‘It’s not easy drafting me’: Britta Curl-Salemme opens up about signing with PWHL Detroit
While there has been plenty of excitement and positivity surrounding the first few days of the 2026 PWHL Expansion Roster Distribution, one deal has created ire and division amongst one of the league’s newest fanbases.
Last Saturday, PWHL Detroit signed forward Britta Curl-Salemme to a three-year contract. She was the team’s fourth signing of Phase 2 after Daryl Watts, Hanna Bilka and Cayla Barnes. While the former Minnesota Frost winger and U.S. National Team member is one of the more talented players in the game, the baggage she carries hangs over her like a dark cloud.
From her morals to her criticized on-ice play, Curl-Salemme has become one of the most polarizing figures in hockey. When speaking to the media on Tuesday, the Bismarck, N.D., native stated that the aftershock of Detroit’s announcement is nothing short of expected, but commended GM Manon Rheaume for signing her regardless.
“I obviously acknowledge that there’s some upset fans,” Curl-Salemme said. “I get that, not something new to me…It’s not easy drafting me, obviously, but [Rheaume] wouldn’t have taken that on if she didn’t believe in me and do her research and talk to the right people. I can speak as much as I want about my character, but I think it’s more important coming from those who actually know me.”
Curl-Salemme’s reputation stems from her controversial posts and supportive actions during her time at the University of Wisconsin and leading up to the 2024 PWHL Draft. She was seen liking racist, anti-LGBTQIA+ and COVID-denier posts on her X account, as well as supporting twin sisters Monique and Jocelyne Lamoreux during their multiple campaigns calling for the ban of transexual athletes in women’s sports.
On top of that, Curl-Salemme has partnered with FIERCE Athlete, a group that leads anti-trans and anti-abortion campaigns. While she has apologized for her actions in previous interviews, it hasn’t changed fans’ perception of her, as she has been noticeably booed in every PWHL arena outside of Minnesota.
Rheaume understood the PR gamble she was taking when signing the 26-year-old, telling reporters that she and her staff had done their due diligence.
“I understand that some of the fans have strong feelings about this signing,” Rheaume said. “We don’t take that lightly. … We want a place where everybody feels welcome. We did put a lot of time in talking to people that either coached Britta or played with Britta, and we even have our head coach that got a chance to coach her and see her in a team environment. Everybody that talks about how she is as a teammate and how she treats every player on the team. We felt confident in the teammate we were bringing into our organization.”
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s almost a carbon copy of what Frost head coach Ken Klee said when his team drafted Curl-Salemme almost two years ago.
“We did our homework on her,” Klee said after the 2024 draft. “We talked to coaches who said that she’s a great kid, a great competitor, great in the locker room. I talked to her teammates on [Team] USA and some other areas, they said ‘she’s a great teammate, coach, you’d love to have her.’ For me, that’s what we were looking at doing, and I’m really happy that we did.”
Detroit head coach Josh Sciba has been behind the bench for Team USA since the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship, so he certainly understands what Curl-Salemme can bring to the team. This past year with the Frost, she finished third in the league in scoring, posting 11 goals and 29 points. The Walter Cup champion has posted 44 points in 58 regular-season games in the PWHL, with another five points in 11 postseason affairs. She’s also been a part of two gold-medal-winning teams at the Women’s Worlds, posting six points this past February at the Winter Olympics while helping the U.S take home the gold.
However, even with her scoring prowess, Curl-Salemme has quickly earned a reputation for being one of the dirtiest players in the league. In just two years in Minnesota, she was suspended a record four times, including twice in the Walter Cup Playoffs, and fined twice. Her coach has come to her defense numerous times, and with the PWHL refusing to put the hammer down on her, Curl-Salemme is still out to do what she pleases.
In an attempt to appeal to the new fan base, Curl-Salemme stated that she did a lot of charitable work during her time with the Frost, something she looks to replicate during her time in Hockeytown.
“I just think of my time in Minnesota, and the experience that I had there. It was overwhelmingly positive, and I got to really immerse myself in that community and get to meet fans. Just see people eye to eye, and be humans together. I think that’s what’s important, and that’s what I plan to do in Detroit as well.”
Curl-Salemme was one of five players that Detroit signed during Phase 2 of the expansion process, as the team signed former U.S. National Team player Jesse Compher. They’re expected to be joined by Hilary Knight, who was signed by Las Vegas, but is reportedly going to be traded to Detroit next week ahead of the 2026 PWHL Draft.