PWHL exec addresses Draft order ahead of Detroit event: ‘We’ve done the best we can’

DETROIT (FOX 2) – PWHL executive leadership fielded questions about the Draft pick order Tuesday after fans raised concerns about all four expansion teams picking before existing teams that did not make the playoffs last season.

Days before the draft, which is being held in the first announced expansion city, Detroit, the order was revealed. 

PWHL Draft order

1. Vancouver Goldeneyes
2. Seattle Torrent
3. PWHL Detroit
4. PWHL San Jose
5. PWHL Las Vegas
6. PWHL Hamilton
7. New York Sirens
8. Toronto Sceptres
9. Minnesota Frost
10. Boston Fleet
11. Ottawa Charge
12. Montréal Victoire

While it makes sense that Vancouver would pick first after finishing first in the Gold Plan standings and Seattle would get second pick because the team finished in last place last season, fans expressed concerns about New York and Toronto not getting to pick until after all four new teams joining the league next season.  

VIEW: PWHL Draft eligibility list

Both the Sirens and Sceptres did not make it to the playoffs in the 2025-26 season.

Detroit, San Jose, Las Vegas, and Hamilton have all been building their rosters for several weeks by picking players from existing teams. Some fans of existing teams have argued that they now must rebuild after taking big hits during the trading period, but do not believe they have a fair chance to do so because of the Draft order. 

What they’re saying:

When discussing the addition of four teams to the league during a press conference Tuesday, Jayna Hefford, the executive vice president of hockey operations for the PWHL, said the goal has been to give players a meaningful choice and maintain competitive balance within the league. She said the expansion teams will pick higher than some existing teams to maintain that competitive balance, adding that it is a challenge to form four new teams while keeping that balance.

“We’ve done the best we can with the information we have,” she said. 

Hefford said that the distribution process was months in the making, and was based on facts and information available to leadership, though she did not elaborate on that information.

“The order itself is in line with what we’ve said all along,” Hefford said. “We’re comfortable with where we’re at.”

Dig deeper:

This year’s Draft order differs from last year, when the two new teams joining the league, Seattle and Vancouver, picked last.

The 2026 Draft order will also remain the same for all 12 teams, while last year, the expansion teams alternated picks through the rounds. 

What’s next:

The PWHL Draft is set to begin at 5 p.m. June 17 from the Fox Theatre in Downtown Detroit.

Before the event, a free PWHL Draft Fan Zone will be set up beginning at 2 p.m. on Columbia Street in Detroit, while a watch party will be held at Union Assembly. 

Watch the PWHL Draft live below: