Andrea Brändli, who most recently helped lead Switzerland to bronze at the Olympics and Michigan native Casey Borgiel have agreed to three-year and one-year contracts, respectively.
PWHL Detroit has inked two of the organization's top picks in the 2026 PWHL Draft after agreeing to a three-year contract with Andrea Brändli and a one-year deal with Casey Borgiel.
“We could not have asked for a better start to the draft by selecting an experienced goaltender like Andrea and a reliable defender like Casey in front of our hometown fans,” said PWHL Detroit General Manager Manon Rheaume via team release.
Detroit drafted Brändli with the 15th overall selection, making her the team's first-ever draft pick. She arrives at camp following a strong SDHL career, most recently with Frölunda HC of the SDHL, where she had a league-leading .945 save percentage and the second-best goals-against average at 1.49. Brändli is a three-time Olympian and a bronze medalist at the 2026 Winter Olympics, was named SDHL Goaltender of the Year (2025) and an NCAA national champion with Ohio State in 2022.
“Andrea’s performance at the Olympics showed the world that she is one of the best at her position and somebody who will make an immediate impact in the PWHL with her maturity and confidence," said Rheaume.
Borgiel also made history for the organization, becoming the team's first-ever Michigan native selected in the draft. She spent the past two seasons with Colgate University and was the team's top-scoring defender. During her previous two seasons with Holy Cross, Borgiel also earned Hockey East All-Rookie honours and has represented the U.S. in the 2025 Collegiate Series against Canada.
“It’s a dream come true to come home and play in the same arena that helped me fall in love with hockey and find my passion for the game,” said Borgiel via team release.
