PWHL Detroit’s Britta Curl-Salemme to miss 2026-27 after pregnancy announcement
PWHL Detroit will miss one of their star signings in the inaugural season after forward Britta Curl-Salemme announced her pregnancy and said she would miss the entire 2026-27 PWHL season on Monday.
Curl-Salemme posted her announcement on Instagram with her husband, Andrew Salemme, confirming she would miss the entire campaign, marking her first time away from the Minnesota Frost, where she spent her first two professional seasons.
Prior to her Instagram announcement, Curl-Salemme was left off the USA roster for the 2026 World Championship in Denmark. Fellow PWHL and USA star Kendall Coyne Schofield was also left off, but had previously announced her pregnancy and that she would miss the entire Minnesota Frost 2026-27 campaign, despite signing a contract extension in the summer.
Curl-Salemme finished third in PWHL points through the 2025-26 season, posting 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points across 30 regular-season games. She also helped push the USA to Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic gold, netting six points in seven games in Italy.
As part of the PWHL’s first four-team expansion process, she signed a three-year contract with PWHL Detroit, but will no longer play through the inaugural campaign. However, she will not surrender any earrings, as section 7.5 of the CBA protects players signed to Standard Player Agreements through pregnancy and maternity.
“We’ll certainly miss Britta in the lineup when we hit the ice for our inaugural season, but we’re so happy for her and Andrew, who are embarking on an exciting new chapter of their own,” Detroit general manager Manon Rheaume wrote in a team statement.
Now forging ahead without one of their presumed cornerstone pieces, Detroit will look to find quick success in their first PWHL campaign, starting with an all-expansion opening night on Dec. 6 against PWHL Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena, before a home opener against the New York Sirens on Dec. 12.
