Hannah Murphy is Ready to Guard the Net and Build Something New in Seattle

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Hannah Murphy didn’t plan on becoming a goaltender. Like many young hockey players, she stepped into the crease when a teammate was injured. What started as a temporary solution quickly became a defining moment. “My older sibling was actually a goalie,” she explained. “I think part of me kind of wanted to be like them.” But the position became more than imitation. She loved the intensity, the responsibility, and the opportunity to be the difference in every game.

From that point on, she never left the net.

Now, Murphy finds herself at the heart of something new once again: the launch of PWHL Seattle. Selected 15th overall in the 2025 PWHL Draft, she became the team’s first goaltender and the first goalie taken that year. Murphy then signed a two‑year Standard Player Agreement that keeps her under contract through the 2026‑27 season. That moment marked a turning point — not just for her, but for Seattle. General Manager Meghan Turner praised her “balance between size and athleticism,” her crease movement, and her ability to seal in tight spaces. 

Murphy arrives with a polished game, a steady mindset, and the potential to anchor Seattle’s foundation in this new league. For many fans, she may be their first real introduction to women’s professional goaltending. And for her, the transition from college to the pros is more than a step up. It’s a dream finally made real.

At Colgate University, Murphy was a force in net. Over four seasons, she built a resume that few could match. She left as the program’s all‑time leader in wins (73) and shutouts (18), while posting a .937 career save percentage and a 1.59 goals‑against average. Her senior campaign in 2024–25 was exceptional: a 26‑8‑0 record, three shutouts, a 1.86 GAA, and a .939 save percentage, earning her a spot on the Second Team All‑ECAC. But the numbers only tell part of the story. In her final season, she also took on a rare role for a goaltender: team captain. That speaks volumes to the respect she commanded among her peers and the confidence the coaching staff had in her voice.

That leadership, she says, is grounded in calm. “I think I’m generally a pretty laid‑back person,” she reflects. “But I also think through the years of playing hockey and a lot of highs and lows, I’ve definitely learned a little bit of perspective.” That perspective shows up in her composure after a tough goal, in her ability to reset quickly, and in how she projects confidence from the crease outward.

Murphy is aware of what lies ahead. The PWHL’s pace is faster, the shots more varied, traffic tighter, and expectations higher. But she embraces those challenges. More than anything, she is excited that professional women’s hockey has a league built to last. “Prior to this league, there was always kind of the thing in the back of the mind that hockey is not forever,” she said. “But now that there is a fully functioning and viable professional women’s hockey league, this is everyone’s full‑time focus.” 

She’s already started building connections in Seattle. Over the summer, she visited to help with PWHL Seattle youth hockey camps and engage with young fans. She toured Pike Place Market, rode the ferry to Bainbridge Island, visited the Space Needle, and even attended a Seahawks game to feel the pulse of the city’s sports culture. The enthusiasm she sensed even before touching the ice reinforced that this may be the right place to plant roots.

“The passion already from the fan base, and we haven’t even touched the ice yet…it’s really exciting,” she said.

Though entering a locker room with veterans, Murphy believes her steady presence will matter just as much as her on‑ice play. “Even as a rookie in this league, I think [my calmness] will help instill confidence in this new team,” she said. “None of us have really played together in this capacity before, so I think that’ll be really exciting.” She wants her role to go beyond stopping pucks; she wants to be someone her teammates lean on.

Murphy also sees her place as part of something bigger than wins and losses. She wants to help grow the sport in Seattle, especially for young girls who may be picking up a stick for the first time. She has expressed how much it meant to interact with youth at hockey camps: 

“Helping out…and seeing all of those young girls looking up to us is really exciting. I hope to see more fans out in the community once we move out to Seattle this fall.”

Looking ahead, she hopes to remain with Seattle well beyond her first contract and someday earn a role on the Canadian national team. But for now, her full attention is on becoming the best pro she can be, building legitimacy for her team, and helping Seattle believe in women’s hockey. For fans new to the PWHL or longtime watchers of the women’s game, Hannah Murphy is a compelling doorway: measured but driven, calm but competitive, and already someone to watch in Seattle’s inaugural season.