The Edmonton Oilers made a move this week that is going to get people talking, and for once, it has nothing to do with a trade rumour, a goalie debate, or whatever drama usually follows this team around in the summer.

This one is different.

The Oilers have invited Chloe Primerano, Abbey Murphy, and Caitlin Kraemer to their 2026 Development Camp at Rogers Place. Edmonton announced a 27-player camp roster featuring 14 forwards, eight defencemen and five goalies, and included the three women’s hockey standouts as part of the group.  

That alone is a big deal.

But the bigger part?

According to NHL.com, this is the first time the Oilers have invited women’s hockey players to skate with their NHL prospects at development camp.  

That is not just a feel-good press release. That is a real moment.

This Wasn’t A Publicity Stunt

The easy reaction from some people will be predictable.

“Oh, it’s just for attention.”

No. Not really.

These are not random invites. These are serious hockey players with serious résumés.

Abbey Murphy might be the biggest name of the three right now. She was just selected No. 2 overall by the Seattle Torrent in the 2026 PWHL Draft, and before she even gets to start her pro career, she will get a chance to skate inside an NHL development camp environment.  

Murphy is coming off a monster season at the University of Minnesota, putting up 66 points in 31 games, including 40 goals. She was named WCHA Forward of the Year, earned First Team All-American honours, and was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.  

That is not a charity invite.

That is a hockey player who belongs around high-end talent.

Abbey Murphy Brings Star Power

Murphy also brings something most players at development camp do not have yet.

An Olympic gold medal.

She helped the United States win gold at the 2026 Milan Olympics, recording seven points in seven games. She also previously won Olympic silver with Team USA in 2022.  

So while some prospects in this camp are trying to understand what high-pressure hockey looks like, Murphy has already lived it on the biggest stage in the sport.

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said he has known of Murphy for years and walked away from the Olympics impressed by the level of women’s hockey. He said the players were “surprised but honored” by the invite and that the goal was for them to learn from the NHL camp environment while giving Oilers prospects something to take away as well.  

That last part matters.

This is not just about the women learning from the Oilers’ prospects.

The Oilers’ prospects can learn from them, too.

Chloe Primerano Is Already A History-Maker

Then there is Chloe Primerano.

If you follow women’s hockey closely, you already know the name. If you do not, you probably will soon.

Primerano is a 19-year-old defender at the University of Minnesota. She is coming off a season where she posted 30 points in 34 games from the blue line.  

She also made history back in 2022 when the Vancouver Giants selected her in the WHL Prospects Draft, making her the first female skater ever taken in a CHL draft.  

That is the kind of thing people remember.

Primerano is not just “one of the best women’s prospects.” She is one of those players who has already been breaking doors open before she even fully hits her prime.

For Edmonton, having someone like that in camp is smart. She is skilled, composed, and already used to being watched closely because of what she represents.

That pressure is real. And she has handled it.

Caitlin Kraemer Can Flat-Out Score

Caitlin Kraemer rounds out the trio, and she brings her own impressive background.

The 20-year-old forward played this past season at the University of Minnesota Duluth and recorded 30 points in 36 games.  

But the number that jumps off the page is what she has done for Canada.

Kraemer is the all-time leading scorer for Canada’s National Women’s U18 Team, with 53 points and 37 goals in 32 games.  

That is not a small note.

Any time you are the all-time leading scorer for a national program at any level, people should pay attention. Kraemer has been a big-game player, a finisher, and one of the more dangerous young Canadian forwards coming through the system.

She may not get the same immediate spotlight as Murphy or Primerano, but she absolutely belongs in this conversation.

The Oilers Deserve Credit Here

Let’s give Edmonton some credit.

This is the kind of thing more NHL teams should be doing.

Development camp is not only about seeing which prospect has the hardest shot or who might be two years away from Bakersfield. It is supposed to be about development. It is about education, habits, pace, preparation, and showing young players what it takes to move up a level.

So why would that environment only be useful to male prospects?

It would not.

Women’s hockey is growing fast. The PWHL has changed the conversation. Olympic hockey still delivers some of the best drama in the sport. NCAA women’s hockey is producing elite talent. The game is not where it was 10 or 15 years ago.

The Oilers are not solving every issue in hockey by doing this, but they are doing something meaningful.

And sometimes, that is how these things start.

One invite becomes three.

Three becomes normal.

Normal becomes expected.

The Best Part? It Feels Like Hockey

The best quote from Bowman was probably the simplest one. He said, “At the end of the day, everyone is a hockey player.”  

That is really what this comes down to.

These players train. They compete. They score. They defend. They chase championships. They deal with pressure. They have the same obsession with getting better that every player in that camp has.

So let them be around it.

Let the Oilers prospects see what an Olympic player looks like up close. Let young fans see women’s players wearing NHL practice colours. Let the sport stop treating these moments like some strange experiment.

It is hockey.

That should be enough.

A Small Camp Invite With A Bigger Meaning

Nobody is saying Chloe Primerano, Abbey Murphy, or Caitlin Kraemer are suddenly becoming Edmonton Oilers.

That is not what this is.

But it still matters.

It matters because three elite women’s players are being placed in an NHL development environment. It matters because young girls watching this can see the door open a little wider. It matters because women’s hockey has earned more visibility, not as a favour, but because the talent is impossible to ignore.

The Oilers invited three women to development camp.

On paper, it is one line on a summer roster.

In reality, it feels a lot bigger than that.