Las Vegas makes its first selection at the PWHL Entry Draft
PWHL Las Vegas general manager Dominique DiDia has previously spoken about her desire to build a team that is both competitive from the start and set up for the future. She backed this promise up during the Expansion Draft; five of the eight signed players are 26 or younger.
In an attempt to bring a veteran presence into the locker room, she also tried to sign Hilary Knight to an EFO. The problem? Knight didn’t want to come to Vegas, and allegedly only wanted to play for one particular team.
So, DiDia took her lemons and made some Grade-A lemonade. She organized a sign-and-trade with PWHL Detroit; Detroit would get Knight, and in return, Las Vegas would get Detroit’s first-round pick in the upcoming PWHL Entry Draft—although, because of the roster freeze, it took a few days until the trade was official.
Now, the draft order for the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft wasn’t revealed until the 15th—two days before the Draft—and the general managers only found out ten minutes before the public did. So until then, all DiDia could do was pray that her Knight gamble would pay off.
The hockey gods must have heard her plea, because Las Vegas lucked into two high draft picks. They ended up with the 5th overall pick… and also the 3rd, which would have belonged to PWHL Detroit.
At 3rd overall, PWHL Las Vegas selected forward Tessa Janecke. Janecke leaves Penn State as its all-time leading scorer after spending the last four years of her life turning the women’s hockey program into a powerhouse. She is eager to do the same in Vegas.
To get to build a program, get to build a franchise, is something that’s not new to me. I’m so excited to do that in Las Vegas as well… I had the opportunity to go to a Golden Knights game a few years ago with Penn State, so I’ve seen the environment, and I can’t wait to have them rally around us as a team. -Tessa Janecke
At 5th overall, PWHL Las Vegas selected Lacey Eden, who played six seasons at Wisconsin due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eden broke out as a senior, scoring 29 goals and 77 points in 41 games, and also becoming the only player in program history to win four national championships.
When Eden spoke about the opportunity to be a cornerstone player for an expansion franchise, her passion was palpable.
I want to be a player that helps build this franchise and helps put Vegas on the map as a contender when it comes to the end of the season. When it comes to the PWHL playoffs, I want to be there and want to be a big reason why Vegas is there. [The Golden Knights] had a lot of success this season and came up just short. I’m hoping to continue that on the women’s side of things as well. [I want us to] be competitive and be one of those teams that other teams are looking at, and be in that conversation at the end of the season. -Lacy Eden
DiDia spoke following the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft, and she reiterated her plan of attack when it came to building her roster.
We really wanted to build a team that competed from the very beginning, and our goal is to win a Walter Cup. But also, a growth mindset is one of the pillars of our team. Planning for the future and development is really key for us. -Dominique DiDia
When asked, she confirmed that Janecke and Eden’s evident desire to help build something in Las Vegas was a big reason why she selected them.
With Tessa and Lisa, you can feel the passion of wanting to be a part of, not only a new franchise, but Vegas, specifically… For us to have players that we can trust, to take leadership roles and be a part of something new, like Lacey and Tessa, was really exciting. -DiDia
Hilary Knight is a legend of the game. She would have been an excellent leader in the locker room, and her name would have helped drive ticket sales. However, Knight will be 37 when the 2026-27 season rolls around.
DiDia took a big swing at Knight, and unfortunately, it didn’t land. Instead, her team got the chance to double-dip from a pool of elite young talent, and both of those picks are chomping at the bit for the opportunity to help build a franchise in Las Vegas.
I’d say that gamble paid off.
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