From southern New Hampshire to the Olympics and PWHL Draft, is there anything Caroline Harvey can’t do?
Hailing from Pelham, New Hampshire, Caroline Harvey is one of the most talked-about names in collegiate women’s hockey. This is fitting since she is predicted to go first overall in the 2026 PWHL Draft.
During her collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin, Harvey appeared in 147 games, recording 54 goals and 147 assists for 201 points, along with an exceptional +214 rating. Her offensive output was historic for a defenseman, averaging well over a point per game. She delivered standout seasons in 2024-25 (63 points) and 2025-26 (64 points), setting records for scoring by a Wisconsin defenseman. By the time she graduated, she was the program’s all-time leading scoring defenseman and one of the highest-scoring defenders in NCAA women’s hockey history.
Her dominance earned her numerous individual honors, highlighted by winning the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in college women’s hockey. She was also a multiple-time WCHA Defender of the Year and an AHCA First-Team All-American, consistently recognized as the best at her position. In addition to her individual accolades, she helped lead Wisconsin to multiple national championships, cementing her legacy as a cornerstone of one of the sport’s top programs.
Internationally, Harvey has been a key contributor for the U.S. women’s national ice hockey team. She has been highly productive at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, totaling 34 games with 12 goals and 27 assists (39 points) across five tournaments. She recorded three points in 2021 (silver medal), eight points in 2022 (gold), 14 points in 2023 (gold and led the entire tournament in scoring), 10 points in 2024 (silver) and four points in 2025 (gold). Across these events, she has won three gold medals and two silver medals, while also earning multiple individual honors, including Best Defenseman awards. She has also been on two Olympic runs. Harvey won a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics and a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. In 2022, she was the youngest player on Team USA, playing in all seven games but finishing with zero points as the U.S. won silver. By 2026, she had become a star, recording two goals and seven assists (nine points) in seven games, averaging over a point per game while playing more than 22 minutes per game. Her performance helped the U.S. win gold and earned her tournament MVP and Best Defenseman honors, marking a dramatic rise from role player to elite leader.
Now that she is graduating and heading off to the PWHL, there’s much growth still for Harvey and it will be thrilling to see how far she will soar.