HAMILTON, ON – PWHL Hamilton today announced that defender Nelli Laitinen has signed a three-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement through the 2028-29 season. Laitinen is the first member of the team’s inaugural draft class, selected sixth overall in the 2026 PWHL Draft on June 17.
“We were thrilled to select Nelli with the sixth overall pick, and we are equally excited to have her officially signed with PWHL Hamilton,” said PWHL Hamilton General Manager Meghan Duggan. “Nelli is an exceptional defender who brings intelligence, competitiveness and poise to the game. Her ability to contribute in all areas of the ice, combined with her leadership experience at Minnesota, makes her a player we believe will be an important part of our team for years to come.”
Laitinen joins PWHL Hamilton following a standout collegiate career with the University of Minnesota where she recorded 94 points (22G, 72A) in 145 games over four years. The 24-year-old Finnish defender served as team captain for her final two seasons, becoming a key leader on and off the ice, while setting career highs in goals (10), assists (20), and points (30) as an All-WCHA Second Team honouree in 2025-26. On the international stage, Laitinen is a two-time Olympian and won bronze in Beijing 2022. She has also represented her country at six IIHF Women’s World Championships with one silver medal and three bronze, and competed in the U18 Women’s Worlds four times where she compiled one bronze medal.
“I’m extremely happy and excited to be playing in Hamilton for the next three years,” said Laitinen. “I absolutely can’t wait to get to Hamilton and get to know the city. I am excited to get to work with the team and play in front of our amazing fans. Let’s go, Hamilton!”
Laitinen is the latest addition to Hamilton’s inaugural roster that now includes 15 players under contract as the team continues to build toward its first PWHL season. She is the first of the team’s six-player inaugural draft class to sign and joins a Hamilton blue line that already features Zoe Boyd, Riley Brengman, Nicole Gosling, Anna Kjellbin, and Allyson Simpson.
Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster for the PWHL Hamilton home opener on Dec. 13 at TD Coliseum and can be purchased online here. Single Game Tickets for all other home games will go on sale Friday. Fans looking for more games can purchase Flex Packs and Season Ticket Memberships, offering the best value and benefits, with details here. Fans can also stay up to date on detailed ticketing information by signing up for the PWHL Hamilton newsletter, here, opens in a new tab.
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 HAMILTON
PWHL Hamilton 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 Hamilton was officially announced as one of the league’s four new expansion teams on May 13 and will debut at TD Coliseum in the fall. Fans can place a time-stamped deposit here, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab to secure priority access to season tickets for PWHL Hamilton’s historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. To learn more and stay up to date, visit HamiltonPWHL.com, subscribe to PWHL Hamilton’s newsletter here, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab, and follow the team on Facebook PWHL Hamilton, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab, Instagram @PWHL_Hamilton, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab, X @PWHL_Hamilton, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab, TikTok @PWHL_Hamilton, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab, YouTube PWHL Hamilton, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab, Threads @PWHL_Hamilton, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab, Bluesky @PWHL-Hamilton, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab, and LinkedIn PWHL Hamilton, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab.
PWHL, the PWHL Logo, and PWHL team names and logos are trademarks of the PWHL. © PWHL 2026. All Rights Reserved.