Calm in the Crease: How Torrent Goaltender Hannah Murphy Has Navigated Her Rookie Season
By Charles Hamaker
Northgate, WA - The goaltender position is crucial in hockey, with waves of pressure staring you down throughout a game and the need to make critical stops in the biggest moments putting immense mental weight on one person. The PWHL is full of talented netminders, including Corinne Schroeder, who was signed this offseason to be the frontline starter for the Seattle Torrent.
The signing made it surprising for the Torrent to select Hannah Murphy out of Colgate with their second-round pick in the previous entry draft, but “Murph” has displayed the sort of potential Seattle general manager Meghan Turner saw in order to make that pick. The 22-year-old goaltender started her professional career with three stellar starts, allowing just a goal a game against the New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and Montréal Victoire before a stretch of challenging games saw her numbers take a hit.
Seattle Torrent goaltender Hannah Murphy in her specialized Torrent mask for the 2025-26 season at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)
The obstacles in Murphy’s way during her rookie season could be viewed as shots being sent on net that she has to face when she’s in the crease: trying to get settled into living in a new city, handling the pressure of becoming a budding star in a city with so much passion for its brand new team, building chemistry on an expansion team in its inaugural season, and working on her own game to improve as a young professional athlete.
To see how she was handling the many obstacles of her rookie campaign, we caught up with the rookie netminder to learn about the year through her perspective.
While it may be a lot to any mortal, the pressure of becoming a professional athlete at just 22-years-old and especially at the goaltender position isn’t something that Hannah Murphy is overly concerned with. Sitting on the wooden bleachers of rink one (Starbucks) at the Kraken Community Iceplex after a practice session, as many young hockey players have done over the last few years, Murphy shows a calm and peaceful demeanor you’d expect from a multi-year veteran.
The journey from the collegiate ranks to establishing herself in a market that’s new to her is something that Murphy has taken in stride, crediting her Torrent teammates for making things easier on her as the year has gone on. From emotional support to answering questions a rookie might have, Murphy credits those in her locker room for making the transition seamless, from teammates to coaching staff.
“I think it’s the same as anyone moving out of the house, maybe just a little additional stress of being a professional athlete. But the one thing that other people don’t have is the same support system. Having 23 girls on our roster, plus our reserves that have been through this before, for the veterans, and then also to have all the rookies who are also going through this at the same time, has been really helpful. You have so many wise voices in the room you can turn to with any questions, who have helped handle that kind of pressure and stress. Then on top of that, the amazing staff that we have, our mental performance coach, and all of that stuff. It’s actually been a pretty seamless transition despite all the change.”
Seattle Torrent goaltender Hannah Murphy during her PWHL debut and the team’s victory over the New York Sirens on December 3rd, 2025, at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)
One of those teammates who has provided support is fellow rookie and roommate Jenna Buglioni, also navigating the challenging path a first-year player will face in a growing league. After speaking with the roommates about their friendship early in the season, it was only right to ask Murphy how the two have learned from one another as they face the challenges of this first go-around in the PWHL.
While the two didn’t attend the same college, they both share the experience of being leaders at their universities, as Hannah and Jenna were captains at Colgate and Ohio State, respectively. Going from a leadership position and the eldest of your team to the youngest is a change, one that they can both relate to as they learn from a roster filled with the very best to ever lace up a pair of skates.
“It’s nice that we’re able to kind of lean on each other, knowing what each other is going through. It’s definitely different coming from college and stuff, too, where you’re used to being the oldest player, where your teammates are leaning on you, looking towards you as kind of a point of guidance, and then now we’re kind of the rookies all over again. Just being able to support each other through that is awesome. We’ve been friends since before the torrent, and now, being able to live together, it’s just been so much fun.”
Another element of Murphy’s support system is the Torrent fanbase, as Seattle has shown up and shown out for their PWHL early and often. From the USA-Canada Rivalry Series game to the Takeover Tour matchup between the Fleet and Victoire, Seattle showed the PWHL that it was more than ready for their very own team. That support has been almost overwhelming since the news of expansion became official, and fans have rallied for players up and down the inaugural roster.
The support for Murphy came loud and clear during her debut, the thrilling comeback victory over the New York Sirens at Climate Pledge Arena for the first Torrent win in team history. Chants of “MUR-PHY! MUR-PHY!” rang through Climate Pledge Arena, as it had become clear that the rookie netminder had captured the hearts of the fanbase for her timely saves.
From hearing about how Seattle supports its teams to experiencing it firsthand, Murphy has seen multiple ways the city shows up, with the level of love displayed by Torrent fans fulfilling dreams she didn’t even know she could have.
“I think it’s one thing to kind of hear about the support that Seattle gives their [teams] and professional athletes, especially on the women’s side, but then another thing to actually experience it. It was completely shocking, and I knew that the city would show up and support us, but it’s been more than I could have even imagined. I think that first game that I was able to play in, just to feel that support from all the fans, then to win that game was so awesome. Even just in like the smaller little interactions, whether we’re out at a community event, interacting with the minor hockey teams and that sort of thing, or our open practices, we had one couple weeks ago and the stands were filled and they started chanting ‘let’s go Torrent’ in the middle of practice, which is not even something that you ever even dream of. You don’t even know that’s a possibility growing up playing women’s sports, so that’s been super cool.”
Seattle Torrent goaltender Hannah Murphy during the team’s practice session on January 24th, 2026, before their PWHL Takeover Tour game in Denver, Colorado. (Photos by Rowan Schaberg for Circling Seattle Sports)
Almost immediately after practice, Murphy can often be seen reviewing film with goaltender coach Sheldon Goertzen, seeking ways to improve from the session she’s just wrapped up or a previous game. It’s safe to say that Hannah is in good hands with her coach and her teammates, being joined by two veteran goaltenders in the form of Corinne Schroeder and Carly Jackson.
Schroeder isn’t exactly at the end of her career, just 26-years-old, but she is now in her fourth year of professional hockey, this being her third season in the PWHL after one impressive year in the PHF with the Boston Pride. Rounding out the goalie group is 28-year-old Carly “CJ” Jackson, now in their sixth year of professional hockey, having played with the Buffalo Beauts in the NWHL and PHF before a strong campaign with the Toronto Six in the PHF.
With the pedigrees of her teammates established, it’s safe to say that Murphy has a wealth of knowledge to pick from when it comes to how to handle different situations on the ice as well as life off it. Not only do they have loads of experience, but Hannah shares that the trio is very collaborative in how they operate and work to get better.
“I feel like our goalie trio has a really good collaborative relationship... There are so many ways in which it’s been helpful, not only on the ice, but also with that off-ice piece, like you kind of talked about. They’ve been super helpful that way. On the ice, it’s been really cool. I think we do have that great relationship, which makes it awesome. Schroeds and CJ have very different goaltending styles, and I consider myself to be kind of somewhere in the middle, to be able to take things from both of their games and learn from that has been really cool to just watch them every day and soak up as much information as I can. ”
Seattle Torrent goaltender Hannah Murphy during practice sessions at the Kraken Community Iceplex. (Photos by Nick Lyons for Circling Seattle Sports)
From differing goaltending styles to personality types, the Torrent goaltender room brings all sorts of energy that mixes well among the trio, forming a tight bond in Seattle’s inaugural season, much like the roster as a whole. While Schroeder might be a little quieter sometimes, a “chattier” side of Corinne comes out when she’s with Hannah and CJ, whether that’s talking about the game itself or their respective day-to-day. Add CJ’s lively energy, and a good levity is brought to the netminder trio at all times, something Hannah appreciates.
The connection between goaltenders spreads beyond just the Torrent locker room, even from one end of the Kraken Community Iceplex to the other. Kraken netminder Joey Daccord shared a welcome message with Murphy once she was selected by the Torrent, as well as congratulations on being drafted by Seattle’s PWHL team. It’s a small gesture between two who cover the crease in the Pacific Northwest, but one that shows another example of Seattle’s love for its teams: from fans to players, as well as player to player.
“I think it’s super cool how much all of the athletes around support each other, and I’ve felt that from day one, which is really cool.”
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