US Olympian, PWHL Detroit forward Curl-Salemme to miss season after announcing she is pregnant

U.S. Olympian Britta Curl-Salemme will be absent from the upcoming women's professional hockey season due to her pregnancy, she declared on Monday. The Detroit forward for the PWHL team posted a photo on her social media, depicting her and husband Andrew beside an oven with a bun, captioned "Womb." PWHL Detroit general manager Manon Rheaume expressed her joy for the couple via X, stating that they are rooting for their new chapter.

This marks Curl-Salemme as the second U.S. Olympian to announce a pregnancy after winning gold at the Milan Cortina Games in February, the other being Kendall Coyne Schofield. Curl-Salemme played her first two seasons with Minnesota, winning the 2025 Walter Cup championship in her debut year, and signed a three-year deal with Detroit last June.

The 26-year-old from North Dakota concluded third in the league last season with 29 points, including an NHL-record 18 assists in a single season. Curl-Salemme participated in the U.S. team's pre-tournament camp in Michigan but was not included in the roster for the world championship in Denmark.