Ashton Bell Bio
Ashton Julia Bell (born December 7, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain for the Vancouver Goldeneyes of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). A versatile defender and forward who shoots right, she previously played for the Ottawa Charge of the PWHL and represented Canada on the international stage, including at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall, Bell is widely regarded as one of the league’s emerging leaders after being chosen first overall in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft.
Early Life and Background
Ashton Julia Bell was born on December 7, 1999, in Deloraine, Manitoba, Canada. She grew up in the small prairie community and graduated from Deloraine High School, where she balanced her academic work with a demanding athletic schedule. Beyond hockey, she competed in the Manitoba High School Rodeo Association, reflecting the rural, multi-sport character of her upbringing in southwestern Manitoba.
During her high school years, Bell played for the Western Wildcats of the Manitoba AAA Female Midget Hockey League, where she quickly established herself as one of the province’s top young players. She twice won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award, an early signal of the two-way game and hockey sense that would later define her career. Those formative years in Deloraine and the Manitoba female hockey system laid the groundwork for her transition to the U.S. college ranks.
Path to Hockey
Bell’s junior trajectory accelerated through the Manitoba AAA system, where her MVP honors drew attention from NCAA programs. She originally committed to the University of North Dakota, but when UND eliminated its women’s hockey programme, she was forced to pivot and ultimately chose the University of Minnesota Duluth, one of the most decorated women’s hockey programs in the United States.
That redirection proved pivotal. At Minnesota Duluth, Bell joined a program with a deep winning tradition and an expectation of national contention. Her smooth transition from midget hockey in Manitoba to NCAA Division I competition at age 17 underscored the maturity and adaptability that have come to characterize her career.
Ashton Bell Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Bell began her college career at the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2017, joining the Bulldogs’ women’s ice hockey programme as a 17-year-old forward. In her rookie NCAA season, she scored 23 points in 35 games, finishing second on her team in scoring and signaling her offensive upside. Her poise on the puck and willingness to compete physically stood out despite her youth.
Head coaches quickly recognized her hockey IQ, and ahead of the 2019–20 season she was moved from forward to defence. The position change allowed her to use her skating and vision in transition while continuing to contribute offensively, a versatility that would later become one of her trademarks at the professional level.
NCAA Career (2019–2023)
As a defender, Bell blossomed into one of the top blueliners in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. In 2019–20, she posted a career-high 32 points in 36 games, leading all WCHA defenders in scoring and earning All-WCHA First Team honors. Her ability to drive the play from the back end while remaining dependable in her own zone made her a cornerstone of the Bulldogs.
Bell was named team captain for the 2020–21 season, an extraordinary responsibility for a junior. She was also recognized as the WCHA Player of the Month in November 2020, an award that reflected her consistency and leadership during a pandemic-disrupted schedule. Across her full college tenure, she graduated as one of the most respected two-way defenders in the NCAA, having studied biology at Minnesota Duluth.
PWHL Ottawa (2023–2025)
Bell began her professional career when she was selected by PWHL Ottawa in the second round, eighth overall, in the 2023 PWHL Draft. As one of the league’s inaugural players, she quickly established herself as a reliable two-way defender, contributing in all situations and emerging as a key part of Ottawa’s blue line. Her strong skating, defensive awareness, and leadership qualities helped Ottawa remain competitive during the PWHL’s formative years.
Across two seasons with the Charge, Bell developed into a leader in the locker room and a steadying presence on the ice. Her poise under pressure and her willingness to play in all situations, from power plays to penalty kills, made her a foundational piece of the Ottawa roster.
Vancouver Goldeneyes Era (2025–Present)
On June 9, 2025, Bell was selected first overall by the Vancouver Goldeneyes in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft, making her the first player in franchise history. Vancouver viewed Bell as a cornerstone piece around whom to build its inaugural roster, citing her experience, versatility, and leadership. On August 14, 2025, she signed a two-year contract extension with the club through the 2027–28 season, solidifying her role as one of the organization’s foundational players.
Later that year, on November 21, 2025, Bell was named the first captain in Goldeneyes history, becoming the face of the expansion franchise as it entered its inaugural season. Her selection as the expansion draft’s top pick and her immediate elevation to the captaincy reflected both her on-ice résumé and the trust the new organization placed in her leadership.
Playing Style and Strengths
Bell is recognized for her strong skating, defensive awareness, and two-way reliability, traits that allow coaches to deploy her in every game situation. Her transition experience from forward to defender gives her an offensive mindset from the back end, while her captaincy experience shows she can manage a locker room under the highest pressure. Coaches value her versatility, her willingness to play through adversity, and her calm decision-making in tight games.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the signature moments of her career, Bell was named to Canada’s 2022 Olympic team on January 11, 2022, and captained Canada’s U18 squad in 2017. She was a first-ever selection by the Vancouver Goldeneyes in 2025, was the first player signed to a contract extension by the club, and became the first captain in Goldeneyes history. She also earned two silver medals at the IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship in 2016 and 2017.
Ashton Bell International Play
Ashton Julia Bell has represented Canada at multiple international tournaments, building a résumé that bridges junior and senior levels. She has been part of Canadian teams that competed for medals on the world stage, and her selection to the Olympic roster marked the pinnacle of her early international career.
World Championship and Olympic Highlights
Bell represented Canada at the 2016 and 2017 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championships, scoring eight points in ten games and winning silver at both events. In 2017, she served as captain of the Canadian U18 team, an honor that reflected her standing among the country’s top young players. She was also a member of Canada’s senior teams at the 2021, 2022, and 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championships, helping Canada remain among the medal contenders in each tournament.
On January 11, 2022, Bell was named to Canada’s 2022 Olympic team, fulfilling a goal she had pursued since committing to Minnesota Duluth years earlier. She had been one of 28 players invited to Hockey Canada’s Centralization Camp in the lead-up to those Games, an invitation reserved for the country’s top talent.
Ashton Bell Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Public information about Bell’s immediate family is limited, and she has not spoken publicly in detail about her parents or siblings. What is clear is that her small-town upbringing in Deloraine, Manitoba, and her years in the Western Wildcats system shaped the grounded, team-first approach she has carried through college, international hockey, and the PWHL.
Personal Life
Bell studied biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth, balancing a rigorous academic load with the demands of NCAA Division I hockey. She is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and is in a relationship with former University of Minnesota Duluth teammate Nina Jobst-Smith, who was drafted by the Vancouver Goldeneyes in the 2025 PWHL Draft. The two have continued their partnership in Vancouver, where they now share a professional home as well as a personal one.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year has been the most transformative of Ashton Julia Bell’s career. In June, she was selected first overall by the Vancouver Goldeneyes in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft, instantly becoming the face of a new franchise and the first player in team history. Weeks later, she signed a two-year contract extension through 2027–28, signaling a long-term commitment to the organization and to the city.
Bell’s transition from Ottawa to Vancouver has been smooth, and her impact has been immediate. On November 21, 2025, she was named the first captain in Goldeneyes history, an honor that cements her role as the club’s on-ice leader and a public face of the expansion franchise. With her two-way play, her penalty-kill reliability, and her ability to log heavy minutes, she has set the tone for an inaugural roster built around her experience.
Looking ahead, the Goldeneyes’ outlook hinges heavily on Bell’s continued leadership and her chemistry with her defensive partners and her new goaltending staff. As the franchise navigates its first PWHL season, Bell’s captaincy, her track record in big games, and her connection to the Canadian national team program all point to a foundational role in shaping the identity of Vancouver women’s hockey for years to come.