Olympic Gold Medalist Caroline Harvey Is Heading to Vancouver, and the PWHL Just Crowned Its First Draft Winner

The Vancouver Goldeneyes locked up the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Professional Women's Hockey League Draft, and they've got their sights set on Wisconsin defenseman Caroline Harvey. This isn't some lottery system or "worst record gets the pick" situation either. The PWHL does it different with what they call the Gold Plan: the team that racks up the most points after being eliminated from playoff contention gets the prize. And Vancouver just secured it Saturday night.

How Vancouver Clinched It

The Goldeneyes beat the Minnesota Frost 4-3 in overtime on Saturday, the final day of regular-season play. That win, combined with the Seattle Torrent's 2-1 shootout loss to Montreal, locked up the first overall pick for Vancouver. It's a unique format that rewards competitive hockey even when postseason hopes are gone, and it just paid off big time for the first-year franchise.

Who They're Getting: A Once-In-a-Generation Defender

Harvey, 23, is the real deal. She's an Olympic gold medalist from the Milan-Cortina Games and was named MVP of the Olympic Tournament with nine points in five games, an American defenseman record. She also won silver at Beijing in 2022 when she was just 19 years old. Off the ice, she was named Best Defenseman at both the 2003 and 2005 World Championships, both won by Team USA.

At Wisconsin, Harvey led the Badgers to three NCAA titles plus one runner-up finish over four seasons. In 150 games, she put up 201 points (54 goals, 147 assists), 15 power-play markers, and 12 game-winning goals. That's a defenseman who can skate, make plays, and finish. The full draft order is still being finalized, and the draft itself is expected to happen in June. But Vancouver already knows who they want.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.