DETROIT \u2013 Hockeytown sure wishes they would be celebrating a Red Wings Stanley Cup win right about now, but the city did receive a nice consolation prize this spring.<\/p>\n
The Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League will have four new teams for it\u2019s fourth season in 2026, one of them stationed right here in Detroit. Wednesday (June 17) the PWHL Entry Draft was held at the Fox Theatre where Detroit, who has yet to announce a team name, held the 15th overall pick. <\/p>\n
Swiss goaltender Andrea Br\u00e4ndli became the first player to ever be drafted by Detroit\u2019s PWHL franchise, marking the beginning of a new chapter of hockey at Little Caesars Arena. The second selection in the second round was received by some of the loudest cheers of the night coming from Detroit hockey fans that packed the mezzanine level of the Fox Theatre.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a special moment for Br\u00e4ndli as she was not only the first goaltender selected in the draft, but just so happened to hear her name called by the first woman goalie to play in the NHL, Manon Rh\u00e9aume, the General Manager of Detroit\u2019s PWHL franchise.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of her I always wanted to be the second woman to play in the NHL,\u201d said the goalie that led Switzerland to a bronze medal in this year\u2019s Winter Olympic games. \u201cShe has had a lot of impact on my career, especially when I was young. I had a call with them two or three weeks ago and just like being on the call I just felt welcome, it felt like the right place to be and that\u2019s why I am just so happy it ended up like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seven picks later Detroit found themselves on the clock again in which they selected Casey Borgiel from Port Huron, Michigan. The defender from Colgate University is no stranger to Hockeytown as she was a member of the Little Caesars youth hockey program. Borgiel wore the letter \u2018A\u2019 on her sweater while at Colgate, scoring four goals and 17 assists in her senior season.<\/p>\n