After being left unprotected for PWHL expansion teams to acquire, Brianne Jenner has signed a three-year contract with the league\u2019s new Hamilton franchise.<\/p>\n
The deal is a standard player agreement \u2014 not one of the unique expansion contracts available to teams in Phase 2 of the league\u2019s six-phase process \u2014 and runs through the 2028-29 season.<\/p>\n
The PWHL\u2019s four new expansion teams \u2014 Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas and San Jose \u2014 currently have a three-day window, which began Friday, to acquire five players through signings and, if necessary, a player selection process.<\/p>\n
PWHL expansion rules<\/a> allowed the eight existing teams to protect three players from the \u201croster distribution process.\u201d As expected, the Ottawa Charge protected star goalie Gwyneth Philips and defender Ronja Savolainen, both of whom were protected last season when the PWHL added teams in Vancouver and Seattle.<\/p>\n But, with its final slot, the team opted to protect forward Rebecca Leslie, who is coming off a breakout season with 14 goals and 23 points in 30 games. That left Jenner, the team\u2019s captain, exposed.<\/p>\n As a free agent, Jenner would have needed to sign a new contract with Ottawa before Wednesday\u2019s 3 p.m. ET deadline to be shielded from the next phase of the process. Ottawa general manager Mike Hirshfeld said in a Thursday media availability that the organization had conversations with Jenner, but that she and her family were \u201clooking at different options.\u201d<\/p>\n In an Instagram post on Friday<\/a>, Jenner said it was her intention to finish her career in Ottawa.<\/p>\n \u201cThe organization decided to move in a different direction, and my time here has come to a close,\u201d the post read. \u201cFrom the bottom of my heart thank you for the memories.\u201d<\/p>\n Jenner was one of Ottawa\u2019s three foundational signings ahead of the PWHL\u2019s first season in 2024, and was the organization\u2019s first captain and leading scorer with 61 points in 82 career games.<\/p>\n In a statement shared on X on Friday, Hirshfeld said: \u201cWe want to wish Brianne, her wife Hayleigh and their three kids the best of luck in a new chapter of a brilliant career.<\/p>\n \u201cBrianne was pivotal in setting the foundation of the culture of a new franchise in Ottawa. She made an impact in our dressing room with exceptional sportsmanship, leadership skills and work ethic. Her contribution on and off the ice made her a pillar of our organization and the community for the past three seasons. It was an honour to have her as our first-ever captain.\u201d<\/p>\n For Hamilton, acquiring a player with Jenner\u2019s leadership \u2014 and production \u2014 as the team\u2019s first signing is an easy win for new GM and U.S women\u2019s hockey legend Meghan Duggan<\/a>, who played several years against Jenner for club and country.<\/p>\n Jenner is from nearby Oakville, Ont., and grew up playing youth hockey in the Stoney Creek Girls Hockey Association; Stoney Creek is a community in the City of Hamilton. The 35-year-old was also one of the best players in the PWHL in 2025-26, scoring a career-high 26 points in 30 games, fourth in the PWHL, and was named a finalist for Forward of the Year.<\/p>\n \u201cI could not be more excited to announce that my new chapter begins today with PWHL Hamilton,\u201d Jenner said in a subsequent Instagram post on Friday<\/a>. \u201cAs a family we have deep ties to the Golden Horseshoe, and I can\u2019t wait to get started and help build the culture and identity of the team that gets to represent this region.<\/p>\n \u201cHamilton, I promise to bring my everything to this team, everyday, and I know that in return you will show up with unrivalled support and enthusiasm.\u201d<\/p>\n Jenner is a four-time Olympian, winning gold medals in 2014 and 2022, and a four-time world champion.<\/p>\n The team also signed goalie Kayle Osborne to a three-year standard player agreement on Friday. The 24-year-old was the New York Sirens\u2019 primary starter in 2025-26, appearing in 27 of 30 games and posting a .906 save percentage. Osborne was also a member of the Canadian women\u2019s Olympic hockey team that won a silver medal in Milan.<\/p>\n Osborne was left unprotected by the New York Sirens, which saved its top three forwards (Sarah Fillier, Krist\u00fdna Kaltounkov\u00e1 and Casey O\u2019Brien).<\/p>\n Hamilton has until 1 p.m. ET Monday to sign three more foundational players. If the team fails to reach five signings, there will be a player selection process Monday evening. Only players identified on an expansion team\u2019s 20-player \u201cExclusive Negotiation Target List\u201d are eligible to be signed during Phase 2.<\/p>\n Existing teams can lose a maximum of three players who are under contract for the 2026-27 season during this phase. The PWHL\u2019s full rules are here<\/a>.<\/p>\n