Hours after becoming the first defender named IIHF Player of the Year, Caroline Harvey was chosen No. 1 overall in the 2026 PWHL Draft by the Vancouver Goldeneyes during Wednesday’s ceremony at Detroit’s Fox Theatre.
When the pick was finally announced at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on Wednesday, Caroline Harvey didn’t sound like someone basking in the spotlight. She sounded stunned by how fast the moment had piled up.
Just hours earlier, she became the first defender to be named the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Player of the Year. Then, the Vancouver Goldeneyes selected her No. 1 overall in the 2026 PWHL Draft.
“It’s been a special year,” Harvey said after the selection, dressed in a white blazer. “Just all the experiences with the U.S. team and Wisconsin. Just so grateful for all my coaches, teammates, and family. It really takes a village and just feeling really blessed right now.”
Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s executive vice president of hockey operations, made the announcement as Goldeneyes general manager Cara Gardner Morey and Billie Jean King watched from the stage. Hefford told the crowd that the moment belonged to the next generation.
“To our prospects, this is a night you have earned through years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication,” Hefford said. “We are thrilled to share this moment with you, your families and hockey fans around the world.”
The selection capped a year already loaded with milestones. Harvey won a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics with Team USA in February. She was also named tournament MVP after totaling nine points on two goals and seven assists as the Americans claimed their first gold medal since 2018.
She followed the Olympics with Wisconsin, where she put up 64 points in her senior season—18 goals and 46 assists—setting a single-season points record for a Badgers defender. Wisconsin won the NCAA national championship for the third time in her career and ninth in program history.
Harvey also earned the 2026 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the highest individual honor in women’s college hockey. In her acceptance speech, she directed praise to the people around her.
“Being able to compete against one another every day in practice. pushing each other to our absolute limits always has been a blessing. ” Harvey said. “I’m forever grateful for the amazing friendships you have all provided along the way. This award is a reflection of our team success as nothing is ever an individual award.”.
The No. 1 pick matters on more than a personal level. Harvey is joining a Vancouver franchise that finished sixth in the regular season standings with 37 points in its inaugural season.
Vancouver also earned the top slot through the league’s “Gold Plan. ” an anti-tanking initiative designed to reward performance after playoff contention ends. The Goldeneyes were awarded the top pick in the Caroline Harvey sweepstakes after finishing first in the Gold Plan standings by tallying the most points after being eliminated from playoff contention.
For Harvey, the draft night was another new chapter in a year that has already rewritten expectations for a defender. For Vancouver. it’s a high-stakes bet on a player whose résumé now includes the IIHF’s top individual honor. an Olympic gold medal. and a college career that culminated in the Kazmaier award.
Caroline Harvey Vancouver Goldeneyes PWHL Draft 2026 PWHL Draft IIHF Player of the Year Fox Theatre Detroit women's hockey