The Motor City lands an icon as American legend Hillary Knight joins a star-studded influx of Olympic talent, instantly transforming Detroit into a league powerhouse.
The PWHL Detroit roster is starting to take shape, and the names coming through the door are turning heads across the women's hockey world.
The biggest addition of all came via a sign-and-trade that brought one of the most decorated players in the history of the sport to the Motor City. Hillary Knight, a five-time Olympic medalist with two gold medals and three silver medals to her name, is headed to Detroit after the organization completed a deal to acquire the American icon.
Knight has also accumulated an extraordinary collection of hardware at the IIHF World Championship, winning ten gold medals and five silver medals over the course of her legendary international career. Any questions about whether she still has something left in the tank were answered emphatically at the most recent Olympics, where she recorded six points in seven games to help Team USA capture gold.
Detroit will be Knight's third PWHL home after stints with the Boston Fleet and most recently the Seattle Torrent. Over three seasons in the league she has scored 26 goals and 28 assists for 54 points in 76 games, though her playoff production has been a sticking point, with no points across eight postseason appearances.
Joining Knight in Detroit is a group of fellow Olympians that gives the organization an immediate identity built around international pedigree. Defender Cayla Barnes signed a three-year contract with the club after spending last season on Seattle's blueline, where the 27-year-old recorded eight points in 30 games.
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Barnes originally broke into the league with the Montreal Victoire before joining Seattle during the 2026 expansion, and brings a steady, experienced presence to Detroit's defensive core.
Hannah Bilka also comes aboard on a two-year deal, though her 2025-26 campaign was cut short by a season-ending upper-body injury after just 14 games in which she posted nine points.
The 25-year-old Texas native more than made up for the lost time on the international stage, however, emerging as one of Team USA's most dynamic performers at the 2026 Olympics with four goals and three assists for a point-per-game pace across seven games.
Rounding out Detroit's offseason additions are Daryl Watts, Britta Curl-Salemme and Jesse Compher, the latter of whom makes the move to Detroit after three seasons with the Toronto Sceptres and will now share a city with her brother, Red Wings forward J.T. Compher, in what would make them the first NHL and PWHL sibling duo to play in the same market.
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