Minnesota also added three instant playmakers in the portal
The Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s hockey team received some great news this week when it was officially announced that 5th year senior Abbey Murphy will return for her 6th year with the Gophers instead of entering the PWHL Draft. Murphy is eligible to play one more season in the Maroon and Gold due her her freshman year being the 2020-21 COVID season, and the fact she took an Olympic Redshirt season in 2021-22. He will return to anchor a Gopher lineup that added a trio of new playmakers in the transfer portal this offseason and will give Minnesota one of their best looking offensive lineups on paper in several seasons.
Murphy would have been the consensus #1 overall pick in the PWHL Draft this summer had she decided to go pro, but she decided she would return to the Gophers for one more run at a NCAA title that has eluded her. “I’m beyond excited to announce I will be coming back for my final year of college hockey,” Murphy said. “I am pumped for another go around with this team. It’s been a great ride but we’re not done yet. Go Gophers!”
Murphy just kept getting better and better for Minnesota. Her 65 points last season was a career high and ranked fourth in the nation. She ranked second in the nation in goals (33), and led the nation in both game-winning goals (7) and shots (242). Murphy will enter her final collegiate season with a run on the record books as well. She has tallied 103 goals in Maroon & Gold, sixth-most in program history. Barring injury she should end up at at least #2 on the Minnesota career goal scoring list by the time she is done passing Krissy Wendell at 106, Amanda Kessel at 108, Grace Zumwinkle at 109, and Hannah Brandt at 115. Murphy will likely miss a month of the season to play on the 2026 US Olympic Team, so that will likely hurt her chance to pass current Ohio State Head Coach Nadine Muzerall for the all time scoring record of 139. Murphy also has 92 career assists, and with another “average” Murphy season she will end up near the top 3 all time in points for a Gopher by the time her career ends.
While Murphy loses one of her talented linemates in senior center Ella Huber to graduation, she will return senior Josefin Bouveng to help her rack up the point totals.
She also will have some new teammates who know a thing about scoring goals and assisting on them. Minnesota added a trio of impact players from the transfer portal thus far this spring who will play a large role in the Minnesota lineup next season.
Andover native Jamie Nelson will head up Highway 169 for her final season of eligibility. She played four seasons for Minnesota State-Mankato where she was their best player. In 124 career games, she tallied 103 points (42g-61a), the third most all-time in program history. Nelson tied her career-high with 30 points last season (8g-22a), leading the Mavericks in points, assists, and shots.
Senior forward Sarah Paul is transferring from Princeton to join the Gophers for the 2025-26 season. The West Kelowna B.C native (the same area as rising sophmores Chloe Primarano and Gracie Graham) leaves he Tigers after a junior season where she exploded. Paul earned All-ECAC Second Team and Second Team All-Ivy honors after recording a career-high 36 points last season (28g-8a), leading the Tigers in goals and shots (178), and ranking third in total points. She led Division I hockey in points per game (0.90) and power play goals (10). Her 19 conference goals ranked first in the ECAC. For her career she has 64 points in 70 career games including 46 goals.
The final transfer will shore up the Gophers blue line. Molly Jordan will keep the same colors, but move from Boston College to Minnesota for her final two years of eligibility. The Berlin, Connecticut native anchored the Eagles blue line last season. In 69 career games she tallied 41 points (12g-29a). Jordan earned All-Hockey East Second-Team honors after notching a career-high 24 points last season (8g-16a), leading Eagle blueliners in points, goals, assists, and shots. Her three game-winning goals last season tied for second-most on the team, and she ranked fourth on the Eagles in total points. She joins a potent crap of defenders that return for the Gophers including sophomores Primerano and Graham, and seniors Sydney Morrow, and Neli Laitinen.
Minnesota is bringing in extra talent as they will likely need to play shorthanded during the 2026 Olympics. Besides Murphy playing for Team USA it is likely that Bouveng will play for Sweden, Laitinen will play for Finland, and Primerano may make the Canadian roster. Additionally incoming freshman forward Theresa Plosova will play for Czechia. It’s yet unknown how much time they will miss, but it could be upwards of a month as teams head to training camps and play exhibition games ahead of the actual games which will take place from February 6-February 22 in Milan/ Cortina, Italy.