Carly Jackson Bio
Carly Jane “CJ” Jackson (born June 23, 1997) is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Seattle Torrent of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). A native of Amherst, Nova Scotia, Jackson began their professional career in 2015 and has previously played for the Buffalo Beauts, Toronto Six, and Toronto Sceptres. Standing 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall, Jackson is recognized not only for their on-ice performance but also for their contributions off the ice, including their acting debut in 2025 and their identity as an openly non-binary athlete who uses she/they pronouns.
Early Life and Background
Born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Carly Jackson grew up in the nearby community of Hastings and comes from a blended family with two mothers and two fathers. Jackson’s father was a role model who played beer league hockey in Nova Scotia, and when their child expressed interest in playing hockey, he insisted they first learn to skate and enrolled them in CanSkate. Jackson’s first day on the ice did not go smoothly. “I hated it, and I cried,” Jackson later recalled, but their father refused to let them quit, teaching them to finish what they started. That persistence paid off in the years to come.
Jackson initially played as a forward, but their team rotated players through the goaltending position. After playing one game in net, Jackson was hooked on the position, falling asleep that night wearing all of their goalie gear. “The choice had been made,” Jackson reflected. During their youth, Jackson played for the Cumberland Blues of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League and represented Team Nova Scotia at the U18 level, winning a gold medal at the Atlantic Challenge Cup. Growing up, Jackson also played baseball alongside hockey, a background credited with strengthening their glove hand, speed, and stamina.
Path to Hockey
Jackson’s pathway to elite hockey began in Nova Scotia’s youth system before moving into junior and international competition. They represented Canada’s U18 women’s team, winning a silver medal at the IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship held in Buffalo, New York, in January 2015. That international exposure helped Jackson attract attention from NCAA programs south of the border.
Jackson attended the University of Maine and played for the Black Bears women’s ice hockey team from 2016 to 2020, redshirting their first year. Across four collegiate seasons, Jackson graduated as the program’s all-time leader in wins (45), saves (3,029), save percentage (.923), shutouts (12), and goals-against average (2.15). Their senior season produced career-best numbers with a 1.90 goals-against average and .934 save percentage, while Jackson also achieved the highest GPA (3.92) among active team members in the fall and spring semesters.
Carly Jackson Career
Early Career (2015–2020)
Jackson’s competitive senior career began in 2015 when they represented Canada at the IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship. The following season, they joined the University of Maine Black Bears, where they quickly established themselves as one of the top goaltenders in program history. Their sophomore year produced a 17-win season that set a new single-season program record, and they were recognized as a Women’s Hockey East Association All-Star Honorable Mention.
By the time Jackson completed their senior season in 2019–20, they had rewritten Maine’s record books. Their leadership in goal was a major reason the Black Bears remained competitive in Hockey East, and their statistical dominance drew the attention of professional scouts.
Buffalo Beauts Era (2020–2022)
In April 2020, Carly Jackson was selected third overall by the Buffalo Beauts in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) draft, becoming the highest NWHL draft pick in University of Maine women’s ice hockey history. The selection was announced by Hockey Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine. A few days later, Jackson signed their first professional contract.
Jackson made their professional debut on January 23, 2021, stopping 43 saves in a 2–1 shootout loss to the Connecticut Whale. With the 2020–21 NWHL season condensed into a two-week bubble at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackson started all six games for the Beauts, finishing with a .909 save percentage and leading all Lake Placid goaltenders in minutes played, shots faced, and saves. They were a finalist for both NWHL Goaltender of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, and were voted as one of the Fans’ Three Stars of the Season.
Jackson re-signed with the Beauts for 2021–22 and was named an alternate captain. Despite a 6–11–0 record, Jackson’s individual play earned them the team’s Most Valuable Player award for the season.
Toronto Six Championship Era (2022–2023)
On June 22, 2022, one day before their 25th birthday, Jackson signed a one-year contract worth $60,000 with the Toronto Six for the 2022–23 season. The move surprised many observers, including Jackson, who had appeared set to return to Buffalo. As backup to Elaine Chuli, the reigning PHF Goaltender of the Year, Jackson posted a perfect 5–0–0 record with a .926 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average in the regular season.
The Six finished second overall with a 17–5–2 record and went on to defeat the Connecticut Whale in the semifinals before facing the Minnesota Whitecaps in the Isobel Cup Final. On March 27, 2023, Tereza Vanišová scored 4:23 into overtime to give Toronto a 4–3 victory, capturing the franchise’s first Isobel Cup championship and making the Six the first Canadian franchise to win the title. Jackson was voted one of the Fans’ Three Stars of the Season for the second time in three years.
PWHL Toronto / Toronto Sceptres Era (2023–2025)
After going undrafted in the 2023 PWHL Draft, Jackson signed with PWHL Toronto as a camp invitee. They served as the team’s third goaltender behind Kristen Campbell and Raygan Kirk, dressing for only one game in the inaugural 2023–24 PWHL season without entering play.
Jackson signed a one-year contract extension with Toronto on July 9, 2024, joining the rebranded Toronto Sceptres. On April 29, 2025, head coach Troy Ryan gave Jackson their first PWHL start against the New York Sirens. Jackson made 25 saves in a 2–1 shootout victory, stopping all four shootout attempts. The victory was celebrated by teammates “like a championship game,” according to Ryan. In the 2025 playoffs, Jackson was promoted to the starting role for game four against the Minnesota Frost and made 22 saves on 26 shots in a 4–3 overtime loss that ended Toronto’s season.
Seattle Torrent Era (2025–Present)
On July 9, 2025, Jackson signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Torrent, one of two expansion franchises joining the PWHL for the 2025–26 season. They joined a goaltending group that includes Corinne Schroeder and Hannah Murphy.
On November 28, 2025, the Torrent played their inaugural home opener at Climate Pledge Arena in front of a record-breaking crowd of 16,014 fans, setting multiple attendance benchmarks. The crowd established a new U.S. arena record for a women’s hockey game and became the highest-attended primary home venue game in PWHL history.
Driving Style and Strengths
Jackson’s style of play draws on a unique athletic background. Having played baseball alongside hockey during their childhood, Jackson has been noted for the strength of their glove hand, their speed, and their stamina. These tools allowed them to thrive during heavy workload seasons, including the 2020–21 NWHL bubble where they faced 40 or more shots in three of six appearances.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Jackson’s signature achievements are a 2015 IIHF U18 silver medal, becoming Maine’s all-time leader in five goaltending categories, winning the 2023 Isobel Cup with the Toronto Six, and making their acting debut at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in the short film Pink Light, directed by former pro hockey player Harrison Browne.
Carly Jackson Career Wins
Carly Jackson has accumulated wins across collegiate, NWHL, PHF, and PWHL competition. Their championship résumé includes a 2015 U18 silver medal, an Isobel Cup title with the Toronto Six in 2022–23, and NCAA recognition as Maine’s all-time winningest goaltender.
PWHL and PHF Highlights
Jackson’s professional breakthrough came with the Toronto Six in 2022–23, when they went 5–0–0 in the regular season and backed up Chuli during the Isobel Cup playoff run. In the PWHL era, Jackson’s first win came on April 29, 2025, against the New York Sirens, a 2–1 shootout victory in which they stopped all four shootout attempts.
Other Wins & Performances
In addition to their professional accomplishments, Jackson captured an Atlantic Challenge Cup gold medal with Team Nova Scotia at the U18 level and earned multiple Hockey East weekly honors during their sophomore season at Maine.
Carly Jackson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jackson comes from a blended family with two mothers and two fathers, and credits their father, a beer league hockey player in Nova Scotia, with instilling the discipline and persistence that shaped their career. Their father’s insistence that they finish their first year of CanSkate laid the foundation for everything that followed.
Personal Life
Jackson is non-binary and uses she/they pronouns. Outside of hockey, they made their acting debut in 2025, starring as Scotty in the short film Pink Light, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
2025 Season Performance
Jackson’s 2025 season storyline centered on a long-awaited PWHL opportunity. After spending two seasons as Toronto’s third goaltender, they earned their first PWHL start on April 29, 2025, delivering a 25-save performance in a shootout win over the New York Sirens. The emotional win was widely viewed as a milestone moment for both Jackson and the organization.
In the 2025 PWHL playoffs, Jackson was elevated to the starting role for game four of Toronto’s semifinal series against the Minnesota Frost. Although Toronto ultimately fell 4–3 in overtime and was eliminated, Jackson’s playoff debut demonstrated their readiness for increased responsibility.
Looking ahead, Jackson joined the expansion Seattle Torrent on July 9, 2025, and took part in the franchise’s record-setting inaugural home opener at Climate Pledge Arena on November 28, 2025. With Schroeder and Murphy as goaltending partners, Jackson is positioned to compete for a larger role in the Torrent’s first PWHL season.