DETROIT, MI – PWHL Detroit today announced that forward Taylor Girard of Macomb, MI, has been signed to a two-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Girard joins PWHL Detroit with a contract through the 2027-28 campaign and becomes the team’s seventh player and second, following defender Sydney Bard, to be added during Phase 3 of the PWHL’s Expansion Player Distribution Process.
Girard’s homecoming follows three PWHL seasons split between the New York Sirens and Boston Fleet where she had the opportunity to play inthe first two PWHL games ever played at Little Caesars Arena on Mar.16, 2024 and 2025. Originally selected by Boston in the ninth round (51st overall) in the inaugural PWHL Draft, Girard joined the Sirens via trade early in the 2024-25 campaign.The 27-year-old has recorded 17 points (12G, 5A) in 63 career games, including a career-best eight points in 2025-26 that was highlighted by seven goals and the first hat trick of the season in New York’s opening game on Nov. 22, 2025. The product of Detroit’sHoneybaked program began her collegiate career with three seasons at Lindenwood University, followed by two seasons at Quinnipiac University, then turned pro with the PHF’s Connecticut Whale as the league’s first overall pick in 2021 and earned Rookie of theYear honors.
On PWHL Detroit, Girard reunites with former Sirens assistant coach Josh Sciba and former Fleet teammates in Bard and Hannah Bilka, each signed to a two-year contract.In addition to Bilka, Detroit signed defender Cayla Barnes and forwards Britta Curl-Salemme and Jesse Compher to three-year contracts in Phase 2, andDaryl Watts to a four-year deal to round out its foundational players to date.
At the end of the Phase 3 signing period, each expansion team will have up to eight total players by signing a maximum of three players on expiring contractsduring this phase. Existing PWHL teams may protect three players under contract for the 2026-27 season, and/or players on expiring contracts signed during this phase, to bring their total protected lists to six players. The Phase 3 signing period continuesuntil Friday, June 12 at 3 p.m. ET, followed by a 5 p.m. ET deadline for existing teams to submit their protection lists prior to the Phase 4 signing period.
