It's been a good start, including a new league, new city, new country, and new teammates for Savannah Harmon. The first round pick of PWHL Ottawa has found harmony in her new surroundings.

PWHL Ottawa selected Savannah Harmon 5th overall in the 2023 PWHL Draft this past September, marking her as the first selection in franchise history. While general manager Michael Hirshfeld walked up to the podium, Harmon had no idea that Ottawa would be her new home for the foreseeable future. The defender was not only ecstatic to be drafted, but to be a part of a draft that had a strong amount of talent in it.

“This draft was such a cool experience to be a part of,” said Harmon. “I don’t think it’ll ever happen again with the talent and everything that was in the draft.”

After the highs from the draft experience settled down, Harmon met with head coach Carla MacLeod and assistant coach Haley Irwin before preparing for the 2024 season. They went over expectations for the year and got to know the 28-year-old on a personal level. 

Harmon thrives on the offensive side of the game, especially in best-on-best competition. In the 2022 Winter Olympics, she led team USA in scoring from their blueline with seven points in seven games. Not only does she prioritize continuing to develop her skillset but also using hockey IQ to use to her advantage.

“The way I see the ice, is definitely the best asset that I have,” she said. “Being able to see the ice is one thing but being able to do something [with it] is something else.”

A native of Downers Grove, Illinois, Harmon had yet to play for a team outside of the United States. She was part of many battles in international play against Team Canada, along with travelling with the PWHPA where they played various games across Canada and the United States.

Prior to the PWHL however, she had never lived in Canada, so a culture shock would have been understandable. But Harmon continues to be grateful in her move to the nation’s capital.

“The move has actually been pretty seamless,” Harmon said. “They set us up really nicely with all the paperwork and getting a visa to cross the border.”

From the draft in September to the home opener on January 2nd, Harmon and her teammates had three months to bond. As the PWHL team with the most nationalities (Ottawa has six), Harmon didn’t know many players on a personal level other than some of her American teammates. The 28-year-old was close with Becca Gilmore, Gabbie Hughes and Hayley Scamurra, and competed against Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner and Emerance Maschmeyer. Despite the lack of familiarity, Harmon and her teammates embraced the unknown and the diversity of nations on the roster. Prior to playing in Ottawa, Harmon had never developed connections with the international players on the team.

“They’re such pros and great hockey players and such incredible human beings,” she said. “To have their experience, their personalities has helped shape this team and make it incredible.”

At Ottawa's home opener, Harmon and her teammates took to the ice playing in front of a sell out crowd of over 8318 people. She was able to see young hockey fans in the crowd looking at them as role models, which was a touching moment.

“That’s the reason we do it,” she said with a smile. “The reason we started the PWHPA was for the younger generations. It’s something that they can aspire to play in and something that’s sustainable.”

When the puck dropped, Ottawa fans eagerly waited for the monumental first goal in history. Harmon had the same mentality, and the bench erupted when Mikyla Grant-Mentis was the first player to score a goal ever for PWHL Ottawa. While the goal was disallowed due to the puck sliding under the side of the net, it was more about the celebration as a whole.

“Her celebration was awesome, the crowd erupted,” she said. “We were celebrating and you see the refs, I first thought it was offside. I was watching the jumbotron, and I was like ‘oh, she really snuck that in there.'”

The goal was officially disallowed, and the fans and players had to go back to square one. Minutes after, TD Place got to relish the official first goal in franchise history, coming off of Hayley Scamurra’s stick, Harmon’s long-time teammate.

“Scams has an incredible shot, definitely very happy that she was able to bounce back and be there right away," she said of Scamurra, who was her teammate Team USA, the Buffalo Beauts in the NWHL and Team Harvey’s in the PWHPA. 

Though Ottawa fell short to Montreal in overtime, there was still a celebration on the ice for both teams. And while the game displayed some animosity and physicality, it was all love after the game. Harmon exchanged hugs after the game with some of the Montreal players, most notably Marie-Philip Poulin.

“She’s an incredible player and person as well,” she said. “I was able to train with a bunch of them in Montreal this summer. You obviously throw some hits against them on the ice, but joke about it after.”

The city of Ottawa continues to welcome the inaugural team into their city, and Harmon and co. continue to appreciate their hospitality. While the American native misses the store Target, she feels that her treatment from the PWHL and Ottawa has been incredible. Many of these women have pushed for a professional league that can be consistent, and she feels that her team is “pretty spoiled at the rink” and in the city of Ottawa.