Vegas, respectively. Kirsten Simms followed as the eighth pick headed to Toronto, and Vivian Jungels rounded out the Badgers' picks, going 11th to Ottawa.Â
Wisconsin's first-round pick tally now sits at six, as former Badger Casey O'Brien was selected third overall in last year's draft. This statistic tops the rankings for any NCAA women's hockey program.Â
The 2026 Patty Kazmaier Award recipient and captain of the 2026 National Championship team, Harvey had a historic final season with the Badgers. She broke UW's single-season defensive scoring record with 64 points, a record she previously held, and completed her career with an impressive 201 points. A three-time ACHA First-Team All-American, Harvey also helped lead Team USA to a gold medal this year, where she earned Olympic MVP after recording nine points in seven games. Just hours before being drafted first overall, Harvey was named the 2026 IIHF Female Player of Year.
Being drafted fourth overall continues an exciting year for Edwards, as she became the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women's senior national team and won a third national championship with Wisconsin. Earning recognition as an ACHA Second-Team All-American this past season, she finished her collegiate career with 199 points. The Olympic gold medalist enjoyed eight points in her winter games debut and was named to the Media All-Star Team following her performance.Â
Four-time NCAA champion Eden saved her best season for her final stanza with the Badgers, leading the country in points with 77 and earning ACHA First-Team All-American honors. The Annapolis-native completed her career at Wisconsin with a stunning 245 points, which ranks third in school history. She left an impact on the Wisconsin record book, also cracking the top-10 in goals (105), assists (140), game-winning goals (23), and powerplay-goals (26). She has performed on the international stage as well, winning gold with Team USA at the 2023 & 2025 IIHF Women's World Championships.Â
A dominant member of three NCAA championship teams, Simms has consistently been one of the nation's top scorers. A testament to her clutch goalscoring, her 100th career goal came in overtime in the national semifinal game to send the Badgers to their fourth national title game in four years. A top-3 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2024 and ACHA First-Team All-American in 2025, Simms' 238 career points ties for fifth in program history. Simms made her Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games and scored a goal against Canada in the preliminary round.Â
A three-time national champion and Wisconsin's all-time leader in plus/minus at +218, Jungels was a crucial part of the Badgers' defense throughout her four years on the team. She led the team in blocked shots the past two seasons, totaling 118 in 80 games, and tallied a total of 75 points as a Badger. Jungels also spent time with Team USA as a member of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 U.S. Collegiate Select Team at the Collegiate Series vs. Canada.Â
"Like many WCHA fans and spectators, I was instantly impressed and awed by this historic group," WCHA Commissioner Michelle McAteer said. "Their skill, talent, accolades, and championships shattered the standard and will go down in history. More importantly, I was often more impressed with who they are and how they interacted with the media and fans. They are generous with their time and understand that they are inspiring the next generation. They represented Wisconsin and the WCHA at the highest level, and I wish them all the best in this exciting new chapter."
The 2026-27 season will mark the PWHL's fourth year as a league. Eighteen Badgers skated for the PWHL in the 2025-26 season, including Walter Cup champions Abby Roque, Ann-Renée Desbiens, and Dara Greig.Â
Caroline Harvey will head to Vancouver after becoming the first-ever Badger and defender to be selected in the number one spot. Laila Edwards and Lacey Eden went back-to-back at fourth and fifth overall to San Jose and Las Vegas, respectively. Kirsten Simms followed as the eighth pick headed to Toronto, and Vivian Jungels rounded out the Badgers' picks, going 11th to Ottawa.Â
Wisconsin's first-round pick tally now sits at six, as former Badger Casey O'Brien was selected third overall in last year's draft. This statistic tops the rankings for any NCAA women's hockey program.Â
The 2026 Patty Kazmaier Award recipient and captain of the 2026 National Championship team, Harvey had a historic final season with the Badgers. She broke UW's single-season defensive scoring record with 64 points, a record she previously held, and completed her career with an impressive 201 points. A three-time ACHA First-Team All-American, Harvey also helped lead Team USA to a gold medal this year, where she earned Olympic MVP after recording nine points in seven games. Just hours before being drafted first overall, Harvey was named the 2026 IIHF Female Player of Year.
Being drafted fourth overall continues an exciting year for Edwards, as she became the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women's senior national team and won a third national championship with Wisconsin. Earning recognition as an ACHA Second-Team All-American this past season, she finished her collegiate career with 199 points. The Olympic gold medalist enjoyed eight points in her winter games debut and was named to the Media All-Star Team following her performance.Â
Four-time NCAA champion Eden saved her best season for her final stanza with the Badgers, leading the country in points with 77 and earning ACHA First-Team All-American honors. The Annapolis-native completed her career at Wisconsin with a stunning 245 points, which ranks third in school history. She left an impact on the Wisconsin record book, also cracking the top-10 in goals (105), assists (140), game-winning goals (23), and powerplay-goals (26). She has performed on the international stage as well, winning gold with Team USA at the 2023 & 2025 IIHF Women's World Championships.Â
A dominant member of three NCAA championship teams, Simms has consistently been one of the nation's top scorers. A testament to her clutch goalscoring, her 100th career goal came in overtime in the national semifinal game to send the Badgers to their fourth national title game in four years. A top-3 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2024 and ACHA First-Team All-American in 2025, Simms' 238 career points ties for fifth in program history. Simms made her Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games and scored a goal against Canada in the preliminary round.Â
A three-time national champion and Wisconsin's all-time leader in plus/minus at +218, Jungels was a crucial part of the Badgers' defense throughout her four years on the team. She led the team in blocked shots the past two seasons, totaling 118 in 80 games, and tallied a total of 75 points as a Badger. Jungels also spent time with Team USA as a member of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 U.S. Collegiate Select Team at the Collegiate Series vs. Canada.Â
"Like many WCHA fans and spectators, I was instantly impressed and awed by this historic group," WCHA Commissioner Michelle McAteer said. "Their skill, talent, accolades, and championships shattered the standard and will go down in history. More importantly, I was often more impressed with who they are and how they interacted with the media and fans. They are generous with their time and understand that they are inspiring the next generation. They represented Wisconsin and the WCHA at the highest level, and I wish them all the best in this exciting new chapter."
The 2026-27 season will mark the PWHL's fourth year as a league. Eighteen Badgers skated for the PWHL in the 2025-26 season, including Walter Cup champions Abby Roque, Ann-Renée Desbiens, and Dara Greig.Â
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Defense/Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Defense
/ Women's Hockey
Defense
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
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