New York Names First-Ever Captains Ahead of PWHL Season

With puck drop on the inaugural season nearing, New York has announced their leadership group.

On Thursday afternoon at Rockefeller Center in New York City, Micah Zandee-Hart was named captain of the team alongside Alex Carpenter and Ella Shelton serving as Alternate Captains.

The trio brings leadership experience after captaining at the collegiate and international level. Defender Zandee-Hart played for four years at Cornell University. She was named captain her senior year where she thirty-two points in thirty-one games. After college, the Victoria, BC native spent time with the PWHPA in Calgary. Zandee-Hart made her Olympic debut in 2022 where she tallied four assists on the road to gold.

Zandee-Hart did not play in the preseason games due to an injury. She is signed through the 2025-26 season.

Alex Carpenter spent four seasons at Boston College where she wore letters for the second half. She was an alternate captain in her junior year and was named captain during her senior campaign. Carpenter played in the NWHL for her hometown team, the Boston Pride. Most recently, she played for Team Scotiabank in the PWHPA. Carpenter has collected five gold medals and one silver throughout her time with Team USA.

Carpenter is signed to a three-year deal like Zandee-Hart.

Ella Shelton made her Olympic debut in 2022 where she won a gold medal with Team Canada. She recorded three assists through the tournament. Shelton spent her collegiate career at Clarkson University. Just like Carpenter, she wore an A in her junior year and a C in her final year.

Shelton will defend the New York blueline through the 2025-26 season.

New York will play in the first-ever PWHL game at the sold-out Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto at 12:30 PM on New Year's Day.