LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — PWHL Las Vegas used the 2026 PWHL Draft to add eight players to their expansion-era club, where they continue building their roster for the 2026-27 season.
Las Vegas’ haul included two first-round selections: Penn State forward Tessa Janecke at No. 3 overall (via Detroit) and University of Wisconsin standout Lacey Eden at No. 5 overall. The draft was held at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, where a total of 72 players were selected by the league’s 12 teams over six rounds.
The organization selected six forwards, one defender and one goaltender.
“We are absolutely thrilled with how the 2026 PWHL Draft unfolded for our organization,” Las Vegas general manager Dominique DiDia said. “We believe we added a group of talented, competitive and high-character players who align with the culture and identity we’re building in Las Vegas. Today was an important step in building a championship-caliber team, and we couldn’t be more excited about the future.”
The eight selections will join eight players already under contract as the franchise adds depth across its lineup.
Janecke finished her four-year career at Penn State as the most decorated player in program history. A three-time Atlantic Hockey America Player of the Year and Forward of the Year, she set program records for goals (89), assists (112) and points (201), and became the school’s first top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as a senior.
In 2025-26, Janecke totaled 48 points (26 goals, 22 assists), her fourth straight season with at least 45 points, and helped lead the Nittany Lions to their first Frozen Four appearance. The 22-year-old from Orangeville, Illinois, also has international experience, including five assists in seven games during the United States’ gold-medal run at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. She has played in three IIHF Women’s World Championships, earning two gold medals and one silver.
Eden, 24, is a native of Annapolis, Maryland, and played at Wisconsin, where she became the only player in program history to win four national championships. In 2025-26, she led the nation in scoring with 29 goals and 48 assists in 41 games as a graduate student while helping the Badgers win another national title.
Across 178 career games at Wisconsin, Eden totaled 245 points (105 goals, 140 assists), ranking in the program’s top five in points and earning All-WCHA honors three times. Internationally, Eden has represented the United States at the IIHF Women’s World Championship five times, winning two gold medals and three silver.
PWHL Las Vegas 2026 Draft picks
- Round 1, No. 3 overall (via Detroit): Tessa Janecke, F, Penn State — Orangeville, Illinois
- Round 1, No. 5 overall: Lacey Eden, F, Wisconsin — Annapolis, Maryland
- Round 2, No. 13 overall (via Vancouver): Isabel Wunder, F, Princeton — Toronto, Ontario
- Round 3, No. 29 overall: Josefin Bouveng, F, Minnesota — Uppsala, Sweden
- Round 4, No. 41 overall: Saskia Maurer, G, SC Bern (SWHL) — Rothenbach im Emmental, Switzerland
- Round 5, No. 49 overall (via Vancouver): Kendall Butze, D, Penn State — Cleveland, Ohio
- Round 5, No. 53 overall: Alexis Petford, F, Colgate — Balgonie, Saskatchewan
- Round 6, No. 65 overall: Sydney Healey, F, Boston University — Arthur, Ontario
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