Canada and USA sent teams of players who will be in the NCAA this season, and also who will consider declaring for the 2026 PWHL Draft.
The 2026 Draft has an elite top end headlined by USA senior national team members like Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards, Abbey Murphy, and Tessa Janecke. And with the 2026 Olympics set to take place, there's a belief more Europeans might take a shot at coming to North America via the 2026 Draft.
The first major scouting event of the 2025-26 season for PWHL teams took place this weekend in Lake Placid, New York as Canada's National Development team took on USA's Collegiate Select team in their annual Summer Series.
Here's a look at some notable members of the series who are 2026 PWHL Draft eligible.
Elyssa Biederman, USA/Colgate
The only question mark on a PWHL transition is her 5-foot-1 frame. At the Collegiate Series, her size was a non-factor as Biederman played big, engaged physically, flashed her speed, and showed a determination to be first on pucks. She scored a few big goals, and was valuable on the defensive side of the puck as well. This was a positive showing to kick off Biederman's draft year.
Sarah Paul, Canada/Minnesota
Sarah Paul is an elite shooter. She has deceptive hands and can change her release point to freeze goalies and open lanes. Paul's willingness to shoot from anywhere at any time, and the velocity her shot arrives at will make her a scorer anywhere she goes. Defensively, there is some growth to come, mostly surrounding decision making with the puck while on the attack that at times put her team in a bad spot defensively. Watch for this element of Paul's game to take shape in the WCHA this season.
Sloane Matthews, USA/Ohio State
Matthews isn't going to light up the PWHL offensively as a top line player, but she's going to make a middle six a lot more difficult to play against. Matthews was a 200-foot impact player for USA going to the dirty areas in the offensive zone, and blocking shots, and closing lanes with her stick defensively.
Grace Dwyer, USA/Cornell
It wouldn't be surprising to see Dwyer close the gap between herself and the top group of senior national team members in this draft. Dwyer played well at both ends of the ice making good decisions with the puck at the offensive blueline. Her sister Rose won't be far behind when it comes to joining the PWHL.
Sydney Morrow, USA/Minnesota
Morrow had a quiet event, but often as a defender, that's not a bad thing. Morrow has shown herself to be a capable offensive defender at the NCAA level, and flirted with a national team spot in 2024. She played steady minutes and looked good in 50/50 puck battles.
Vivian Jungels, USA/Wisconsin
She showcased her mobile, smooth game in this Series. She sees the ice well and is dangerous in transition and sliding into an offensive position from the blueline. She's an often overlooked cornerstone of Wisconsin's current success, but she shouldn't be.
MaryKate O'Brien, USA/Minnesota-Duluth
She wasn't the most offensively dangerous player, but she also opportunistically scored one of the bigger goals of the series. Where O'Brien's real impact was however, was along the walls and in the defensive zone. She can contribute in a bottom six role in the PWHL and provide offensive upside. A leader at Minnesota-Duluth, a program becoming synonymous with producing PWHL-ready players.
Sara Swiderski, Canada/Ohio State
Swiderski is an interesting defender who has undeniable upside. She's good at everything, but has no significant point to her game that stands out more than the other. She's always around the puck, and likes to engage. You can see her quiet competitiveness in her play.
Avi Adam, Canada/Cornell
An intelligent two-way player who gets after pucks. Adam is positionally strong and makes her team more difficult to play against.
Tova Henderson, Canada/Minnesota-Duluth
There's not a lot of risk in Henderson's game, but it's what makes her such a solid defender. Henderson makes good first passes, and rarely loses her coverage. She can play professionally.
Other Players To Watch:
Alyssa Regalado
Jamie Nelson
JoJo Chobak
Casey Borgiel
Maddie Kaiser
Jules Constantinople
Lily Shannon