Alex Carpenter signs with PWHL Seattle, adding more offensive firepower
By Silvia Leija-Rosas, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - PWHL Seattle just added another major piece to its lineup, signing forward Alex Carpenter ahead of the franchise’s first season this winter on a one-year Standard Player Agreement. A proven scorer with big-game experience, Carpenter joins Hilary Knight, Danielle Serdachny and Cayla Barnes as the players to join during the Exclusive Signing Window which now leaves one slot open if Seattle chooses to use it. Vancouver has already filled all five available slots in this Exclusive Signing Window, so it’ll be intriguing to see if general manager Meghan Turner opts to do the same for Seattle.
Alex Carpenter has played at Climate Pledge Arena before, taking part in the November 20th, 2022 Rivalry Series game as she helped Team USA beat Team Canada by a final score of 4-2. Carpenter can be seen wearing the #25 in these two photos, and she recorded one assist in the win. (Photos by Liv Lyons for Circling Seattle Sports)
Originally from North Reading, Massachusetts, Carpenter has been a fixture in the U.S. women’s national team program for over a decade. She’s a two-time Olympic silver medalist (2014, 2022) and has won six gold medals and three silvers at the IIHF Women’s World Championships. On the international stage, few players have matched her blend of scoring touch and situational awareness. Carpenter was recognized for her remarkable ability when she was named the Best Forward at the 2024 World Championships after leading that tournament in scoring.
Carpenter, who has spent the first two years of PWHL play with the New York Sirens, had a solid 2024-25 season where she tallied eleven goals and nine assists in 26 games. While it may not have been the incredibly strong season she had in year one of the league, Carpenter’s 20 points helped her finish third in team scoring. Her 18.6% shooting percentage and 52.8% faceoff win rate speak to the efficiency and versatility she brings to the center position, something GM Meghan Turner celebrated in the signing announcement.
“Alex is a true competitor who brings intensity every time she steps on the ice. She’s an elite two-way player who has proven to be one of the best in the world for years, and she has the ability to take over a game at both ends of the ice. She’s hungry to win and brings the kind of drive that sets the tone for a team. We’re excited to have her join us as we build the foundation of our team.”
Alex Carpenter during her time with the New York Sirens in her home jersey. (Photo provided by the PWHL)
Carpenter, like Hilary Knight, joined the PWHL as a first three foundational signing player and served as an alternate captain during her time with the Sirens. Once again, Meghan Turner’s comments about wanting to have a strong leadership contingent for her inaugural roster rings true as she’ll have two massive leadership players in Knight and Carpenter right away. She ranks third all-time in PWHL career points with 43 in 50 games played, missing some time this season with an injury, and sits third in career points-per-game average at 0.86. Carpenter also sits tied for first all-time in power play points, recording 18 (Five goals, 13 assists) across two seasons. During the inaugural season, the 31-year-old forward tied for second in league scoring with 23 points in 24 games. She was voted a First Team All-Star and was also named a finalist for both the Forward of the Year and Billie Jean King MVP awards.
Prior to her play in the PWHL, Carpenter played professionally in previous North American professional women’s hockey leagues: PWHPA, CWHL, PHF and also played in Russia. Before turning pro, Carpenter made her mark at Boston College, where she became the program’s all-time leading scorer and earned the 2015 Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in NCAA women’s hockey.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to be a part of PWHL Seattle in its inaugural season. Joining Seattle, a city known for its passionate sports fans, is something I’m truly looking forward to. I’m eager to build something special and bring a championship to Seattle.”
For Seattle, this is another smart, foundational signing. Carpenter is the kind of player who can set the tone in the locker room and on the ice, and someone fans in the Pacific Northwest will enjoy watching as the team takes shape. With two of the leagues top scorers on their roster in Carpenter and Knight plus the exciting potential of Serdachny, Seattle’s forward group will certainly have the potential to be one of the PWHL’s very best. With those three, and obviously more to be added in the expansion draft on Monday, and a defender like Cayla Barnes that was tied for the lead in scoring among Montréal defenders, fans of the PWHL franchise here in Seattle can certainly expect some high octane offensive play from their team starting in just year one.
As mentioned earlier, this signing pushes Seattle to have now filled four of their five spots for the Exclusive Singing Window. Reminder about the Exclusive Signing Window: Expansion teams will be granted a five-day exclusive window to sign a maximum of five players. There is no required minimum number of players who must be signed during this window. Any unprotected player or any player on an expiring contract is eligible to be signed. If one team enters the Expansion Draft with fewer signed players than the other, which could be Seattle considering that they currently have four and Vancouver has all five, it will be granted additional selections to reach their 12.
Instagram: @CirclingSeattleSports Twitter: @CirclingSports Threads: @CirclingSeattleSports Tiktok: @CirclingSeattleSports Facebook: Circling Seattle Sports BlueSky: @circlingseasports.bsky.social
〰️
Instagram: @CirclingSeattleSports Twitter: @CirclingSports Threads: @CirclingSeattleSports Tiktok: @CirclingSeattleSports Facebook: Circling Seattle Sports BlueSky: @circlingseasports.bsky.social 〰️
Check out our previous PWHL Seattle articles here.
Check out our previous articles written by Silvia Leija Rosas here, and follow her on Twitter here.
Cover photo of this article via the PWHL.
Support the work of Circling Seattle Sports by checking out our merchandise!