And then there were five.
The “PWHL Detroit” roster – we really can’t wait for an actual name to be announced – being assembled by general manager Manon Rheaume continues to take shape, with the team wrapping up Phase 2 of the expansion process with its mandated five players signed from other teams on Monday, June 8.
There are still several more phases to go as the league adds four teams this season – Hamilton, Las Vegas and San Jose, in addition to Detroit – before the league’s annual entry draft, which is set for Wednesday, June 17 here in Detroit.
Here’s what we know about the newest hockey players in Detroit:
Jesse Compher
The PWHL Detroit reached its quota of five free-agent signees on Monday by bringing in a forward who should at least know the way to Little Caesars Arena – Compher is the younger sister of Detroit Red Wings forward J.T. Compher.
The Illinois native, who turns 27 on July 1, is coming off three seasons with the Toronto Sceptres. Compher had a breakout second campaign, with nine goals and nine assists in 30 games, but fell off in the most recent season: six goals, six assists.
Compher signed a three-year deal with Detroit and should be familiar with the roster, having played with them all previously, from Wisconsin (Britta Curl-Salemme) to Toronto (Daryl Watts) to Team USA (Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka).
Britta Curl-Salemme
Curl-Salemme signed a three-year deal on Friday, June 5, after two seasons with the Minnesota Frost. A North Dakota native who starred at Wisconsin (86 goals in 180 games), she’s easily one of the league’s most talented scorers, as she put up 11 goals and 18 assists (a single-season PWHL record) in 30 games last season.
She’s also one of the most divisive players in the league, due to her social media activity advocating against trans woman athletes, as well as her recent partnership with an anti-trans athlete group, FIERCE Athlete. When her “likes” on social media for racist and transphobic posts came out before the 2024 PWHL Draft, Curl-Salemme issued an apology video, stating: “I specifically recognize my that social media activity has resulted in hurt being felt across communities in including LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals. I just want to apologize and take ownership of that.”
Still, she has been frequently booed, especially at away games – something she took ownership of last May: “”Personally, I’d rather play in front of a full crowd that’s booing me than an empty one. So you know that type of passion, it’s really cool to see, and you know I can’t control, you know, how they may feel towards me. It’s it’s all in good fun, I think. They enjoy that passion and inputing it toward something. So yeah, it’s fun to go there. It’s fun to get a win, too.”
Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka
PWHL Detroit raided one of the league’s previous expansion squads – the Seattle Torrent – for a forward and defender on Friday, June 5. Both Barnes and Bilka played for Boston College for four seasons before transferring to Ohio State in 2023, and both won gold with Team USA in February, so of course the team announced their signings jointly.
Barnes, who agreed to a three-year deal, is a native Californian, though, again, she spent a season in Columbus. Her numbers last season – three goals, five assists and a plus/minus of minus-16 in 30 games – aren’t impressive, but Seattle struggled a lot last season in finishing last (by a full five points). In her rookie season, with Montreal, the native Californian put up two goals among 13 points with a minus-1 rating in 30 games.
Bilka, meanwhile, agreed to a two-year deal; the Texas native had four goals and five assists in just 14 games last season – matching her goal total (four) in Milan with Team USA.
Daryl Watts
The original member of PWHL Detroit signed a four-year contract – the longest deal in the history of the league, with the new contract structure finally allowing for deals longer than three years – on Friday, June 5. The four-year deal, available to Watts on her “Expansion Foundational Offer” comes with a salary of at least $100,000 – a sizable bump from the $59,000 she made in her final season with the Toronto Sceptres.
It’s tough to argue she’s not worth it, however – Watts, 27, has 32 career goals (second-most in PWHL history) and 31 assists over 81 games with Ottawa and Toronto, including 10 and nine, respectively, last season.
This story will be updated with breaking news.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: PWHL Detroit roster updates: Newest hockey players on expansion squad
Reporting by Free Press staff reports, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Free Press staff reports, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
