Vancouver Goldeneyes pick American Caroline Harvey 1st overall in PWHL draft

Generational American defender Caroline Harvey is a member of the Vancouver Goldeneyes.

The 23-year-old was selected first overall by Vancouver at the PWHL draft in Detroit on Wednesday night.

It caps off a stellar season for Harvey. Earlier on Wednesday, she won the International Ice Hockey Federation's Female Player of the Year Award by a landslide, receiving more than 77 per cent of the votes.

She was the MVP of the 2026 Olympic tournament as a member of the dominant American team that defeated Canada for gold.

She was also named the Patty Kazmaier Award winner as the top player in U.S. women's college hockey, as she led the University of Wisconsin to an NCAA championship, the third of Harvey's career.

And now Harvey enters the PWHL, where she will be a face of the league for years to come.

She's an intelligent defender whose strong skating gives her the ability to lead the rush or get back quickly to defend. She's one of the most deceptive defenders in the game, largely thanks to her solid edgework.

At the Olympics, she tied teammate Megan Keller for the tournament scoring lead with nine points in seven games.

"I’ve worked in the NHL and technically, she’s the best skater I’ve worked with," Harvey's long-time skating coach, Dave Breen, told CBC Sports last week. "It’s forced me to come up with different things and better ways to coach and teach her."

Harvey joins Canadian Sophie Jaques on Vancouver's blue line, giving the Goldeneyes two of the most talented offensive defenders in women's hockey.

Harvey is the first of several U.S. Olympic team stars expected to be taken in the PWHL draft's first round.

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