If Caitlin Kraemer had followed her instincts, she wouldn’t be on the ice this week as one of the three women invited to the Edmonton Oilers development camp.
A month ago, when Oilers general manager texted her an invitation, she almost wrote the message off as spam. “It turned out to be legit,” she said.
Three women join Oilers prospects on ice
Alongside Kraemer, who won 2025 NCAA national rookie of the year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Bowman also invited Abbey Murphy, the No. 2 pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft, and Chloe Primerano, the 19-year-old standout defender for the University of Minnesota. Primerano holds the distinction of being the first female skater ever selected in a Canadian Hockey League draft — she was picked 268th overall by the WHL’s Vancouver Giants in 2022.
The three women are skating as full participants in the week-long camp, alongside 24 other Oilers prospects, including Edmonton’s five selections in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Erin Ambrose, who will play for PWHL Las Vegas next season after two seasons with the Montreal Victoire, was on the ice as a guest coach for a second year.
Unique opportunity to learn from NHL talent
“You’re skating with some of the best guys in the world. They’re on their own journey and we’re on our own journey too. To cross paths in a development camp like this is a pretty unique opportunity,” Murphy said.
Murphy, a two-time Olympian for Team USA, was already connected to Bowman through the Chicago hockey community. She grew up skating with his son, Will, at Chicago Mission and now mentors his 14-year-old daughter, Graceyn, who skates in the same program. Murphy described her as “like a little sister to me.”
She also knew Oilers prospect Paul Fischer from the same program, but said most of the prospects are new friendships for her. “I had no idea who any of these guys were. Now I know where they’re all from, where they’re playing. Lots of laughs already with them,” she said.
Building relationships and accessing top facilities
“They have a lot to tell us, and we have a lot to tell them. I think it’s cool to build those relationships, build that rapport with them in any way that you can,” Murphy said.
Access to NHL facilities and training staff are also one of the perks. “It’s so professional and top-notch. You see the facilities and everything that’s provided here. It’s something I’ve never seen before so it’s really special,” Primerano said.
For Kraemer, simply wearing an Oilers practice jersey was surreal. “I was definitely nervous but a little excited because I’ve never been in this atmosphere,” she said. “It’s something girls dream of young. Growing up, before there was the PWHL, it was like ‘I want to make an NHL team.’ It was kind of unrealistic, but it’s kind of fun to live out that dream a little.”
Past cuts fuel motivation for future
The previous time both played hockey on the same Edmonton ice was with the women’s national team during the 2025 Rivalry Series in the city, after which Primerano and Kraemer were late cuts from the Olympic roster. “It sucked getting cut, but it’s just a learning experience,” Primerano said.
Experiences like this are exactly what both players hope will help them up their game as their hockey careers grow. “This is just the first step,” Primerano said. “There’s so much you can learn here.”
