PWHL Detroit signs Ella Huber to one-year contract
A young and promising scoring threat is heading to the Motor City.
On Monday, PWHL Detroit announced that the team has signed forward Ella Huber to a one-year contract for the 2026-27 season.
Fleet is the third and final signing Detroit is allowed to make during Phase 4 of the PWHL Expansion Player Distribution Process. The team also signed Nina Jobst-Smith and Shiann Darkangelo over the past 24 hours. General manager Manon Rheaume added forward Taylor Girard and defender Sydney Bard to two-year deals during the third phase. They all join the team’s five foundational signings – Daryl Watts, Britta Curl-Salemme, Jesse Compher, Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes – with Hilary Knight expected to be traded to Detroit on Tuesday.
Huber is coming off her first season in the PWHL. The University of Minnesota star was taken by the Boston Fleet in the second round, 10th overall, of the 2025 PWHL Draft. She entered the pro ranks as a highly-touted scorer in the college game, but struggled to find that offensive touch in her first year in the league. In appearing in all 30 regular-season games, the 24-year-old posted four goals and two assists for six points. She also posted a plus/minus of -3 while averaging 12:54 of ice time per game.
Huber also posted two assists in the Fleet’s semifinal series against the Ottawa Charge, which saw the second-seeded Boston squad fall in four games.
Huber is the sixth player the Fleet has lost during the expansion, joining a list featuring the likes of Alina Muller and Daniela Pejsova. Huber had signed a two-year contract prior to her rookie campaign.
Along with her solid college career, the Northfield, Ill. native has tasted success on the world stage, winning the gold medal with the United States at the 2020 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship.
With 10 players signed through the first four phases of the expansion process, Detroit will now look to fill out most of its inaugural roster through Wednesday’s PWHL Draft, as well as free agency, which opens on Friday.