PWHL draft in Detroit will double as Team USA gold medal reunion, with 5 Olympians up for selection

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DETROIT (AP) — The Olympics are long over for Gina Kingsbury, and the now-former Team Canada women’s hockey executive is ready to put aside cross-border rivalries and whatever lingering sting remains from losing to the Americans in February.

As GM of the Toronto Sceptres, Kingsbury is looking forward to the opportunity to select from the bumper crop of U.S. talent available in the PWHL draft being held in Detroit on Wednesday.

“When I look at the draft, I’m beyond excited for some of these incredible American players that are coming in,” Kingsbury said last week. “Regardless if I had my Canada hat on or not, I think everybody would be very excited to be able to work with these incredible athletes.”

The only question is who will be available when the Sceptres are set to pick at No. 8.

The newly expanded 12-team PWHL is holding its fourth draft in one of its new markets. And the event is essentially doubling as a reunion for five members of the U.S. team that won gold by beating Canada at the Milan Cortina Games in February.

A deep and talented 236-player draft class is top-heavy with Americans, led by Wisconsin defender and Olympic tournament MVP Caroline Harvey. She’s followed by four U.S. teammates in Wisconsin’s Laila Edwards and Kirsten Simms, Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy and Penn State forward Tessa Janecke.

Add in non-U.S. Olympians in Wisconsin forward Lacey Eden, Ohio State defender Emma Peschel and Minnesota forward Sydney Morrow, and the first round could feature a predominant American flavor.

Vancouver is scheduled to pick first, followed by fellow 2025 expansion team Seattle, after being the first two teams eliminated from playoff contention.

Then come the PWHL’s newest additions, with Las Vegas having picks Nos. 3 and 5. Las Vegas was awarded the No. 5 pick, and acquired the No. 3 selection in a sign-and-trade deal that sent five-time U.S. Olympian Hilary Knight to Detroit.

San Jose is set to pick fourth and Hamilton sixth.

The depth of the draft classes' overall talent was already worked into the PWHL projections when it elected to add four expansion teams this offseason. And each of the 12 teams have numerous needs following an expansion signing process that shook up the rosters of the eight returning teams.

The American talent in the draft is so rich that U.S. coach John Wroblewski said any one of his five players would have been considered potential No. 1 selections in most years.

“I think it’s going to be unprecedented to see this many Olympians taken, and pivotal PWHL players. It’s certainly not going to be the norm going forward,” Wroblewski told The Associated Press. “There is just so much exceptional and generational talent in the top spots.”

Though Wroblewski called it a “no-brainer” for Harvey to go No. 1, each of the five Olympians has the potential of being immediate impact players.

With her fluid skating and play-making ability, the 23-year-old Harvey is already regarded as one of her game's top players after also earning women's college hockey MVP honors.

Murphy brings grit and offense. At 6-foot-1, Edwards can play defense or forward, and possesses the rare combination of having a hard shot and smooth skating ability.

Janecke is a well-rounded center, while Simms is strong on the wing, and a half-wall specialist on power plays.

And that doesn’t even include Eden, who missed the national team cut but finished last year with a women’s college hockey-leading 77 points.

There’s plenty of Canadian and European talent available in the six-round draft.

The top-ranked Canadians are considered to be Ohio State defender Sara Swiderski and Princeton forward Issy Wunder.

Switzerland national team goalie Andrea Braendli could go in the first round. The 29-year-old earned top goalie honors at Milan. Among the top-ranked European skaters are Finland national team forwards Elisa Holopainen and Petra Nieminen.

“The talent is there in the first round, but I don’t think people have really been looking into rounds 3 through 6, and that talent is deep in this draft,” Las Vegas GM Dominique DiDia said. “It’s not stopping at Round 1.”

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey