2025-26 PWHL team preview: Seattle Torrent

The Seattle Torrent has high expectations. It’s the territory they skate into as the newest team in Seattle, a city brimming with titles for its women’s sports teams, including the NWSL’s Seattle Reign and WNBA’s Seattle Storm. 

Yet, with veteran Team USA star Hilary Knight captaining the team, and with the talent assembled by general manager Meghan Turner, there is hope they can quickly rise to contender status and challenge for the Walter Cup in their first season. 

While they start their season with a visit to the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Nov. 2, Torrent fans will have plenty of early-season chances to see their new team at Climate Pledge Arena, with five straight home games from Nov. 28 through Dec. 28.

Here’s everything you need to know about the PWHL’s newest American franchise. 

QUICK FACTS

• Arena: Climate Pledge Arena
• Arena Capacity: 17,500 
• Practice Facility: Kraken Community Iceplex.
• Head Coach: Steve O’Rourke
• General Manager: Meghan Turner
• Captain: Hilary Knight

OFFENSE

For all but two teams this season, there’s at least a baseline of how they want to play set through previous seasons. Yet, the Torrent will have to find their chemistry, style of play and familiarity in their brief training camp, with hopes that some of their experienced talent can lead the way. 

After a disappointing inaugural campaign with the Boston Fleet, Knight bounced back with a productive season in 2024-25, putting up 15 goals and 14  assists as her team missed the playoffs. However, there will always be doubts – even for a legend of the game – as retirement creeps ever closer. 

Despite Knight’s abilities, the roster around her has significant qualities as well. The duo of Alex Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge was excellent with the New York Sirens last season. Carpenter finished the season with 10 goals and 20 points, while Eldrige posted nine and 24, as they formed one of the league’s better partnerships. 

In addition to their established chemistry, the Torrent could also rely on Hannah Bilka’s familiarity with Knight, and could see further development from Danielle Serdachny, who scored just two goals and eight points with the Ottawa Charge last season.  

The potential of a Bilka-Serdachny-Knight line could be potent, but finding quick rhythms to start the season will be critical. 

DEFENSE

The Torrent has plenty of star power on defense, having signed Cayla Barnes from the Montreal Victoire and Aneta Tejralova from the Ottawa Charge. Barnes, in particular, will lead their defensive efforts after she averaged 21:48 of ice time last season, ranking seventh among all defenders. 

Through those heavy minutes, Barnes put up two goals and 11 assists, while being a key presence on both the power play and at five-on-five. Potentially linking up with Tejralova, who ranked 14th among PWHL defenders in 2024-25, the Torrent can be confident in their top blueliners. 

There will also be plenty of hope that Anna Wilgren, Mariah Keopple and Megan Carter can take steps forward, in addition to draft pick Lyndie Lobdell, who adds right-shot depth after an outstanding career with the Penn State Nittany Lions. 

GOALTENDING

If the chemistry on the blueline fails to live up to standard, the Torrent can be confident in their starting goalie, Corinne Schroeder. Meanwhile, Carly Jackson offers experienced options and good vibes, while Hannah Jackson enters her first professional season. 

Through the first two seasons of PWHL play, Schroeder has been among the best netminders. She became the first goalie to keep a shutout, doing so in the league’s inaugural game on New Year’s Day in 2024, and continued to stand out for the New York Sirens. 

A finalist for the 2024 PWHL Goaltender of the Year award 2024 with a .930 save percentage, she kept up her play on a struggling New York team in the second season as well. She led all goalies with four shutouts and finished the season with 1,005 total PWHL saves over two years, good for the third most in league history. 

Now 26, the former PHF Goaltender of the Year will be vital to any success that Seattle has. 

Yet, she will have challengers behind her. Murphy posted a .939 save percentage through 34 games in her final NCAA campaign with Colgate University last season, and Jackson made 25 saves in her only PWHL appearance with the Toronto Sceptres.

ROOKIES

As mentioned earlier, the Torrent will hope their top draft picks become instant contributors. Jenna Buglioni leads the rookie as the Xth overall selection in the 2025 PWHL Draft and will bring versatile ability at the center ice position. 

Meanwhile, Murphy is a significant No. 2 option in goal behind Schroeder, and Lobdell will look to elevate her game to the professional level after cresting 20 points from the blueline in each of her last two seasons with Penn State. 

Of the draft picks, Olivia Wallin may be a name to watch as well. She scored 40 points with the University of Minnesota-Duluth last season, tied for the team lead with Clara Van Wieren, who the Sceptres drafted in the third round– well before Seattle picked Wallin with their sixth round selection. There may be some doubts, but to get a potential contributor from the team’s final pick in the draft would be significant. 

COACHING

Steve O’Rourke will lead the Torrent through the first season after most recently coaching the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals, where he spent two seasons as an assistant before taking on the bench boss role in 2024-25. He was shockingly dismissed in December, despite the Generals sitting atop the division. 

Previously, he also served as an associate coach and director of player development with the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars and as an assistant coach with the Red Deer Rebels, also in the WHL. 

Coaching his first season in women’s pro hockey, there will be a noted adjustment for O’Rourke, but Turner and the Torrent will hope those adjustments happen primarily through their preseason preparations. 

 PREDICTION

Regardless of league, predicting where an expansion team will land in its inaugural season is always a challenge. The Torrent have plenty of talent throughout their roster, and will undoubtedly be competitive in their first season. Still, with the potential learning curve and the potential lack of stellar offensive talent, it could be a more challenging campaign – I’m saying sixth of the eight-team PWHL.

Daily Faceoff’s 2025-26 PWHL team preview hub