The Edmonton Oilers made history by inviting three elite women's hockey players to their 2026 development camp. This is the first time the team has included women's players in the event.

Abbey Murphy and Chloe Primerano from the University of Minnesota and Caitlin Kraemer of the University of Minnesota-Duluth are now training with the top prospects as camp starts in Edmonton, as reported by the Oilers official website on June 29.

Their general manager, Stan Bowman, said this experience is meant to expose the players to an NHL environment while they continue training.

As per the official website, the Oilers' prospects began camp with fitness testing and medicals on Monday before shifting their focus to information sessions, on-ice practices, and team-building activities. The camp is set to end on Wednesday, July 1, with a three-on-three tournament.

Murphy, a 24-year-old forward, was selected No. 2 overall by the Seattle Torrent in the 2026 PWHL Draft. She just finished her graduate season at the University of Minnesota, where she scored 66 points in 31 games. 

She was then named WCHA Forward of the Year and a First Team All-American and was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. Murphy also won the Olympic gold with Team USA at the 2026 Milan Games. Bowman said he has followed her for years and connected to Murphy through hockey training.

"I was so impressed with the play of women's hockey," Bowman said, as quoted by NHL.com, adding that the idea to bring women's players to camp came together while he was in Milan.

Primerano has built a reputation for herself as one of Canada's top young defense prospects. In 2022, she became the first female skater selected in the CHL Prospects Draft when the Vancouver Giants took her in the 13th round. 

She just finished her sophomore season with a record of 30 points in 34 games and is considered one of the top prospects for the 2028 PWHL Draft.

Kraemer also emerged as one of Canada's top forwards through the national U18 program before beginning her collegiate career at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she recorded 30 points in 36 games this past season. She is also Canada's all-time leading scorer at the U18 women's level, having amassed a record 53 points in 32 games.

"It's a development camp for Oilers prospects, and we thought that they could learn some things and take it back to whatever team they go back to," Bowman said.

Besides the three women players, there are other interesting names too.

Inside Edmonton's development camp

Edmonton invited 27 players to this year's camp, which includes 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and five goaltenders. The group features all five of Edmonton's 2026 draft picks, as reported by Edmonton's official website.

It was led by second-round selection Rudolfs Berzkalns, along with returning prospects like Beau Akey, Tommy Lafreniere, and David Lewandowski.

This would be the team's first chance to evaluate its newest prospects after the draft while helping returning players continue to train and develop before heading into the next season.

Among the undrafted invitees and free-agent signees attending camp is forward Weston Cameron, who went unselected in this year's draft after posting six goals and 16 points with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers.

The 18-year-old will now have an opportunity to impress ahead of his move to the University of Massachusetts this fall.

What do you think of the Oilers' initiative? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar