DETROIT, MI (June 14, 2026) – PWHL Detroit today announced that defender Nina Jobst-Smith has been signed to a one-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Jobst-Smith, who was under contract with the Vancouver Goldeneyes for the 2026-27 campaign, has a new deal to join PWHL Detroit where she becomes the team’s ninth player and second of three to be added during Phase 4 of the PWHL’s Expansion Player Distribution Process.
Jobst-Smith was selected by Vancouver in the third round, 19th overall, in the 2025 PWHL Draft. She started her rookie season on long-term injured reserve, debuting on Jan. 9 against Ottawa, and finished the year with three assists in 20 games, including two in her final three appearances. The 24-year-old from North Vancouver, British Columbia, played collegiately at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where she served as captain in 2024-25 and tallied 18 points (3G, 15A) in 37 games, also earning All-WCHA Second Team honors. Internationally, Jobst-Smith most recently represented Germany in her Olympic debut in Milan, scoring the very first goal of the tournament and finishing with three points (2G, 1A) in five games. She is also a veteran of five IIHF Women’s World Championships, having twice been named one of her team’s top three players.
On PWHL Detroit, Jobst-Smith is the sixth player with Olympic experience joining American gold medalists Cayla Barnes, Hannah Bilka, and Britta Curl-Salemme and silver medalist Jesse Compher (2022), and Canadian silver medalist Daryl Watts, all Phase 2 signings. Jobst-Smith joins Barnes on Detroit’s blue line while reuniting with Vancouver teammate Sydney Bard, who was signed in Phase 3, and follows the team’s most recent “Mitten State” signees in Taylor Girard (Phase 3) and Shiann Darkangelo (Phase 4).
At the end of the Phase 4 signing period on Monday, each expansion team will have 10 total players through signings and, if necessary, a player selection process. Players eligible to be signed in Phase 4 are those not signed or protected in Phases 1-3, including players on expiring contracts and players under contract for 2026-27. Existing teams can lose a maximum of four players who are under contract for the 2026-27 season in Phases 1-4.
A complete list of player signings and transactions is available on the official PWHL Transactions Page. To see the full overview of the status of PWHL player contracts, visit the PWHL Contract Guide here.
ABOUT PWHL DETROIT
PWHL Detroit is one of 12 teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), which was founded in 2023. The PWHL began its inaugural season in January 2024 and features the best women’s hockey players in the world. PWHL Detroit was officially announced as one of the league’s four new expansion teams on May 6 and will debut at Little Caesars Arena in the fall. Fans can place a time-stamped deposit here, opens in a new tab to secure priority access to season tickets for PWHL Detroit’s historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. To learn more and stay up to date, visit DetroitPWHL.com, subscribe to the newsletter here, opens in a new tab and follow the team on Facebook PWHL Detroit, opens in a new tab, Instagram @PWHL__Detroit, opens in a new tab, X @PWHL__Detroit, opens in a new tab, TikTok @PWHL__Detroit, opens in a new tab, YouTube PWHL Detroit, opens in a new tab, Threads @PWHL__Detroit, opens in a new tab, and Bluesky @PWHL--Detroit, opens in a new tab.
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