The Ottawa Charge face a critical challenge at the upcoming PWHL draft as they seek to replenish a roster depleted by expansion and free agency departures. The latest loss is forward Peyton Hemp, who signed with the expansion Hamilton team as a free agent, joining Brianne Jenner and Emily Clark.
Hemp's impact and departure
Hemp, a fourth-round pick by the Charge in the previous draft, recorded two goals and seven assists in 30 games during her rookie season. She also scored the decisive goal in Ottawa's sole victory during the championship final series against the Montreal Victoire, just three days after her 23rd birthday. Beyond her offensive contributions, Hemp was a key component of the checking line alongside Clark and Gabbie Hughes.
Draft order revealed late
The Charge learned on Monday evening that they will select 11th in the draft, after the league released the draft order just 48 hours before the event. General Manager Mike Hirshfeld addressed the situation during a Zoom call with Ottawa reporters.
“We had a sense we’d be picking near the end of the draft, just because of the success we had last season,” Hirshfeld said. “I think we’re in a good spot, and we’ve done the work on all the players, so we were going to be able to adjust, no problem.”
Draft details
The six-round draft will be held at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The Vancouver Goldeneyes hold the first pick, followed by the Seattle Torrent, and then four expansion teams: Detroit, San Jose, Las Vegas, and Hamilton. The remaining order includes New York Sirens (7th), Toronto Sceptres (8th), Minnesota Frost (9th), Boston Fleet (10th), Ottawa Charge (11th), and Montreal Victoire (12th).
Top prospect: Caroline Harvey
The draft is widely considered the Caroline Harvey draft. The 5-foot-8 defender was named MVP at the 2026 Olympics, leading the U.S. to a gold medal. Last season at Wisconsin, she recorded 64 points in 33 games, the second-most ever by an NCAA defender, along with a plus-75 rating. Harvey is expected to be selected first overall by Vancouver.
“She is a generational talent,” Hirshfeld said. “Her skating, her offensive ability, her vision, her passing … it’s off the charts, probably as good as we’ve seen. She’s going to be so exciting to watch in this league. She’s a game changer, whose impact you’ll see every night she plays.”
Other notable prospect
Another top prospect is Abbey Murphy, an agitating winger from the University of Minnesota. She led the nation in points per game last season with 40 goals and 26 assists in 31 games, while also setting an NCAA record for most career penalty minutes (357 in 170 games).
