Familiar faces, new names eye roster spots
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 Olympic medalists.
Training camp begins across the league today. Teams must have their final 25-player rosters set by Dec. 11. 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 has played five professional seasons, including two in the NWHL and three in the PWHPA.
McKenna Brand (training camp invite) — 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) — 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) — A former Boston University and Tabor Academy standout, she grew up in Pembroke and was selected by the 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 Pride, racking up 40 points in 22 games. She also was the PHF Newcomer of the Year and All-Star MVP.
Taylor Girard (Round 9, pick 51) — Girard led the PHF 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.
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. 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 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.
Gigi Marvin (training camp invite) — Marvin, 36, has played a majority of her professional career in New England, including three seasons with the 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.
Alina Müller (Round 1, pick 3) — Müller, 25, appeared an easy choice for Boston’s firstround pick. She graduated from Northeastern in 2023 as the program’s all-time leader in points (254), assists (156), and game-winning goals (28). . 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) — 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).
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.
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.
Taylor Wenczkowski (training camp invite) — The Rochester, N.H., native 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.