Can the Ottawa Charge find enough help at the PWHL draft to restock its depleted lineup?

Ottawa Charge general manager Mike Hirshfeld watches practice at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Photo by TONY CALDWELL /POSTMEDIA

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The Ottawa Charge has yet another key position to fill at the PWHL draft, with Peyton Hemp joining Brianne Jenner and Emily Clark in Hamilton as a free-agent signing by the expansion team.

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Hemp, a fourth-round pick by the Charge last year, had two goals and seven assists while playing 30 games in her rookie season. She also scored the biggest goal of her life, three days after her 23rd birthday, to help Ottawa win its only game in the championship final series against the Montreal Victoire.

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But Hemp’s contributions far exceeded her offensive numbers. She was a nice fit with Clark and Gabbie Hughes on the team’s checking line.

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The Charge found out on Monday evening it will be selecting 11th in the draft, as GM Mike Hirshfeld was on a Zoom call with Ottawa reporters, when the league finally came around to releasing its draft order 48 hours before the process begins.

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When does it start, and in what order do teams pick?

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The six-round draft, which is being held at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, gets underway at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

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The Vancouver Goldeneyes have first pick, by virtue of finishing first in the “Gold Plan” standings and accumulating the most points of teams after being eliminated from last season’s playoff race.

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Up next will be the Seattle Torrent, followed by this year’s four expansion teams.

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The full order:

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1. Vancouver Goldeneyes

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2. Seattle Torrent

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3. Detroit

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4. San Jose

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5. Las Vegas

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6. Hamilton

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7. New York Sirens

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8. Toronto Sceptres

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9. Minnesota Frost

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10. Boston Fleet

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11. Ottawa Charge

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12. Montreal Victoire

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How difficult is it to plan a draft strategy not knowing when you pick?

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A better question, which has so far remained unanswered, is why did the league wait so long to reveal the order?

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“We had a sense we’d be picking near the end of the draft, just because of the success we had last season,” Hirshfeld said. “I think we’re in a good spot, and we’ve done the work on all the players, so we were going to be able to adjust, no problem.”

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Who would be considered the cream of the crop?

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No question, this is the Caroline Harvey draft.

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A brilliant skater, the 5-foot-8 defender was named the MVP at the 2026 Olympics while leading the U.S.A. to a gold-medal win.

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Last season, she had 64 points in 33 games for the Wisconsin Badgers, the second-most ever by an NCAA defender, as well as a plus-75 rating.

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Not only will Harvey be selected first by the Goldeneyes, but she could also become the best player at her position as soon as next season.

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“She is a generational talent,” Hirshfeld said. “Her skating, her offensive ability, her vision, her passing … it’s off the charts, probably as good as we’ve seen. She’s going to be so exciting to watch in this league. She’s a game changer, whose impact you’ll see every night she plays.”

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Likely going next will be Abbey Murphy, an agitating winger out of the University of Minnesota, who led the nation in points per game while scoring 40 goals and adding 26 assists in 31 games last season, while also establishing an NCAA record for most career penalty minutes (357 in 170 games).