Jesse Compher Joins PWHL Detroit on Three-Year Contract

Jesse Compher, sister of Detroit Red Wings center J.T. Compher, has officially signed a three-year contract with the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) team in Detroit, as announced by the organization on Monday. Previously under contract with the Toronto Sceptres for the 2026-27 season, Compher will now be with PWHL Detroit until the 2028-29 season, joining a group of five players added during the second phase of the league’s expansion process.

Drafted by Toronto in the fifth round of the inaugural PWHL Draft in 2023, Compher has made her mark by participating in all 93 games in Sceptres history, including 84 regular season contests and nine playoff matches. Over the past two seasons, she has consistently ranked among Toronto's top scorers, finishing third in the 2025-26 season with six goals and six assists in 30 games, and fourth in 2024-25 with nine goals and nine assists in the same number of games.

The 27-year-old from Northbrook, Illinois, has represented Team USA on the international stage, securing an Olympic silver medal in 2022 and four medals at the World Championships, including gold in 2019 and 2025, along with silver in 2021 and 2022. Compher spent her first four collegiate years at Boston University before transferring to the University of Wisconsin, where she played a pivotal role in leading the Badgers to the 2023 NCAA championship.

At 5-foot-8, the forward will reunite with several familiar faces on the Detroit roster, including former Sceptres teammate Daryl Watts and former Wisconsin and national team mates Britta Curl-Salemme, Hannah Bilka, and Cayla Barnes. This marks a historic moment, as Detroit becomes the first city in PWHL and NHL history to have two siblings playing professionally in hockey.

Last season, J.T. Compher contributed 11 goals and 17 assists for a total of 28 points over 82 games with the Red Wings. The 2026 PWHL Awards are set for June 16 in Detroit, with attendance limited to invited guests and accredited media, followed by the PWHL Draft at the Fox Theater on June 17, which will be open to ticketed fans.