Meet the forwards on the training camp roster for PWHL Boston

Sports News

Alina Müller was Boston’s first pick (third overall pick) in the PWHL draft.

Mark Lorenz
PWHL Boston selected Swiss center Alina Müller, who played for Northeastern, with its first-round draft pick.

By Emma Healy, The Boston Globe

Since PWHL Boston announced the marquee signing of free agent Hilary Knight to its inaugural team in September, the city’s newest professional sports team has added plenty of other talent to its training camp roster. There are local players throughout the group of 16 forwards, as well as international stars and a few Olympic medalists. The players range in age from 23 to 36 and hail from New England, the Midwest, and abroad.

Training camp begins across the league Nov. 15. Teams must have their final 25-player rosters set by Dec. 11. Of those 25 players, 23 can be signed to standard player agreements, and two will be on reserve contracts. The regular season is set to begin in January, but venues, team names, and other details have yet to be announced.

Meet the forwards skating for a spot on Boston’s roster:

Hannah Brandt (round 5, pick 27)

A two-time Olympic medalist, four-time Patty Kazmaier Award finalist, three-time NCAA champion, and five-time World Championship medalist, Brandt has no shortage of accolades. Since graduating from Minnesota in 2016, the 29-year-old Brandt has played five professional seasons, including two in the NWHL and three in the PWHPA.

McKenna Brand (training camp invite)

“Homegrown” isn’t quite the word to describe Brand, who hails from Park Rapids, Minn., but she has spent plenty of time in Boston. Brand, 27, played at Northeastern, finishing as the program’s leader in games played (150). She then headed to the PHF’s Boston Pride in 2018, where she has played since.

Shiann Darkangelo (round 12, pick 70)

Darkangelo, 29, split her college years between Syracuse (2011-13) and Quinnipiac (2013-15) before beginning her professional career with the PHF’s Connecticut Whale. After a few moves around the professional hockey scene — including a one-year stint playing in China — she landed with the PHF’s Toronto Six, a team that she captained to the 2023 Isobel Cup title.

Sammy Davis (training camp invite)

Davis, 26, is no stranger to Boston hockey. A former Boston University and Tabor Academy standout, she grew up in Pembroke and was selected by the Boston Pride with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NWHL Draft. In her time at BU, she racked up 66 goals and 76 assists.

Loren Gabel (round 4, pick 22)

The reigning PHF MVP, Gabel, 26, spent last season with the Boston Pride, racking up 40 points in 22 games. She also was the PHF Newcomer of the Year and All-Star MVP. As a senior at Clarkson in 2019, Gabel won the Patty Kazmaier Award after collecting 40 goals and 69 points. She spent three years with the PWHPA before joining the Pride last season.

Taylor Girard (round 9, pick 51)

After graduating from Quinnipiac in 2021, Girard joined the PHF’s Connecticut Whale and was named the PHF’s Newcomer of the Year in 2022. Hailing from Macomb, Mich., Girard led the league in shorthanded tallies last season with four. She ranked in the top four in points (28), assists (18), and power-play goals (4).

Samantha Isbell (training camp invite)

The 25-year-old out of Thunder Bay, Ontario, collected 31 points as a senior at Mercyhurst in 2019-20 before joining the PWHPA in Montreal for two seasons. She then joined the PHF’s Montreal franchise, but when the Mark Walter Group purchased the PHF to make way for the PWHL, her contract was void. She discussed the news with her nearly 32,000 followers on TikTok, where she frequently shares videos about life as a professional hockey player.

Hilary Knight (free agent)

One of Boston’s three free agent signings, Knight, 34, has spent 15 years as an integral member of Team USA, including playing in four Olympics (1 gold, 3 silvers) and 13 World Championships (9 golds, 4 silvers) since 2007. Her nine World Championship golds and 13 overall medals are tied for the most all time. Knight made her professional debut with the CWHL’s Boston Blades in 2012 and won two Clarkson Cups in three years. She also played two PHF seasons as captain of the Boston Pride, capturing the first Isobel Cup in 2016.

Nicole Kosta (training camp invite)

Since finishing her fifth year at Quinnipiac in 2016, Kosta, 30, has played seven seasons of professional hockey with the Connecticut Whale (NWHL), Markham Thunder (CWHL), and PWHPA. She was a rotational player throughout that time and registered 8 points in 20 games last season with Team Scotiabank in the PWHPA.

Gigi Marvin (training camp invite)

Marvin, 36, has played a majority of her professional career in New England, including three seasons with the Boston Blades, three with the Pride, and one each with PWHPA New England and New Hampshire. The Minnesota graduate has scored 13 goals and secured three Olympic medals (1 gold, 2 silver) for Team USA. Her grandfather, Cal Marvin, is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, having coached the Warroad Lakers (AHA) for 45 years.

Alina Müller (round 1, pick 3)

Müller, 25, appeared an easy choice for Boston’s first-round pick. She graduated from Northeastern in 2023 as the program’s all-time leader in points (254), assists (156), and game-winning goals (28). She was the second-fastest player to reach 100 points in Northeastern history, behind only Kendall Coyne. At 15, Müller became the youngest player in Olympic history to medal in hockey when Team Switzerland won a bronze at the 2014 Games. Four years later, she collected 10 points in six games at the PyeongChang Olympics.

Amanda Pelkey (training camp invite)

Pelkey’s New England roots run deep, as the Montpelier, Vt., native has played nearly her entire career in the region. After attending Montpelier High School and North American Hockey Academy (Stowe), Pelkey headed to the University of Vermont, where she finished as the program’s all-time leader in goals (49), assists (56), and points (105). Her professional experience began with the Boston Pride from 2015-19 before she joined the PWHPA.

Jamie Lee Rattray (round 3, pick 15)

Rattray played at Clarkson from 2010-14, racking up 77 goals and 104 points, which made her the program’s all-time leading scorer and earned her the Patty Kazmaier Award as a senior. Rattray, 31, has played professionally in the CWHL and PWHPA, and she won Olympic gold with Canada in 2022.

Theresa Schafzahl (round 7, pick 39)

Schafzahl, 23, finished her five-year career at the University of Vermont this past spring. As a senior, she led the Catamounts with 25 goals and 21 assists for 46 points, a program record. She has skated with the Austrian national team since 2018, representing her country at five World Championships.

Sophie Shirley (round 11, pick 63)

Shirley, 24, finished a five-year career with the University of Wisconsin this past spring by helping her team to an NCAA championship. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native recorded 37 points as a graduate student, including 25 assists. She initially signed with the Boston Pride after college before declaring for the PWHL draft.

Taylor Wenczkowski (training camp invite)

The Rochester, N.H., native played her junior career with the Boston Shamrocks while attending a virtual high school. She then played five years at the University of New Hampshire, totaling 21 points as a captain during her senior year in 2019-20. Wenczkowski, 26, then headed back to Boston to play three seasons with the Pride, helping the team win back-to-back Isobel Cups in 2021 and 2022.