WATERLOO, Ont. - The 2026 PWHL draft takes place Wednesday, June 17, and with the league recently expanding from 8 to 12 teams, there are now more opportunities than ever for women's hockey players to play professionally in North America.
The 2026 PWHL draft will count six rounds for a total of 72 selections. The Vancouver Goldeneyes hold the first overall selection. 235 players declared for the 2026 PWHL draft, of which 42 were from U SPORTS.
Five Warriors from this season's squad are among those hoping to hear their name called Wednesday evening; Lyndsy Acheson (Summerland, B.C./Penticton Secondary School), Katina Duscio (Kitchener, Ont./St. Mary's High School), Tatum James (Stratford, Ont./Northwestern Secondary School), Carly Orth (Bolton, Ont./Humberview Secondary School), and Keiara Raitt (Ancaster, Ont./Ancaster High School). Former Warrior Krystin Lawrence – who last played for Waterloo in 2022 – has also declared.
It's the largest contingent of black and gold to declare for the PWHL draft since the league's inception, which is no surprise given the stellar class of graduating seniors the Warriors had in 2025-2026.
"This group's done a lot of winning," said Waterloo Head Coach Shaun Reagan, who has guided this class of Warriors to a McCaw Cup, a U SPORTS silver medal, an OUA silver medal, and three U SPORTS championship appearances – two as hosts – in the past five years.
"It's a group that changed our program when they came in as first-year players, and they've been excellent ever since," said Reagan. "I feel like with this group, their size and skating ability and strength will make them a good fit to play at the next level."
Acheson, the Summerland, B.C. native, was the Warriors captain and a stalwart on the defensive end of the ice. She was named an OUA West second team all-star and U SPORTS championship tournament all-star in 2025.
"She's a leader on her team, definitely a team-first player, and her physicality is what really drives her game," said Reagan. "She played in all situations for us. She's a strong 1‑on‑1 defender with a solid first pass and the ability to jump into the rush with her speed."
Duscio was the Warriors' other top defender this season. The Kitchener native transferred to Waterloo after three seasons with St Lawrence University in the NCAA and made an immediate impact for the Warriors. She led the OUA in points among defenders with 19 and was an OUA West first team all-star.
"She can log a lot of minutes and plays in all situations. She really did an excellent job developing her offensive game, especially on the power play," said Reagan. "She's long, has an excellent stick, blocks shots, and plays with physicality. It makes her really tough to play against."
James, a three-time OUA West all-star, became the Warriors all-time leading goal scorer this season, breaking Leah Herrfort's (Palmerston, ON/) record with her 43rd goal and adding four more to bring her career total to 47.
"She's a key performer in key moments and always has the ability to score big goals," said Reagan. "She has a high hockey IQ, sees the ice really well, and has a deceptive shot. She's a really offensively gifted player."
Orth's breakout 2024-2025 season, in which she was named the OUA West Player of the Year made her the focal point of opposing defences for most of this season, but that didn't stop her from leading the team with 22 points and adding a second OUA West first team all-star nod.
"She has everything; size, physicality, skill, and the ability to play up and down a lineup," said Reagan. "She's a true power forward with a high skill level, a great shot, and she's really difficult to play against one-on-one."
Raitt was arguably the most exciting player to watch in the OUA this year. After missing the first half of the regular season due to injury, she scored two goals in each of her first three games back. She finished the season with 11 goals and 16 points in 16 games.
"She's a high-skilled player and a real student of the game who understands systems and competes hard in all areas," said Reagan. "She has an excellent shot and can make those 'wow' plays offensively. She's a natural goal scorer."
Lawrence was the 2017 OUA West Player of the Year with the Windsor Lancers. She joined Waterloo in 2019-2020 and scored 36 points in 36 games over two seasons with the Warriors.
"She's a power forward with an absolute rocket of a shot and the ability to make plays on the power play," said Reagan. "If she's healthy, she's a real diamond in the rough. She has size, physicality, and the hockey IQ to make an impact."
The 2026 PWHL draft takes place Wednesday, June 17, at 5:00 PM.
