Muller leaves Boston to sign in Hamilton, San Jose signs O'Neill in PWHL expansion team moves

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Four-time Olympian Alina Muller of Switzerland is leaving behind her college and pro hockey career in Boston by signing a three-year contract Saturday with the PWHL’s expansion team in Hamilton, Ontario.

Muller will be joined in Hamilton by Montreal defender and rookie of the year finalist Nicole Gosling, who also signed a three-year standard agreement during Phase 2 of the PWHL's expansion signing process.

San Jose made a splash by signing New York forward Kristin O’Neill to a two-year Foundational Offer, guaranteeing the 28-year-old Canadian Olympian at least $100,000 per season. O’Neill made $86,872 last year, and is reunited with former Team Canada coach Troy Ryan, who doubles as San Jose’s coach and GM.

Each of the four expansion franchises are allowed one foundational signing, with Daryl Watts landing a four-year deal in Detroit on Friday.

Earlier in the day, San Jose also signed New York forward Anne Cherkowski to a two-year contract.

Meantime, Las Vegas made it's first two additions, by signing Minnesota defenders Kendall Cooper and Mae Batherson to two-year contracts.

Hamilton, San Jose, and Detroit have signed four of Phase 2's allotted five players. Also, New York, Seattle and now Minnesota have lost the maximum three players during this three-day phase closing on Monday.

The 28-year-old Muller has spent her adult life in Boston following a five-year college career at Northeastern and the past three seasons with the Fleet. Selected third overall by Boston in the league’s inaugural 2023 draft, Muller was the PWHL's first non-North American player selected.

Her 56 PWHL career points (16 goals, 40 assists) lead all Fleet and non-North American players.

Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer grew emotional Thursday when discussing the possibility of losing Muller. With the eight existing teams allowed to protect only three players each, Marmer said she was left with little choice in filling those spots with captain Megan Keller, rookie of the year finalist Haley Winn and goalie of the year finalist Aerin Frankel ahead of Muller.

Muller has also shined on the international stage in having scored Switzerland’s two Olympic bonze medal-clinching goals, including the overtime-winner over Sweden at the Milan Cortina Games in February.

Gosling is coming off a Walter Cup championship season in Montreal. She was selected fourth overall in the draft last year, and tied for first among rookie defenders with 19 points (three goals, 16 assists).

The 24-year-old Gosling also gets an opportunity to move closer to her hometown of London, Ontario.

O'Neill is now on her third PWHL team after spending her first two seasons in Montreal. She ranked fourth in the league last season with 272 faceoff wins while scoring four goals and an assist in 30 games. Overall, O'Neill has nine goals and 10 assists in 83 career games.

O’Neill is from Oakville, Ontario, and played collegiately at Cornell.

Batherson spent two seasons with Minnesota, including winning a Walter Cup championship as a rookie. The 25-year-old from Nova Scotia finished this past year with three goals and 15 points — a 12-point jump from her first season.

Cooper, selected sixth in last year's draft out of Quinnipiac, finished tied for second among PWHL rookies with 19 points (two goals, 17 assists). The 24-year-old is from Oakville, and set a league record for defenders with a six-game points streak.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey