Second round Torrent draft pick Sydney Morrow discusses her whirlwind draft night, family support, preparing for her professional career, and upcoming life in Seattle.
Sydney Morrow, a two-time All-American with the University of Minnesota, is heading to the PWHL next season with the Seattle Torrent. Seattle picked the blueliner 14th overall at the 2026 PWHL Draft.
Draft Night and Family Support
Second round Torrent draft pick Sydney Morrow comes from a hockey family, but the chance for her to play professional hockey only became a reality recently. “Growing up, I never envisioned a scenario like that for myself. Obviously, there was no women's draft until the PWHL was created,” Morrow said. “I grew up not thinking that this would ever happen to me. Then, all of a sudden, for all of us, so many people put in the work to give us this opportunity. It was like, ‘Wow, I get to go live this dream at what seems like the perfect time.’”
Morrow’s family supported her dreams no matter what they were, and her dad was especially instrumental. “Growing up, one of the best things that my dad did, he always coached me, but he never treated my brother's dreams of being in the NHL as more than my dreams of playing in the Olympics or playing in college,” Morrow said. “He always treated us exactly the same. I was definitely lucky to have that experience and that energy surrounding me as a kid and completely equal treatment of the boys’ dreams versus my dreams.”
Hearing her name called and being selected by the Torrent made something abstract into something much more real. “Once I found out I was going to Seattle, it's also just an amazing feeling to be like, ‘Now I can see myself in this place, with this team, I have this opportunity,’” Morrow said. “It was kind of like taking it from an idea, I'll be in the PWHL next year, to now I'm going to Seattle and training to be on the Seattle Torrent. It kind of just became more of a reality, which was super exciting.”
Draft night is something that Morrow is very familiar with, but she got to experience it all for herself. “I would watch the NHL draft and things like that. It seems super nerve-wracking on TV, but somehow everybody is able to be calm and smiling and nobody looks too nervous. For me that entire day was just a whirlwind. It felt like from the moment I woke up in the morning to when I went to bed, there was not a free second.”
Morrow’s family has already been looking for Torrent gear to rep the defender. “The most special part of draft night was the fact that my whole family was there, so it felt like everybody was there to support me. My siblings also play, so they're super busy. Everybody being able to be there and come to Detroit from Connecticut meant so much to me,” Morrow said. “From the moment when my name was called, getting to celebrate with all of my family members, in that moment, and then telling me they were proud of me and excited for me. That was one of the most memorable parts of it.”
Preparing for the Pros
Going from college to professional level play can be a big adjustment, but Morrow is ready for the challenge. “I think the biggest thing going from college to the pros is the pace jump. Everything is just a little bit faster just because every player is just so good in the PWHL,” Morrow said. “One of the things for me is just understanding that everything I do has to be like a half second quicker, just because of like the pace and the pressure.”
Morrow also has a strategy for looking for areas of improvement for her own game. “For example, working on puck retrievals in my own zone,” Morrow said. “As a defender, that just gets more difficult when you go to the PWHL and also accounting for the increase in physicality in the PWHL. I would say that it's not something that I'm nervous about, but more so just adapting to because it's a little bit different than the college game. Comparing the PWHL to college is kind of helping me understand what areas I need to continue to sharpen in my own game this summer.”
With training camp on the horizon, Morrow wants to come in strong and make an impact. “I want to come in with a really high compete level and intensity. That's something that I hope is noticed; willing to be physical, willing to battle, compete. Obviously, that's extra important as a rookie just being around new teammates and wanting to show them how I play and how I'm coming into the season,” said Morrow. “Then building the trust with my teammates of being able to find them and make plays with them, be creative, build that chemistry. That's something that's super important to me as I go into training camp and also just beginning to form those relationships with my teammates and coaches.”
Getting to Know Morrow
Morrow has some perfect Seattle fall activities for her days away from the rink. “I definitely like to decompress. I like reading. I like baking and cooking,” Morrow said. “I like basic level crafts, because it's kind of like a level one craft that I can successfully complete like bedazzling. I like pottery painting. Things like that, where I feel like I can't screw it up. Those kinds of things are super fun to do on an off day.”
She is also looking forward to exploring a new city and even has fellow draftee Emerson Jarvis to share in her interests. “One of the most exciting things about Seattle for me is that it's a new place. I definitely see myself exploring around the city, trying new coffee shops, restaurants. I love shopping, and I know that there's definitely a lot of shopping in Seattle. And, if I'm correct, I think there's like a good amount of thrifting too. I know Emerson Jarvis as well, she's like the thrift queen. She's so good at thrifting. Us two, I can definitely see doing that.”
Morrow noticed the undeniable love the city of Seattle has for women’s sports. “I'm just really excited to experience the Seattle fan base. Even from draft night it became really clear how passionate the fans are not just about the Torrent, but all women's sports,” Morrow said. “Our rookie class got a video from Flau'jae [guard for the Seattle Storm] too, and we were like ‘This is the coolest thing ever.’”
Despite the Torrent’s last place standing, the fans never wavered. It’s a unique, dynamic, and welcoming fan base that has a reputation that precedes it. “I think I'm super excited to get to Seattle and see everyone and also become a part of the Seattle sports community and go watch other games and be a fan of other teams. I think that's really cool,” Morrow said. “I know Climate Pledge Arena, on our first night, it's just going to be like so explosive. I can't wait. And I hope to be a part of the trinket exchange one day.”
