DARYL WATTS BECOMES FIRST MEMBER OF PWHL DETROIT WITH EXPANSION FOUNDATIONAL OFFER
Watts becomes First Player in PWHL History to Sign Four-Year Contract
PWHL Detroit made history with the announcement of forward Daryl Watts as the team’s first-ever player following an Expansion Foundational Offer (EFO) ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Watts joins PWHL Detroit as a cornerstone player signed to a four-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement through the 2029-30 campaign and becomes the first of five players to be added to the team’s roster during Phase 2 of the PWHL’s Expansion Roster Distribution Process.
Watts joins PWHL Detroit as one of the most prolific offensive players in PWHL history. The 27-year-old ranks second all-time in goals (32) and is tied for third in points (63) after spending two seasons with the Toronto Sceptres (2024-26) and one season with Ottawa (2024). This past season, Watts led Toronto with 19 points (10G, 9A) and became the first player in the PWHL to score 10 or more goals in three straight seasons, leading her team in the category a third consecutive season. The Toronto, ON, native also became the second player in league history to reach 50 career points, achieving the milestone with a goal against the Minnesota Frost on Dec. 30, 2025. Watts made her Olympic Winter Games debut this year at Milano Cortina, earning a silver medal while leading Canada in points (2G, 6A). She also earned silver in her Canadian Women’s National Team debut at the 2025 Women’s Worlds. The 2018 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner, and the first freshman to ever earn the honor, played collegiately for Boston College and the University of Wisconsin. She earned WCHA Forward of the Year, WCHA Player of the Year and USCHO Player of the Year honors in 2020-21 — the same season she scored the overtime-winning goal that lifted the Badgers to the NCAA National Championship.
PWHL DETROIT SIGNS CAYLA BARNES AND HANNAH BILKA
Defender Cayla Barnes and forward Hannah Bilka have each signed a Standard Player Agreements ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Barnes has signed a three-year contract through 2028-29 and Bilka has inked a two-year contract through the 2027-28 campaign. The additions of Barnes and Bilka, who were both under contract with the Seattle Torrent, follow the earlier Phase 2 signing of forward Daryl Watts to an Expansion Foundational Offer.
PWHL DETROIT SIGNS BRITTA CURL-SALEMME TO THREE-YEAR CONTRACT
Forward Britta Curl-Salemme has signed a three-year Professional Women’s Hockey League Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Curl-Salemme, who was under contract with the Minnesota Frost, joins PWHL Detroit with a new deal through the 2028-29 campaign and becomes the fourth of five players to be added to the team during Phase 2 of the PWHL’s Expansion Roster Distribution Process.
PWHL DETROIT SIGNS JESSE COMPHER TO THREE-YEAR CONTRACT
Forward Jesse Compher has signed a three-year Professional Women’s Hockey League Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Compher, who was under contract with the Toronto Sceptres for the 2026-27 season, joins PWHL Detroit on a new deal through the 2028-29 campaign and rounds out the five players to be added to the team during Phase 2 of the PWHL’s Expansion Roster Distribution Process.
PWHL DETROIT SIGNS SYDNEY BARD TO TWO-YEAR CONTRACT
Defender Sydney Bard has been signed to a two-year Professional Women’s Hockey League Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Bard joins PWHL Detroit with a contract through the 2027-28 campaign and becomes the team’s sixth player and first to be added during Phase 3 of the PWHL’s Expansion Player Distribution Process.
PWHL DETROIT SIGNS MICHIGAN NATIVE TAYLOR GIRARD
Taylor Girard of Macomb, MI, has been signed to a two-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Girard joins PWHL Detroit with a contract through the 2027-28 campaign and becomes the team’s seventh player and second, following defender Sydney Bard, to be added during Phase 3 of the PWHL’s Expansion Player Distribution Process.
PWHL DETROIT SIGNS MICHIGAN NATIVE SHIANN DARKANGELO
Forward Shiann Darkangelo of Brighton, MI, has signed a two-year Professional Women’s Hockey League Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Darkangelo joins PWHL Detroit with a contract through the 2027-28 campaign and becomes the team’s eighth player and first of three to be added during Phase 4 of the PWHL’s Expansion Player Distribution Process.
PWHL DETROIT SIGNS NINA JOBST-SMITH TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT
Defender Nina Jobst-Smith signed a one-year Professional Women’s Hockey League Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Jobst-Smith, who was under contract with the Vancouver Goldeneyes for the 2026-27 campaign, has a new deal to join PWHL Detroit where she becomes the team’s ninth player and second of three to be added during Phase 4 of the PWHL’s Expansion Player Distribution Process.
PWHL DETROIT SIGNS ELLA HUBER TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT
Forward Ella Huber has also signed a one-year Professional Women’s Hockey League Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Huber, who was under contract with the Boston Fleet, has signed a new agreement through the upcoming campaign and becomes the team’s 10th player and third of three players to be added to complete Phase 4 of the PWHL’s Expansion Player Distribution Process.
PWHL DETROIT ACQUIRES HILARY KNIGHT
PWHL Detroit has acquiried forward Hilary Knight in a trade with PWHL Las Vegas in exchange for the team’s first round pick, third overall, in the 2026 PWHL Draft. A roster freeze, which was implemented as part of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Expansion Player Distribution Process, lifted June 16 at 9 a.m. ET.
PWHL DETROIT COMPLETES TRADE WITH BOSTON FLEET
Detroit has completed a trade with the Boston Fleet to acquire Boston’s second-round pick (22nd overall) and third-round pick (34th overall) in the 2026 PWHL Draft in exchange for forward Ella Huber and Detroit’s third-round pick (27th overall) in 2026. The PWHL roster freeze, which was implemented as part of the league’s Expansion Player Distribution Process.