Torrent Draft Duo of Buglioni and Murphy’s Friendship “Was Just Kind of Fate”
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Elation was evident for the Seattle Torrent in the immediate aftermath of the franchise's first win on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025, against the New York Sirens within the walls of Climate Pledge Arena. Looking at the ice, lying in the center of a lower bowl that was raucous just minutes before, thanks to two dramatic goals in the final moments of regulation to give the Torrent the victory, you’d have seen the entire Seattle team celebrating with each other. Zooming in, you’d see rookie center Jenna Buglioni literally jumping for joy as she skated towards roommate and teammate Hannah Murphy, who had just put together a masterful performance in her PWHL debut.
The duo met during their time with Hockey Canada's development team, spending parts of two years together, where they began their friendship. Those couple of weeks over a few summers saw them click automatically, spending time together on the trips they took as part of that team. The immediate chemistry and tight bond formed made it feel like fate that they were selected in consecutive rounds by the Seattle Torrent in the PWHL entry draft.
“It was just kind of fate that we ended up with them. I remember when she got drafted, she walked in the back and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, we could be roomies!’”
“Jenna was the first person I saw after getting drafted. That was comforting, having a familiar face, coming out across the continent from where I was raised, that was really nice.”
With Buglioni selected in the first round and Murphy in the second, Jenna was ready to welcome Hannah in the draft room at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Ottawa, Ontario, when another opportunity to grow their bond presented itself: becoming roommates in the Pacific Northwest. While plans weren’t made then and there, as there are a few other steps that the rookies had to grow through before thinking about that, text exchanges were shared to scout out potential places and get an idea for what the two wanted in a place they’d call home for the inaugural season of the expansion franchise.
While Buglioni admits that the two are different, in a few more ways than one, playing a position that shoots pucks at someone for a living and the other a position that gets in the way of pucks for a living, there are similarities between the two. The differences between them might not be so glaring, since Jenna mentions that for three of her years at Ohio State, she lived with goaltenders. Add the fact that the duo describes each other as easy-going, and you can see why they get along “really well.” The friendship continues to grow day by day and will grow even more as Hannah comes back with Jenna to her home in Port Moody, British Columbia, for Christmas because of the proximity to Seattle and the shorter time frame the team has for the holiday. The two-and-a-half-hour drive to Buglioni’s self-proclaimed “big whole family” ensures that Murphy doesn’t have to spend the holiday alone here in the Emerald City, since she wouldn’t have had the time to make it all the way back to her home in Kingston, Ontario.
“I think for us, it was just finding a good location spot. Everything else was kind of gonna just fall into place.”
The bond between Buglioni and Murphy was on full display in the aforementioned celebration between the duo after the Torrent’s first-ever win in franchise history, as the hard work put in by the rookie netminder paid off to help Seattle complete the stunning comeback over New York. Murphy’s roommate, much like the home crowd at Climate Pledge Arena cheering on the debuting shot stopper, was ecstatic to see the performance that Hannah put forth for a Seattle team that was desperate for its first win of the year. Like head coach Steve O’Rourke postgame following the win, Jenna Buglioni was not at all surprised that Murphy put the performance on that she did because she’s seen firsthand the work that’s been put in on a day-to-day basis. More memories continue to be made between the two, with big milestones like rookie laps and first pro games coming right away for the roommate pair.
“I think it was no surprise that she performed that well, she was just waiting for the opportunity to be able to get in. She’s been working hard, watching her play with Hockey Canada, she performed like that too. It was no shock to me, she’s been working so hard, I was very proud to hear the chants and see how well she played. That game could have been very different if she didn’t make some of the stops that she made. First pro game, having her tale her rookie lap, being able to experience these really big milestones together has been really exciting.”
“Being able to celebrate that with Jenna, who knows what it feels like to most recently have gone out for that first game or rookie lap, participate in some really cool firsts, it was a great moment to share that similar excitement.”
Whether it’s the exchange shared between the two after the franchise's first-ever victory, the TikToks made on their respective accounts, or just speaking with them, it’s clear and obvious that Jenna Buglioni and Hannah Murphy share a strong friendship that should only be strengthened as the rest of this inaugural Seattle Torrent season rushes forward. Bonds like these, forged between the teams' first-ever selections in the PWHL’s entry draft this past June, will be key to building the chemistry the Torrent needs to reach the potential many around the league believe they have. There have been a few team-building events Seattle has participated in so far, and exploring their new city is another that should further help deepen the friendship between these two. Hailing from British Columbia, Buglioni is somewhat familiar with the region and isn’t surprised by anything as she settles into living in Seattle, but Murphy shared an appreciation for the city's diverse neighborhoods, which create a fun ecosystem.
More than anything, what’s stood out to Hannah Murphy about her new city is the support from the Seattle fanbase. The Kingston, Ontario kid has been blown away by the love and dedication Torrent fans have shown early on, which should only grow even more as this team reaches the heights it’s expected to.
“The fan base, and like all sports here, is like, really shocking to me, I guess, and like super has been super impressive. Like, the game once we finally scored was so loud, so crazy. But even going out to games for other teams and stuff in the city, like, has been super impressive. ”
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