Hannah Murphy

Hannah Murphy's introduction to professional hockey arrived in front of 8,600 fans at Seattle's home opener, a night she described on ^[1] as "like nothing I'd ever experienced." The game ended in a 2–1 victory — Seattle's first franchise win — and Murphy was in net for it, making her PWHL debut on December 3, 2025, just months after graduating from Colgate University.

Murphy was born on August 3, 2003, in Kingston, Ontario, and grew up playing hockey in the Greater Toronto area. She credits her older sister, also a goaltender, with drawing her to the position. On ^[1] she recalled wanting to get in the net because of her sibling, and then simply never wanting to leave: "once I got in the net, I loved it." She played multiple sports through high school — basketball and volleyball among them — before committing exclusively to hockey later in her development. She has described that multi-sport background as something that helped her develop reaction time, quickness, and agility that translate to the ice.

At Colgate, Murphy became the program's all-time leader in shutouts and set records for best goals-against average and save percentage. She served as team captain in her final season, a role she discussed on ^[1] with particular reference to how media timeouts allowed her to stay connected to her teammates on the bench — an unusual challenge for a goaltender wearing a letter. She shared the crease during her time at Colgate with Kaley Osborne, another accomplished goaltender, an experience she described on ^[1] as a significant part of her development. Puck handling was a specific area of emphasis under head coach Greg Fargo, himself a former goaltender, whose systems built it into daily practice. Murphy noted that Fargo's explicit encouragement to handle the puck — and to be comfortable making the occasional mistake doing so — was central to developing confidence in that area of her game.

On the international stage, Murphy represented Canada on the National Women's Development Team for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024, recording her first international shutout against Czechia and earning a silver medal at the 2024–25 Women's Euro Hockey Tour. That development-team stretch also gave her early exposure to Sheldon, the goaltending coach who would later work with her in Seattle, a familiarity she mentioned on ^[1] as easing her transition to the professional level.

Seattle selected Murphy 15th overall in the 2025 PWHL Draft, making her the first goaltender chosen. She was the first rookie goaltender to debut in the PWHL's 2025–26 season and only the second rookie goaltender in league history to win her debut game. That debut win — 23 saves against the New York Sirens — was also Seattle's first home victory. A subsequent 2–1 win over the Montreal team, in which she faced several of Canada's most recognized national team players, stands out in her own account on ^[1] as another memorable early-season moment.

Murphy has cited Carey Price as the goaltender she grew up watching most closely, describing on ^[1] an admiration for his calmness and the simplicity of his movement. She noted that her father, not a Montreal Canadiens supporter, told her she could play like Price but not cheer for him. She has more recently named Ann-Renée Desbiens as her current favorite goaltender to watch, and on ^[1] drew a direct line between the qualities she admires in both — technical execution and a calm, positional presence in the net.

In describing her own game on ^[1], Murphy said: "I would say I'm a pretty calm technical goaltender. I definitely play a more positional game, but I do think that at times, I would throw that out the window just to make a save." She wears number 83 for Seattle and catches left. She stands 5'10".

InGoal Magazine has covered Hannah Murphy in one podcast appearance.