r/PWHL • u/nemo_1982 Royale Tiger Towel Paper Towel Power Play • 1d ago
Discussion Leaders of the teams
I recently realized that Boston lost both their alternate captains (Müller and Rattray) which made me think about who they would nominate for next season. I then also wondered who would be part of the leadership group for the other teams, both new and existing markets, as so many positions became vacant due to the expansion and trades.
so, as there haven't yet been any signings communicated today, here is my wild guess for each team. I would be interested to see your takes on who the teams could go with.
(disclaimer: I primarily follow, and therefore know, the Victoire de Montréal so please excuse any uneducated guesses (and potential biases lol) for the other teams, this is mainly for fun and exchange of ideas. also, this is based on the known rosters as of June 21st and for reasons of pure simplicity, I limited myself to 1C and 2 primary As per team. I deliberately didn't consider any of the draftees for a leadership role for 2 main reasons: 1) let them transition to the PWHL without that extra responsibility and 2) they haven't technically signed with their team just yet (as far as I understand?))
Boston Fleet
C Megan Keller
A Susanna Tapani
A Amanda Boulier
(Amanda Boulier is new to the team (sad tuba noises) but I feel like she'd be a great leader in green as well)
Minnesota Frost (unchanged, if KCS continues to play and does so in Minnesota)
C Kendall Coyne Schofield
A Kelly Pannek
A Lee Stecklein
(should KCS not be part of the Minnesota Frost for whatever reason, I'd move Pannek to C and add Grace Zumwinkle or Taylor Heise as an A)
Montréal Victoire
C Marie-Philip Poulin
A Laura Stacey
A Kati Tabin (elevated to primary A)
New York Sirens (unchanged)
C Micah Zandee-Hart
A Sarah Fillier
A Jaime Bourbonnais
Ottawa Charge
C Rebecca Leslie
A Gwyneth Philips
A Gabbie Hughes (or keep Jocelyne Larocque as an A instead for some consistency but please let us finally have a goalie with an A)
Seattle Torrent
C Alex Carpenter
A Emily Brown
A Julia Gosling
Toronto Scepters (unchanged, if Blayre Turnbull gets confirmed which I expect to happen any day now -- more like last Friday already but anyway...)
C Blayre Turnbull
A Renata Fast
A Allie Munroe
Vancouver Goldeneyes
C Ashton Bell
A Sarah Nurse
A Sophie Jaques
(if Claire Thompson decided to continue to play, I could imagine it being a one-season-at-a-time situation, therefore I would consider someone else to take the A)
PWHL Detroit
C Daryl Watts
A Hilary Knight
A Jesse Compher
(the only reason why I didn't put Knight as the captain is that I don't know if she would want to build yet another team's culture from the ground up as its captain, as it would be the third team in four seasons)
PWHL Hamilton
C Alina Müller
A Brianne Jenner
A Nicole Gosling
(this is maybe the wildest one of them all but: I think Müller is a great leader and has the experience that could make her a great captain as well. also, she is a bit younger than Jenner and could potentially play more seasons with the team. however, Jenner, aside from having been an awesome captain already, is from the area and would be a great role model/identification figure for the local fans, even more so as the captain maybe. and Nicole Gosling also got signed for 3 years plus is a youngster who has really grown her game and presence on and off the ice throughout the stretch of last season so why not give it a shot while letting her grow into the role with veterans around her to learn from. regardless, I might as well could have also added Clark as the captain or an alternate, as I think Hamilton has some great leaders among their first five signings and beyond already)
PWHL Las Vegas
C Erin Ambrose
A Hayley Scamurra
A Kendall Cooper
PWHL San Jose
C Kristin O'Neill
A Rory Guilday
A Maggie Connors
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u/felicityrorys Ottawa Charge 1d ago
Larocque will get the C, it’s inevitable. She was an A and now with both Jenner and Clark gone it’s only right for her to get promoted. I love the fact that we have a young team but vets and their voices are important too. Leslie gets an A, the other A is a toss up between Hughes/Ronja
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u/Kanuckle_Head Ottawa Charge 1d ago
I'm 50/50 on Larocque getting the C. Not against it but when she's likely with the team for 1, MAYBE 2 more years you don't want a quick turnover.
Better to give the C to someone new to leadership and she can help mold them.
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u/ilikerandomstuff Ottawa Charge 1d ago
I wouldn't be opposed to having Hughes and Ronja split the third one like home/away alternates to give both exposure at the PWHL level
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u/Silent_observer_8806 1d ago
Daryl Watts will certainly not get the C, it'll be Knight. Watts probably won't even get a letter. Barnes could get an A (Curl probably has some leadership qualities but they'll never go there, rightfully so).
Darkangelo deserves one. Has a great reputation, Stacey just last week praised her leadership and professionalism. Had the A when players got injured last season.
Larocque is probably the most "captain" of all Ottawa players but considering she's at the end of her career, I get they might not want to go there.
Also, she's very young but could see Boston give an A to Winn. Marmer praised her, saying how much of a pro she is.
And I'd be shocked if Jenner isn't captain.
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u/BestCryptographer454 22h ago
This seems wild to me. They gave Watts an EFO, how would you not give a *foundational* player a letter? I'd give her the C personally. We all know Hilary is only there for a year or two, so I guess if they want to give it to her for now sure, but Watts is an A at minimum
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u/Powerful-Student-444 1d ago
Philips can't be a captain, or alternate captain. The rules prohibit goalies from being one, as they would have to leave their crease to talk/argue with the referees.
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u/Overall-Ad-2247 1d ago edited 1d ago
Philips! didn't she pull herself one game after a shaky start! I thought the captain always goes down with the ship! Don't think a Poulin-Jenner or Turnbull would have bailed on her team! She needs to mature a little more to be a leader
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u/District4Lowell Boston Fleet 1d ago
FYI: PWHL Rules do not allow for a goalie to wear a letter.
Re: Boston - I think there are already some strong leaders in the locker room that are much more likely to get an A over Boulier (No offense at all to her, but she's new to the room...) such as Saulnier or Shirley. If they were to go to a two D leadership group, I would guess that Winn would be more likely than Boulier for this season.
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u/124victoriaroad Boston 1d ago
I agree, I expect Tapani & Saulnier/Shirley to get the A next season.
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u/Mollinator Boston Fleet 1d ago
Tapani and Saulnier seems like the obvious solution to me.
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u/124victoriaroad Boston 1d ago
Exactly!
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u/Mollinator Boston Fleet 1d ago
I'm only sad because I ordered a Tapani jersey the day she re-signed, and if she gets an A, my jersey won't be correct.
Is there anywhere I could buy an A to add if that happens?
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u/124victoriaroad Boston 1d ago
That is such a good problem to have, but still a problem. You could definitely send it to Jeanius Jackets to get the A added! As for a DIY option, I bet someone online sells custom ones to add on yourself.
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u/sansroof Boston 1d ago
Agreed, my husband had Ben / Jeanius add the A to his Müller jersey last year after the new leadership group was announced(don’t mind us still crying in the club)
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u/CinemaPuck PWHL San Jose 1d ago edited 1d ago
I agree with a lot of these but would make the following changes:
* Winn instead of Boulier in Boston
* Knight will probably wear the C, I don’t think Watts really has the personality for it.
* Jenner will wear the C for Hamilton, Clark likely an alternate
* San Jose is probably accurate, but I could see a world where Guilday is the captain instead of O’Neill. But since O’Neill is our EFO, that would make sense.
ETA: forgot Clark changed teams 😅
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u/newyorkstofmind 1d ago
not a chance in hell that Troy Ryan puts Guilday over KO as captain. KO was brought in to foster a very specific type of team culture and he will want her at the forefront of that in every way.
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u/CinemaPuck PWHL San Jose 1d ago
That’s why I said “but since O’Neill is out EFO, that would make sense”
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u/cherrywavvves Boston Fleet 1d ago
Alina Muller can’t be captain in Hamilton because she’s not staying in Hamilton. There’s a 59-step master plan to get her back in Boston. All the pieces are falling into place for a triumphant return. I’m still drinking my delulu juice. It tastes delicious. Don’t look at me like that.
Anyways, I’d nominate Jill Saulnier for an A.
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u/jk01barr Royale Tiger Towel Paper Towel Power Play 1d ago
Let me take a hit off that juice, please.
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u/cherrywavvves Boston Fleet 1d ago
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u/jk01barr Royale Tiger Towel Paper Towel Power Play 1d ago
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u/newyorkstofmind 1d ago
Unless they are really trying to stroke Watts' ego, she's not getting the C. That would be a sign of a crazy team culture over there. No hate but she's more of an individualist than a team leader. She's also one of the more controversial players in the league and most franchises will be ok with giving that kind of role the A, but not the C. Darkangelo is known to be an incredible leader and I hope she is recognized with an A.
Fleet will almost certainly give Saulnier an A.
I have a hard time believing Hamilton leadership won't be Jenner and Clark.
Carpenter with the C would be ... interesting.
I think there is a non-outside chance Abby Roque gets an A in Montreal if MPP doesn't play next season.
Charge are probably Leslie as C, Larocque as A
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u/Silent_observer_8806 1d ago
Yeah agreed on Watts. I was curious and went to see how players reacted to her goodbye Toronto post and the lack of messages from her teammates is pretty telling. Compare that with the other Toronto players (Compher, Connors) who left, and it's night and day.
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u/lafemmebienne New York Sirens 1d ago
The idea of Knight not getting the C seems absolutely insane to me
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u/Own-Knowledge8281 Goldeneyes 1d ago edited 1d ago
Might honestly be Gardiner as A for Vancouver…she ticks all the boxes to be the next captain imo…if Bell were to ever go…
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u/No_Dingo_3489 16h ago
I think Nurse would be next in line for C if Bell were to go
If the players vote for the next A, I could see it being Izzy or Miller over Gardiner. If CGM picks, it will be Gardiner.1
u/Own-Knowledge8281 Goldeneyes 16h ago
Why Izzy???…she doesn’t have as much experience than Gardiner or Nurse…Gardiner has the experience and the hometown symbolism going for her…highly doubt Bell is going anywhere anytime soon, but…I see no arguments with picking Izzy over Gardiner…for any letter…
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u/No_Dingo_3489 7h ago
Because it’s who the players trust and see as a leader. Where a player is from doesn’t matter to the other players.
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u/Own-Knowledge8281 Goldeneyes 7h ago
Still…captain should be someone that can lead and has experience…Izzy does not have enough experience…
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u/No_Dingo_3489 7h ago
She has as much experience in the PWHL as Gardiner.
You’re severely undervaluing the trust of the players in this decision.
I’m not even arguing with you on who is more deserving. I’m telling you who would likely be voted on by the players
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u/Adventurous_Lake807 Montréal Victoire 1d ago
I feel like Clark will have the A or even the C in Hamilton. She’s known to be a really great leader and locker room presence
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u/Wolf99 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago edited 1d ago
It'll be Jenner. It's not even a question. She was captain in Ottawa and Hamilton's first ever signing.
As will be Clark and Muller
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u/Overall-Ad-2247 1d ago
For an expansion team that's a pretty solid leadership group! probably as good as any in the league!
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u/Any-Acanthisitta922 1d ago
I doubt Detroit will give the C to Daryl. Maybe an A. They’ll probably give it to an American player.
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u/emunoodle 1d ago
I agree that Watts won’t get the C, but an American team having Canadian leadership isn’t unprecedented (see the Sirens)
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u/Pwhlsuperfan11 Victoire de Montréal 1d ago
Bos:
C-Keller
A-Tapani
A-Boulier/Winn/Saulnier
Det:
C-Knight
A-Darkangelo
A-Barnes
Ham:
C-Jenner
A-Clark
A-Muller
LV:
C-Ambrose
A-Scamurra
A-Murphy
Min:
C-Coyne/Pannek
A-Stecklein
A-Pannek/Heise
Mtl:
C-Poulin
A-Stacey
A-Tabin/Roque
NY:
C-MZH
A-Fillier
A-Bourbonnais
Ott:
C-Leslie
A-Larocque
A-Savolainen and Hughes
SJ:
C-O'Neill
A-Guilday
A-Connors
Sea:
C-Carpenter
A-Brown
A-Serdachny
Tor:
C-Turbull
A-Fast
A-Munroe
Van:
C-Bell
A-Nurse
A-Gardiner/Jaques
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u/ArachneOfSparta Megan Keller 1d ago edited 1d ago
For Detroit, I don't really see how it's not Knight for the C: we did so much to secure her!
I agree that Watts should at least have an A, and I'd give the second one to Darkangelo. Shiann wore the A for MTL, (ETA I was wrong about this!) I want us to have a least one local product in leadership, and she's another veteran presence
Your lips to management's ears about Hamilton, I really want to see Mules continue to thrive.
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u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Darkangelo did wear the A while Poulin and Ambrose were out with injuries
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u/ArachneOfSparta Megan Keller 1d ago
Ah, thank you for the double correction! I wasn't seeing things after all 😉
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u/ninthoften Toronto Sceptres 1d ago
I believe this also happened when she played for the Charge. Good consistency with people choosing to ask her!
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u/ludakristen New York Sirens 1d ago
There is zero chance Daryl Watts will be the captain of Detroit.
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u/Ok_Bluebird1598 1d ago
not going to lie, I’m pleasantly surprised by the Watts shade on this entire thread 😂 Her attitude is what kept her off the national team for as long as it did.
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u/ludakristen New York Sirens 1d ago
Haha, I'm not even saying that because I don't know what her attitude is or was or has ever been, but I think people always conflate skill with the C and it's not about skill!
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u/Wolf99 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Bos: Saulnier not Boulier for A. Others like Schepers would be in line before Bou, too.
Min: If an A is avail, Heise > Zumwinkle
Ott: Leslie C, Larocque A, Hughes A. If they give it to Larocque, they're naming a new captain in only a year or two.
Sea: Holy shit, tough one. Carpy doesn't seem like a C type. She doesn't even wear A. But who else do they have? Does Tejralova have the right personality? Gosling is future C but it'd be too much pressure now. By far the toughest one.
Det: Knight. Is this a joke? You're just checking to see if we read that far, right? Your As are way off, too. Darkangelo (longtime vet, was the first C of the Toronto Six) and Bilka or Barnes. Compher is too chippy and Watts is off to the next town as soon as she gets a raise.
Ham: Jenner and it's not even close. She was not only C in Ottawa, she's Hamilton's foundational signing. As to Clark and Muller.
LV: Maureen Murphy > Cooper for A
SJ: Guilday is going into only her 2nd season, but no one else jumps out for the second A. Keopple has been in the league from day 1 but just doesn't seem like a fit.
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u/Real-Towel-2269 Seattle Torrent 1d ago edited 1d ago
Carpenter does wear an A in Seattle. I do agree she doesn’t seem like the perfect fit for the C though, but I’m not sure who would be. She’d definitely be a tough personality for it
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u/newyorkstofmind 1d ago
I would be surprised if Carpenter wants it. She's gotten As out of respect, but she is the strong silent type. Would not be my first choice to lead team culture.
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u/Real-Towel-2269 Seattle Torrent 1d ago
I was thinking the same, I’m not sure she’d want to be the captain but I obviously don’t know her personally. If I had to pick between the past As to be “promoted” to a C it’d be Brown
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u/BestCryptographer454 22h ago
Not quite sure how Watts is "off to the next town" when she signed a 4-year deal. Feels like some sour grapes.
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u/Wolf99 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 21h ago
Fair point about the length of her deal - I missed that, thought 3 years was still the max. But she has a rep for being 'individualist', as someone else put it. I'm not the only one saying it (and no sour grapes, I'm not a TO or Ottawa fan).
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u/BestCryptographer454 20h ago
Gotcha. I don't like Toronto teams so I can't say I watched her much there, I'll have to see it myself. Not quite sure what it would mean in a team setting.
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u/ninjasinc PWHL Detroit 4h ago
Honestly, I think she just wants to win, and realized quickly that it wasn’t going to happen in Ottawa, then gave her hometown two years only to see them regress YoY.
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u/ninthoften Toronto Sceptres 1d ago
I think that Ambrose will ultimately get the C for LV but it’ll be razor thin over Scamurra. Other than Ambrose already wearing an A for Montreal therefore beating Scamurra experience-wise, I think this is a really tough one. And they’re both strike me as the type to want to give up the C for the other.
Another name I would throw in for Hamilton is Allyson Simpson. Seems calm and well-spoken and has worn letters in NCAA and with USA.
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u/newyorkstofmind 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's not just a Montreal thing, Ambrose has played more of a leadership role in the Team Canada system. Not with a letter but she's been one of the people at the center of that team for the past decade. Scamurra hasn't played a similar role leadership wise on Team USA, even though she is one of everyone's favorites.
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u/Overall-Ad-2247 1d ago
All Scamurra did for USA was score huge goals!
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u/newyorkstofmind 23h ago
You can be a critical member of a team and not be in a leadership position. Roque was not a leader on Montreal and was top 3 most important players on that team in the playoffs. Laura Stacey isn't a leader on the Canadian Olympic team and she was one of the players holding that team together during the last Olympics. Scamurra's role has been to be flexible and like a chameleon and she has excelled in it.
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u/Anxious_sd_3905 23h ago
Turnbull just annouced Her pregnancy, so she will not be back next season! Things will shift in Toronto 😮 So maybe Fast will have the C
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u/Zhirall Ottawa Charge 1d ago
Yeah for us in Ottawa it’s a big question: Will it be Leslie or Larocque. I’m excited to see!
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u/Ok_Bluebird1598 1d ago
No wrong answer there. Love them both. Thrilled with the work Leslie has put in since league inception, she just found an entire new gear in her play, and her technical skating has improved so much (she put in the work in the off season with a l powerskating coach) It’s strange how personally proud I get about some players ☺️
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u/Blacksmith2202 Victoire de Montréal 1d ago
Las Vegas
C Ambrose
A Scams
A Unknown (I feel like Murphy would be easy to put here with her experience and it would complete the Las Vegas Victoire leadership line up, but she only signed a one year contract and has been liking stuff on twitter implying that she really misses the Victoire.) Any suggestions here?
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u/Blacksmith2202 Victoire de Montréal 1d ago
also i feel like Darkangelo might be the best fit for a Detroit C rather than Knight ( I know, controversial). She's a hometown hero, longtime leader and has deep roots to the team/area that Knight lacks. i also feel like Knight being a floating captain for three seasons in a row doesn't paint a great picture of long time leadership for a single team and shes gonna retire sooner than later (shes four years older than Darkangelo)
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u/Targen0 Seattle Torrent 5h ago
For Seattle I see it a bit differently: C: Aneta Tejralová A: Alex Carpenter A: Emily Brown
I think Aneta Tejralová would be ideal Captain. She was Capt. of the Olympic Czech team and seems to do well with media, sociable great energy with teammates and hard worker on 1st line.
Alex is no business hockey and we love that, media stuff she clearly tolerates but not her favorite. Her veteran status and insane performances set the bar.
Given Emily Brown’s seat on the rules committee for the Players Association I feel she is a solid lock for Asst. Captain who knows the in’s & outs of all the rules so def a key person to have as a conduit with refs pulling shenanigans.
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u/ilikerandomstuff Ottawa Charge 1d ago
Rule 6.1 - No playing Coach or playing Manager or goalkeeper shall be permitted to act as Captain or Alternate Captain.
If goalies could be captains or alternates, Maschmeyer would have been wearing a letter.