PWHL Seattle signs Knight, Serdachny 60372n

PWHL Seattle is officially on the board in a big way, g future Hall of Famer Hilary Knight from the Boston Fleet on Wednesday. 6y3w6l

The club also announced Thursday it inked forward Danielle Serdachny from the Ottawa Charge to a two-year pact.

Knight tied with New York Sirens rookie Sarah Fillier for the most points in the league with 29 in 30 outings during the regular season. Her 15 goals were also second most, behind only Montreal Victoire sniper Marie-Philip Poulin.

The 35-year-old veteran was named a finalist for the PWHL Billie Jean King MVP award as a result of her efforts.

Knight inked a one-year pact with her new squad.

"g Hilary Knight was an absolute no-brainer - she's the heartbeat of any team she s," general manager Meghan Turner said in a statement. "Her proven leadership and drive, the way she elevates everyone around her, those are qualities you can't teach.

"Hilary's not just a game-changer on the ice, she's the kind of person who defines a culture, and we're incredibly proud to have her as the first-ever player to PWHL Seattle."

Knight fought through a nagging injury during her first PWHL campaign, scoring six goals and 11 points in 24 outings before helping Boston make it to the PWHL Finals.

She is a force on the international stage and is the all-time leader in goals (67), assists (53), and points (120) in 87 games at the Women's Worlds.

Boston used its three protection slots on forward Alina Muller, defender Megan Keller, and goalie Aerin Frankel.

Ottawa selected Serdachny with the second overall pick at the 2024 PWHL Draft. She recorded two goals and eight points in 30 outings last season before adding a pair of helpers in eight playoff games during the Charge's run to the Finals.

Serdachny spent five seasons at Colgate University, where she recorded 82 goals and 239 points in 180 career games.

She was the runner-up for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recognizing the top player in women's college hockey in 2023 and was named a top-10 finalist for the honor the next year.

Serdachny won gold with Canada at the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship and scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the United States.

PWHL Vancouver inked Charge goalie Emerance Maschmeyer, meaning Ottawa can now protect another player on top of forward Emily Clark, defender Ronja Savolainen, and goalie Gwyneth Philips.

The g window for the PWHL expansion process opened at 9 a.m. ET Wednesday and will close at 5 p.m. ET Sunday. Vancouver and Seattle can each sign up to five unprotected players or pending unrestricted free agents during this window.

Vancouver and Seattle will select a minimum of seven players during Monday's expansion draft to reach a 12-player roster. The teams will fill additional roster spots during the entry draft, which will take place June 24.