PWHL Detroit added three defenders to its roster Sunday, announcing the signings of Mellissa Channell-Watkins, Stephanie Markowski, and Mia Biotti as part of the league's open signing period for expansion teams.
Channell-Watkins and Markowski each inked two-year agreements through 2027/28, while Biotti signed a one-year deal for 2026/27. The PWHL's open signing period launched Friday.
Channell-Watkins returns home to Michigan after spending last season with the Vancouver Goldeneyes. The 31-year-old Plymouth native won back-to-back Walter Cup titles with the Minnesota Frost in her first two PWHL seasons. She subsequently recorded two assists while tying for fifth among defenders with 44 hits across 30 games last year.
Markowski, 24, joins Detroit after Ottawa selected her 20th overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft. She finished third on the Charge with a plus-6 rating this past season, tallying 10 points across 58 career regular-season games plus 16 playoff appearances.
Biotti spent her rookie season with the Boston Fleet. She recorded two assists across 13 regular-season games while appearing in two playoff contests.
