San Jose selects Laila Edwards, Seattle picks Abbey Murphy in PWHL draft
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San Jose Selects Laila Edwards
The PWHL San Jose team announced the selection of defender Laila Edwards from the University of Wisconsin as the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 PWHL Draft. The draft, presented by Upper Deck, is currently taking place at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan. Edwards, a 22-year-old from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, played a significant role for the Badgers during her collegiate career.
During the 2025-26 season, Edwards accumulated 45 points in 28 games for the University of Wisconsin. As a junior, she led the nation with 35 goals, which marked the highest goal total for any Wisconsin player since the 2011-12 campaign. Her collegiate tenure at Wisconsin saw her record 199 points over 151 games. She received several accolades, including being named to the All-WCHA First Team and being a top three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. Edwards also earned All-WCHA Third Team honors as a sophomore and WCHA All-Rookie Team honors after her initial season.
On the international stage, Edwards secured a gold medal with the United States at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina. She also earned two medals, one gold and one silver, at the IIHF Women’s World Championship. In 2024, she was named the tournament’s MVP, becoming the youngest player at 20 years old to achieve this recognition.
Seattle Chooses Abbey Murphy
The Seattle Torrent made their selection with the second overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft, choosing Abbey Murphy from the University of Minnesota. Murphy, who is 24 years old, had a notable 2025-26 campaign, establishing herself as one of the top offensive players in the NCAA. She finished second nationally in goals with 40 and second in points with 66, both representing career highs for her.
Murphy, a native of Evergreen Park, Illinois, concluded her NCAA career with a total of 261 points, including 143 goals and 118 assists, across five seasons. This performance places her as the sixth-highest goal scorer in college hockey history and 12th on the all-time points list. She has also been a two-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.
Her international contributions include a gold medal with the U.S. National Team at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, where she registered seven points from two goals and five assists in seven games. Murphy also helped the United States secure a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Additionally, she was part of the U.S. teams that won two World Championships in 2023 and 2025.
Tyler Kuehl, a writer for Daily Faceoff, commented on Murphy’s abilities, noting her physicality, tenacity, and goal-scoring prowess. He highlighted her potential to be a significant player in the PWHL immediately. Kuehl also mentioned Murphy’s strong performance in the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she was a key contributor to the U.S. team’s gold medal win in Milan.
The first two rounds of the 2026 PWHL Draft are being broadcast in the U.S. on Scripps Sports platforms, including over-the-air television in select markets and nationally on Scripps FAST channel and Scripps Sports Network. In Canada, the draft is available on TSN2, with complete coverage of all rounds also accessible on TSN+ and the PWHL YouTube Channel worldwide.
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Source: thepwhl.com
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