Following the Montreal Victoire’s Walter Cup victory over the Ottawa Charge — a team that featured Cornell graduates Brianne Jenner ’15 and Rory Guilday ’25 — all eyes have turned toward the offseason.
Currently, ten former Red players are in the professional league, with three already changing teams and potentially more on the way. For both current players and the next generation of women’s hockey stars, this expansion marks more opportunities; however, it can be a complicated process. So, here is the Cornellian’s Guide to PWHL Expansion.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League will grow by four teams for the 2027 season: Detroit, Las Vegas, San Jose, California and Hamilton, Ontario. Unlike when Seattle and Vancouver joined the league, no traditional expansion draft with new teams directly picking players from existing franchises in a set order will occur; instead, a six-phase “expansion process” has been implemented.
Phase one involved existing teams protecting three players, who would be “untouchable” to the new squads. No Cornell alumni were protected. The second phase allowed the four new franchises to sign up to five unprotected players. It was in this phase that Cornellians became a coveted commodity.
Jenner, an Oakville, Ontario native, became the first signee for her new hometown team, the Hamilton franchise. Coming off a career-high 26 points and a finalist nomination for Forward of the Year, Jenner was left available for expansion and quickly inked a three-year deal.
The 35-year-old pivot was open about her hopes to not be moved.
“It was my intention to continue and finish my career in Ottawa, the organization has decided to move in a different direction, and my time here has come to a close,” Jenner explained in an Instagram post. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the memories.”
Guilday joined her former Charge teammate and fellow Red alum in moving to a new expansion franchise. The recent Olympic gold medalist and former fifth overall pick became the second signee of the San Jose franchise, bringing physical, shutdown defense to the Bay Area. Guilday established herself as one of the top defensive defenders in her rookie season, finishing third in the league with 57 hits while rounding out her two-way game with eight assists.
Kristin O'Neill ’20 was the third player with ties to Cornell to sign in the second phase. O’Neill had five points last season with the New York Sirens and was a key contributor to Canada in the Olympics, adding five points, including a shorthanded goal in the gold medal game. O’Neill joined Guilday in San Jose, both signing two-year contracts.
"I'm really looking forward and really excited to represent these people, these fans and this area," O’Neill told a local news outlet.
Phase three brought another round of expansion team signings with three more protection slots added for existing franchises, three slots being used on alums. Phase four commenced on June 14th, bringing more expansion signings ahead of the entry draft and resigning period in phase five and the open signing period in phase six.
As the expansion process continues and the next phases open up negotiations league-wide, rosters will be finalized. Here is where the other players with Cornell connections stand.
Micah Zandee-Hart ’20
The three-year captain of the New York Sirens was left unprotected by the franchise despite being under contract through the 2026-27 season. With over three seasons in the PWHL, the 5’ 9” defender has acted as the leader of the Sirens squad, and the decision to leave Zandee-Hart unprotected was likely a product of New York’s desire to keep their three young leading scorers — Sarah Fillier, Kristýna Kaltounková, and Casey O’Brien — rather than a reflection of Zandee-Hart’s play with the Sirens. A team did not choose to snag the Sirens' captain in the second phase, and Zandee-Hart will remain with the club after being protected ahead of phase four.
Jaime Bourbonnais ’20
The assistant captain of the New York Sirens was also left unprotected in phase one. The defender has been a consistent performer throughout her three PWHL seasons. Much like her time at Cornell, she has been a mainstay of the blue line, regularly playing over 20 minutes a night. Bourbonnais brings leadership and experience, having represented Team Canada in multiple International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships. She signed a one-year extension before the 2025-26 season. Much like with fellow alum Zandee-Hart, Bourbonnais was likely left unprotected in favor of New York's young stars, but was protected ahead of phase four.
Izzy Daniel ’24
The 25-year-old etched her name in Cornell history during her time in Ithaca, becoming the first Red player to win the Patty Kazmaier Award for best female player in college hockey. She ended her collegiate career with 158 points, fifth in school history, including 51 goals.
Daniel started her career with Toronto after being selected 18th overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft and notched seven points in her rookie season before being selected by Vancouver in its expansion draft in 2025.
Daniel would once again display her goal-scoring prowess with a seven-goal campaign for the Goldeneyes. With an extensive trophy case and high-end skillset, Daniel re-signed with Vancouver on a two-year contract after denying a contract offer by an expansion franchise in phase two.
Jill Saulnier ’15
The 34-year-old forward spent two years with the New York Sirens before moving to the Boston Fleet for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns. Saulnier totaled 195 points (80 goals, 115 assists) in 125 games for the Red during her four years in Ithaca. Despite recent PWHL production slowing down, the unrestricted free agent and two-time Olympian could provide veteran leadership to any PWHL franchise and, if signed by an expansion franchise, would bring a winning pedigree that could set the new team on track.
Marlène Boissonnault ’19
Boissonnault posted three straight seasons at Cornell with under 2.00 goals against averages and greater than .915 save percentages. However, the 5’10” netminder has yet to land a consistent role in the PWHL, only starting in one game with the Minnesota Frost this year, her first professional season. The 28-year-old is approaching the time when many goaltenders mature and take the next step. And, being an unrestricted free agent could prove to be beneficial for the netminder as she is free to pursue any team willing to retain her talents. Perhaps a change of scenery will spark the next chapter in Boissonnault’s professional career.
Lily Delianedis ’25
The forward was a consistent contributor with the Red, tallying over twenty points in each of her four seasons at Cornell. Lyanh Faithful may recall her heroic triple overtime winner in the 2025 ECAC semifinals. Delianedis’ 53 career goals for the Red drew the interest of the Seattle Torrent, who drafted her 24th overall in the 2025 PWHL Draft. The Edina, Minnesota native had two points in her rookie season in The Emerald City and enters the 2026-27 season as a restricted free agent, meaning Seattle will retain her rights if she is unsigned. Delianedis could solidify a role on a depleted Seattle roster, or an expansion team could take a chance on her hard-nosed style of play.
Katie Chan ’25
Following a 19-point senior season, Chan did not hear her name called in the 2025 PWHL Draft. After a stint in the Swedish Women's Hockey League, the 23-year-old forward was invited to the Vancouver Goldeneyes training camp and earned a one-year contract for the 2025-2026 season.
She impressed, bringing speed and a high motor, registering minutes in 17 games for the Goldeneyes. Chan is a free agent who would be a solid depth piece to any team that signs her, with the added potential to break out if she finds her playmaking and goalscoring touch at the next level.
Many other Red alums may join the PWHL ranks, with analysts predicting at least three Cornell draftees at the 2026 PWHL Draft at 5 p.m. EST on June 17, available on the PWHL’s YouTube channel. The Cornell Sun Hockey Beat will have coverage of the draft.
Eli Kwait is a staff writer for the sports department. He is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. You can follow him on X @EliKwaitand reach him at ekwait@cornellsun.com.
