Of all the types of players on the list for the 2026 PWHL Draft, what’s perhaps the most striking is the depth of defenders available. Here’s a look at the stats for one of the best, Nelli Laitinen, and why she’s someone worth looking out for.
| Position | Defence |
| Shoots | Left |
| Height | 170 cm (5’7”) |
| Weight | 62kg (137 lbs) |
| Date of Birth | April 29, 2002 (Age 24 at draft) |
| Nationality | Finland 🇫🇮 |
| Current Club | University of Minnesota — NCAA |
Recent Statistics
Source: University of Minnesota Athletics. NCAA stats are not directly comparable to PWHL competition.
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | PTS | PTS/GP | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | University of Minnesota | NCAA | 42 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 0.52 | 16 |
| 2025–26 | University of Minnesota | NCAA | 33 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 0.90 | 2 |
Who Is Laitinen?
Laitinen was born in Lohja, Finland. Prior to enrollment at the University of Minnesota in 2022 (making her an incoming freshman at age 20), she played with Kiekko-Espoo of the Auroraliga beginning in the 2017–2018 season.
In Minnesota, she’s become a proper scoring threat from the blueline—the kind that is a valuable asset to any team.
Laitinen is a force on the international stage. She played on the Finnish U18 team from 2017 to 2020 and made her debut with the senior team in 2018, aged just 16.
She’s won four world championship medals with Finland: three bronze (2021, 2024, and 2025) and one silver. (2019) She was also a member of the 2022 and 2026 Olympic teams, winning bronze in 2022.
What Laitinen Brings to the Table
As said, Laitinen is a notable offensive defender, but here are some other key elements of her game.
- Room for Growth: Laitinen’s offensive upside is not looking like it will slow down any time soon, with her best scoring season in the NCAA taking place in her senior year.
- Leadership: In addition to captaining the University of Minnesota in both her junior and senior seasons, Laitinen wore an A with the Finnish national team during the 2026 Olympics.
- Excellent Defence: This is a harder thing to support with stats, but according to Elite Prospects, Laitinen’s plus-minus in the past year at the NCAA level was a staggering 32. The year before, it was 24.
Areas to Develop
Laitinen plays a relatively complete game, but adjusting to the PWHL will require a transition to defending against more elite competition on a more consistent level. If there is anything that would hamper her success in this league, it would be a lack of physicality.
Where Could She Land?
While she’s expected to be picked in the first round, she’s overlooked compared to the high notoriety of American defenders Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards.
Simply because of how rankings shake out, she’s likely to end up on an expansion squad. The immediate role for her on those teams would depend on how rosters are constructed ahead of the draft, but any of them would be getting an incredibly solid defender.
The Bottom Line
It’s hard to say that Laitinen will be among the best defenders in the league. That’s a hard list to crack with the likes of Shelton, Jacques, Keller, Winn and Ambrose already on the ice and the generational Caroline Harvey up-and-coming. However, Laitinen’s game, while not the flashiest, set her up to be an impact player in the PWHL who seems to have more to unlock at the pro level.
PDub Hockey 2026 PWHL Draft Profiles
Caroline Harvey | Abbey Murphy | Tessa Janecke | Laila Edwards | Lacey Eden | Kirsten Simms | Nelli Laitinen | Viivi Vainikka | Emma Peschel | Elisa Holopainen | Petra Nieminen
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