The long known trade sending Hilary Knight from PWHL Las Vegas to PWHL Detroit in exchange for Detroit's first round pick, third overall in the draft, is now official.
It was the trade the entire women's hockey world knew was coming, but is now official as PWHL Detroit has acquired Hilary Knight in exchange for their first round pick, the third overall selection in tomorrow's PWHL Draft.
“Hilary Knight is one of the best and most accomplished players in women’s hockey history and is a significant addition to our roster ahead of our inaugural season, which makes this a very exciting day for PWHL Detroit,” said Manon Rhéaume, PWHL Detroit General Manager. “In addition to the tremendous skill she will bring to the ice, her leadership and presence in the locker room and in the community and her desire to compete and to win a Walter Cup will be instrumental in shaping our culture and building our foundation.”
The trade, finalized last week after a behind-the-scenes saga involving the now former captain of the Boston Fleet and Seattle Torrent, and her decision to play with Detroit instead of Las Vegas, despite being signed to a binding Expansion Franchise Offer by PWHL Las Vegas.
The brief hold out, after Knight agreed to play for Detroit early in the PWHL expansion process ended in a sign-and-trade.
The deal however, backfired on Detroit as they were granted the third overall pick, which will become either Abbey Murphy or Laila Edwards for PWHL Las Vegas, when most anticipated expansion teams would pick at the end of the opening round.
Knight scored 14 points in 22 games last season. The 36-year-old also captained USA to Olympic gold, announcing it would be her final Olympic Games. If the third pick ends up being either Murphy or Edwards, both were paramount in USA's gold medal win, and will be national team cornerstones for the next decade, while Knight's career is in its twilight.