Happy Friday! Silvia Leija from The Ice Garden here with another edition of Hockey Insider.
This week, we’re digging back into the archives with an interview recorded on April 24, one day before the Seattle Torrent wrapped up their inaugural season. We sat down with rookie forward Lyndie Lobdell to talk about adjusting to life in the PWHL, making her debut in front of a sold-out Climate Pledge Arena, learning from some of the biggest names in women’s hockey and why Seattle quickly began to feel like home. While the conversation took place before the season finale, Lobdell’s reflections offer a snapshot of what it was like to experience the PWHL’s first year in Seattle as it happened.
Lobdell has since re-signed with the Torrent to a one-year Standard Player Agreements through the 2026-27 season.
1. If you had to describe your rookie season in one word, what would it be?
Lyndie Lobdell: “Amazing. I had so many new experiences, and the group that we’re with — the players, the staff — it’s just … it was the perfect group to go through all this together. I enjoyed it so much. It was a lot of new stuff, a lot of adapting, but it was amazing.”
2. What stands out when you think back to your first PWHL game?
Lobdell: “My first regular-season game was our home opener, which was obviously extra special. Doing the rookie lap at home and having our home opener in general was nuts. I was just in awe the whole time.”
“I never thought this would happen, and I never thought I’d be in that position. To finally be there, everything really came together. My dad got to come out last minute, and it was very special to see him and to see everything we’d worked on throughout my entire life come to fruition in that moment. It was just unreal.”
3. Throughout the season, who has been your biggest support system?
Lobdell: “My family always is my go-to. I have the best supporters in the whole world built into my life, which is just … I’m so blessed and lucky.”
“My sisters kind of got in on the media and stuff, which was just so special. None of us expected any of that to happen. It makes it that much cooler to have them be a part of it and to have fans know my family because I’m extremely close with my sisters.”
“My mom has been there through it all, too. And then on the team, I mean, our whole team I would consider a support system. I feel like I could go to anyone and talk about an issue, my feelings or whatever. Everyone’s just amazing.”
4. What have you learned from being around veteran players this season?
Lobdell: “I think just their level of professionalism has been something I’ve had to adapt to. I’m definitely the goofball of the group, kind of rookie vibes, learning new things and not knowing a lot.”
“They’ve taught me to be more sure of myself. I’m a professional athlete. I’m here for a reason, and this is meant to be what it is. They’ve helped me really internalize that because it was hard to be like, ‘Wow, I am a professional athlete. This really is the dream, and it’s happening for real.’ They’ve helped a lot with that.”
5. Was there a moment when it really clicked that you were a professional hockey player?
Lobdell: “Definitely the first game. That first home opener, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is crazy.’ It was a lot in the best way possible.”
“I remember sitting in Vancouver for our first game, watching and thinking, ‘Oh my God, I want to be out there.’ Then getting on the ice at home, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is nuts.'”
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6. Seattle has played in front of some incredible crowds. What has that experience been like?
Lobdell: “I’m somewhat lucky in the sense that it really energizes me. It doesn’t necessarily make me nervous. I definitely was nervous for the rookie lap and stuff like that, and worrying about falling or something.”
“But playing the game just comes naturally. Having the crowd around, it gets me going. The only thing that was weird was the level of noise. Sometimes they’re so loud that I can’t even hear myself think.”
7. What has living in Seattle been like?
Lobdell: “Oh, we love it. I’ve become pretty obsessed with it. The rain never really got to me because I don’t mind being inside and just relaxing.”
“Now that it’s nice out, I’m so much more in love because there are so many cool things to see. We have a rooftop, so I can sit out there and enjoy the views and the sun. It’s unbelievable out here, and we’ve gotten to explore a bunch of new places together. That’s been a huge bonding experience for all of us.”
8. How has your game evolved since the beginning of the season?
Lobdell: “I knew coming in that my biggest challenge was showing that I deserved to be here and really honing my skills while showing why I’m here.”
“That took a while because it’s nerve-racking. I needed to adjust to the speed and the physicality. I think on the back end of the season I’ve really turned it on and started to make more waves.”
“I mean, I get to hit harder, I guess, which is fun. The girls are stronger, and I also have to take a hit too. That’s been a hard one — learning how to take a hit and calm myself down.”
9. What’s something people might not realize about joining a locker room with players you grew up watching?
Lobdell: “That was probably one of the biggest things for me. I didn’t know if this was ever going to be a possibility.”
“The fact that I’m here with people I looked up to — Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Cayla Barnes, Hannah Bilka, Julia Gosling, Aneta — and every other amazing person on our team … they’ve all been so welcoming, so kind and so helpful through the process.”
“They’ve held me accountable in a very respectful way, taught me the ins and outs of things, and honestly, getting to know them has been the best part of my experience.”
10. When people look back on your rookie season, what do you hope they understand?
Lobdell: “The support, the love, everything. Sometimes I’ll get random DMs, and I usually always answer back because it means the world to me that people care, that they’re watching us and genuinely take time out of their day to invest their attention in what we do and what we work so hard for.”
“I think what we have in Seattle is extremely special because it really feels like the fans understand how hard we work, how long this league should have been coming, and how much it affects our lives.”
“It’s kind of a symbiotic relationship. We do it for you guys, and you do it because you love us.”
This week in women’s hockey
Seattle Torrent summer roster check-in
The 2026-27 PWHL goaltending landscape: Minnesota & Montréal
Q&A with Kim Weiss, PWHL Las Vegas inaugural head coach
Why Michelle Karvinen is a good fit for the Montréal Victoire
Women’s hockey players take part in NHL development camp as coaches and players
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