Wisconsin women's hockey makes a surprise appearance in the NHL Draft

The Wisconsin Badgers were not expected to have any action in the first round of the NHL Draft. There weren't any players taken from Wisconsin or taken that are headed to Wisconsin. Michigan State had a great night, but not the Badgers. Except for one surprise appearance, Laila Edwards, a former Wisconsin Badgers star, popped up to announce the San Jose Sharks draft pick.

Edwards, a recent draft pick for the PWHL San Jose team, came out to announce the No. 2 overall draft pick of the NHL. The Sharks selected Ivar Stenberg from Frolunda in Sweden. It was a San Jose moment as the city is becoming more and more of a hockey town with the addition of the PWHL and now with one of the best players in the NHL Draft.

For Wisconsin, it was another reminder of how dominant and impressive Wisconsin women's hockey has been and continues to be. Their stars (thanks also in part to the Olympics) have been popping up everywhere. Edwards was even recently throwing out the first pitch at a Cleveland Guardians game. The majority of the team was at the Milwaukee Brewers game.

Watch the moment below as Laila Edwards does her new city, San Jose proud as well as Badger Nation at the NHL Draft:

Former Wisconsin star Laila Edwards announces the second pick of the NHL Draft

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PWHL San Jose is a brand new team in the PWHL league, and it's now the 12th league as the future of professional women's hockey continues to grow. Edwards was the first pick ever taken by the new team, No. 4 overall. She is now considered a star in both Wisconsin and San Jose. So, the league was able to get her to help grow the game by having her announce for the San Jose Sharks.

So it was a surprise to see her, but a happy surprise, one in which Edwards was clearly eager and happy to take part in such a monumental moment. She also has firmly embraced the role of being an ambassador of the PWHL and the new San Jose team.

Edwards' fame grew when she was part of a historic moment in which she won an Olympic gold medal and then turned around and helped Wisconsin win a National Championship. She wasn't the only Wisconsin Badger to make that happen, as teammates Kristen Simms, Caroline Harvey, and others were part of the same historic moment.

Now, she continues to see her star rise, and having her walk out on the NHL Draft stage was cool to see and continues to help put Wisconsin women's hockey in the spotlight.

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