Watts lands in Detroit with PWHL's 1st 4-year contract; Jenner leaves Ottawa to sign with Hamilton

Detroit general manager Manon Rhéaume wasted little time in beginning to stock her PWHL expansion team by signing four players Friday — including forward Daryl Watts landing the league’s first four-year contract.

Meantime, Charge captain Brianne Jenner is leaving Ottawa after three seasons by signing a three-year standard agreement with the new team in Hamilton, Ontario. The 35-year-old Jenner's departure was anticipated as the four-time Canadian Olympian moves closer to her hometown of Oakville. Hamilton also signed New York goalie Kayle Osborne to three-year standard agreement.

The moves came on the first day of the league’s three-day expansion signing process in which each of the four new teams can sign five players.

With San Jose signing Seattle goalie Corinne Schroeder to a two-year standard agreement, Las Vegas remains the only expansion team to have yet to add a player.

Watts’ addition in Detroit was particularly notable in landing what’s called an Expansion Foundational Offer, guaranteeing her an annual salary of no less than $100,000. Under league rules, Watts chose the maximum term of four years, which the PWHL introduced as part of this year's expansion process.

Watts enjoys a raise over her $59,000 salary in Toronto last year. Sceptres general manager Gina Kingsbury on Thursday said she was closing in on a re-signing Watts before the player broke off negotiations.

The 27-year-old is from Toronto, and led the Sceptres with 10 goals and 19 points last season. Overall, Watts ranks second on the league list with 32 career goals. She made her Olympic debut by winning a silver medal representing Canada at the Milan Cortina Games in February.

Detroit also signed defender Cayla Barnes to a three-year standard agreement, and forward Hannah Bilka to a two-year standard agreement. The two were teammates in Seattle, and both won Olympic gold representing the U.S. in February, with Bilka tying the tournament lead with four goals.

Seattle has now lost the maximum three players during the current expansion phase.

Detroit also signed Minnesota forward Britta Curl-Salemme to a three-year standard agreement. The 26-year-old U.S. Olympian finished third in the league last season with 29 points, including a single-season record of 18 assists.

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

FILE - Toronto Sceptres' Blayre Turnbull (40) celebrates her goal against the Montreal Victoire with Daryl Watts, center, and Kali Flanagan (6) during the second period of an PWHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP,File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jen Pawol, who made history last year as the first woman umpire in the major leagues, was behind the plate for the Angels-Dodgers game on Friday night.

Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani greeted her leading off the bottom of the first inning as he customarily does with the umpire in each of his at-bats.

Pawol, 49, umpired during spring training for the third straight year but she did not get one of the permanent staff openings. Instead, she is part of MLB's call-up list.

She worked her first game of the automated balls and strikes challenge system on April 17 when the Giants visited the Nationals.

She became the first female major league umpire on Aug. 9, 2025, and worked a total of five big league games last season. In 2024, she became the first woman to umpire big league spring training games since Ria Cortesio in 2007. Pawol has been a minor league ump since 2016 and has worked at Triple-A since 2023.

Pawol was flirting with potential history early in Friday's game.

Angels starter Reid Detmers tossed three hitless innings before allowing a single to Freddie Freeman in the fourth.

Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki pitched no-hit ball through the first four innings before giving up a double to Nick Madrigal in the fifth.

This story has been corrected to show Jen Pawol previously umpired this season.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Home plate umpire Jen Pawol stands at home during the third inning of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, June 5, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Home plate umpire Jen Pawol asks for more baseballs during the third inning of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, June 5, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)