The overriding sentiment from the PWHL Detroit squad’s inaugural crop of draft picks was one of unabashed excitement at the prospect of what’s ahead.
Detroit general manager Manon Rheaume used 2026 PWHL Draft, held at the Fox Theatre on Wednesday, June 17, to add six players to the 10 already under contract as the franchise’s roster takes shape. Most importantly, Rheaume used her first pick − a second-rounder, at No. 15 overall, after trading the No. 3 overall pick to San Jose for Team USA legend Hilary Knight − to draft a goaltender, selecting 2026 Swiss Olympic bronze medalist Andrea Brändli.
Rheaume added defender Casey Borgiel in the second round, at No. 22 overall, and then went all in on forwards: MK O’Brien (No. 34, in the third round), Kyla Josifovic (No. 39, in the fourth) and Sena Catterall (No. 51, in the fifth) and Georgia Schiff (No. 63, in the sixth and final round).
“We have a lot of skills and speed and people that can score, and continue to build with some defense throughout the phase,” Rheaume said. “For this part of the draft, it was important to us to continue with the same team, by being a team that plays fast and relentless. And I think the players we picked represented that.”
The PWHL season is expected to start in late November or early December, likely after the World Championships wrap up in Denmark on Nov 16. The Detroit team − a nickname is still in the works − will play at Little Caesars Arena, sharing the building with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. The PWHL has played four games in the building − the most of any non-PWHL venue − over the league’s three seasons, drawing an average of nearly 13,400 fans.
“It’s going to be amazing,” said O’Brien, who arrives in Detroit after five college seasons with Minnesota Duluth. “I mean, even the “Takeover Tour” games that they’ve had, there’s been a lot of support. They’ve shown that Detroit deserves a women’s team. I’m happy they got it and happy to be a part of it. And I’m really looking forward to playing in front of such an energetic and passionate crowd.”
There were loud cheers from the audience every time Detroit called another player out of the stands, adding to the thrill.
“Hearing the Detroit fans here at this draft, it was surreal,” Schiff said. “It’s an honor to be a part of the sports community in this city. I’m so grateful to be a part of Detroit. The love here at the draft was phenomenal and I’m just so excited.”
Coming into the draft, Detroit had 10 players under contract: the 37-year-old Knight, along with forwards Hannah Bilka, Jesse Compher, Britta Curl-Salemme, Shiann Darkangelo, Taylor Girard and Daryl Watts; and defenders Cayla Barnes, Sydney Bard and Nina Jobst-Smith. Barnes, Bilka, Curl-Salemme and Knight won gold at the 2026 Olympics, while Brändli won bronze. Jobst-Smith, meanwhile, scored the opening goal of the tournament, for Germany.
“Seeing all the expansion picks and stuff like that, I’m like, Ooh, Detroit’s gonna have a team for sure,” Catterall said. “They brought in a lot of top-end players, a lot of top-end talent, and so I’m just excited to practice with them, to play with them, to learn from them, and to really learn what I can from them and just soak up any knowledge that they have to offer me.”
The draft being held in Detroit was personal for Borgiel, who is from Port Huron. In a bit of a footloose twist, Borgiel’s pick was announced by the Detroit City FC women’s team; Borgiel played high school soccer for Port Huron Northern.
“All my friends were like, I hope you go to Detroit,” said Borgiel, a defender who posted 50 points in 75 games over two seasons at Colgage. “One of my friends is joking about living with me downtown, because she works downtown now. So it’s definitely just an incredible experience to even be in Detroit, never mind being drafted by the team that is hosting. Right when the draft started, and everyone started going crazy, in my head, I was like, Oh, my gosh, that would be insane to be picked by Detroit with all these people here. So, it’s kind of crazy I’m in this position right now.
“I was watching the roster getting picked, I was like, Oh, I wonder what Manon’s got up her sleeve, and then it was like, boom, boom, boom, boom. The signings were like, Oh, wow, she just picked up those players in a row. It would be unbelievable to walk in the locker room one day and be sitting in the same room as those people.”
Josifovic comes to Detroit after four college seasons at Connecticut, including 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 39 games in her final season. As the evening wore on, she was hoping one team in particular would call her name.
“Just seeing the players that Detroit has already picked up, it’s going to be a spectacular team,” she said. “I just wanted to be selected by them.”
As for suiting up later this year, Josifovic anticipated the team’s first game at LCA will be “electric. I think it’s going to be amazing.”
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: PWHL Detroit 1st draft class fired up for Hockeytown debut
Reporting by Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
