CALGARY – Gabriella Durante took the next step in her hockey career on Wednesday night, as the University of Calgary Dinos women's hockey alumna was selected by the Seattle Torrent in the 2026 PWHL Draft.
Chosen in the sixth round, 62nd overall, the goaltender becomes the first player in program history to be selected in the PWHL Draft.
"We are very proud of Gabby. She set a standard for work ethic that still lives in our program," said Dinos women's hockey head coach
Josh Gosling. "She is a great goalie and an even better human who deserves everything she works for. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for her."
A three-time Academic All-Canadian, Durante spent parts of six seasons with the Dinos, including a stretch from 2021 to 2024 in which she appeared in 69 of the team's 76 regular season games. The Calgary native closed her university career having played 73 regular season games, compiling a 32-33-5 record while posting a .917 save percentage and a 2.35 goals-against average, along with 11 shutouts. She was named a Canada West Second Team All-Star during the 2022-23 season.
After obtaining her Italian citizenship, Durante began her professional career in Italy during the 2024-25 season in pursuit of a spot on the country's national women's hockey team for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games.
A year later, that dream became a reality. Durante was named to Italy's Olympic roster, appearing in four games and helping the team advance to the quarterfinals. She has since also represented Italy at the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship Division I Group A tournament.
Seattle completed its inaugural PWHL season in 2025-26. The Torrent also selected UBC Thunderbirds forward Grace Elliott in the 2026 PWHL Draft.
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