Hannah Brandt Bio
Hannah Brandt (born November 27, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). A right-shooting forward, she has represented the United States at the highest international stages, including two Olympic Winter Games and multiple IIHF Women’s World Championships. Over a senior career that began in 2012, Brandt has built a reputation as a skilled playmaker and reliable two-way forward. She is widely regarded as one of the most decorated American products of her generation.
Early Life and Background
Hannah Brandt was born on November 27, 1993, in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, United States. She is the daughter of Greg Brandt and Robin Brandt, and she has one sister, Marissa Brandt. Her parents struggled with infertility for the first twelve years of their marriage before adopting Marissa from South Korea; Robin discovered she was pregnant roughly two weeks before Marissa’s arrival, and Hannah was born about six months after her older sister joined the family.
Both sisters began in figure skating as small children before switching to hockey, with Hannah making the change at age five and Marissa following a few years later. The two played on the same youth teams throughout their childhood. Brandt attended Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, Minnesota, where she starred for the Hill-Murray Pioneers women’s hockey program.
During the 2011–12 high school season, Brandt recorded 59 goals and 31 assists in 26 games, including 22 multi-point games, 20 multi-goal games, 13 hat tricks, and three six-point performances. Across her five-year Hill-Murray career, she tallied 192 goals and 142 assists. Her play earned her the 2012 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award, and she committed to the University of Minnesota alongside fellow finalists Milica McMillen and Lee Stecklein.
Path to Hockey
Brandt’s path to elite hockey ran directly through the Minnesota amateur system. As a teenager with the Hill-Murray Pioneers, she became one of the most prolific scorers in Minnesota high school history, drawing national attention for her offensive output. She also represented the United States at the 2011 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Sweden, where the American team captured gold.
In December 2011, her strong U18 showing earned her an invitation to train with the U.S. national senior women’s team, accelerating her development. She was then named to the United States squad for the 2012 IIHF Women’s World Championship while still a high school senior, becoming one of the youngest players ever selected. The Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award that spring confirmed her status as the top female high school player in the state.
Hannah Brandt Career
Early Career (2012–2015)
Hannah Brandt enrolled at the University of Minnesota in the fall of 2012 and immediately produced at a historic pace. As a freshman in 2012–13, she scored 33 goals and added 49 assists for 82 points, the second-highest total in NCAA Division I that season behind only her linemate Amanda Kessel. The Golden Gophers went undefeated and won the 2013 NCAA national championship. Brandt was a top-ten finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Trophy and was named WCHA Rookie of the Year.
Her sophomore and junior seasons cemented her reputation. She led NCAA Division I in assists during her sophomore year and served as Minnesota’s top goal scorer in both her sophomore and junior seasons, earning WCHA Player of the Year honors in each campaign. In 2015, she scored the third-period game-winning goal against Harvard goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer in the NCAA championship, lifting Minnesota to its second national title under her watch. She was again a three-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Trophy.
USA Hockey Era (2012–2022)
Brandt’s international career began in earnest with her 2012 IIHF Women’s World Championship selection, and she made her senior Team USA debut at the 2014 4 Nations Cup in Kamloops, British Columbia. She was named to the U.S. roster for the 2015 IIHF Women’s World Championship, won a gold medal with the senior national team at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship, and added further golds in 2019 and 2022. She also played for the United States at the 2011 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, winning gold in Sweden.
On January 1, 2018, Brandt was named to the United States Olympic team for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where she helped Team USA capture its first Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey since 1998, finishing with two points in five games. On January 2, 2022, she was named to the U.S. roster for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, earning a second Olympic appearance. She also represented the Americas in a 3–1 win at the 2019 Aurora Games, scoring the team’s first goal in that exhibition.
NWHL Era (2015–2019)
Brandt was selected second overall by the Connecticut Whale in the 2015 NWHL Draft, becoming one of the league’s marquee college signings. On April 27, 2016, her playing rights were traded to the New York Riveters, though she continued her collegiate career at Minnesota before turning professional full-time. On June 20, 2018, she signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Whitecaps ahead of their NWHL debut season in 2018–19, and she spent one season in the league before moving to the PWHPA.
Boston Fleet Era (2023–Present)
Brandt was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 PWHL Draft by PWHL Boston. During the 2023–24 season, she recorded five goals and five assists in 24 regular-season games, then added one goal and one assist in eight playoff games during Boston’s run to the Walter Cup Finals. On June 20, 2024, she signed a two-year contract extension with the Boston Fleet that runs through the 2025–26 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Brandt is best known for her elite playmaking, hockey IQ, and two-way responsibility at centre. She thrives in transition, distributes the puck well through the neutral zone, and has been deployed in all situations, including the power play and penalty kill. Her ability to read the game at speed has made her a trusted matchup centre for both her club teams and the U.S. national program.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of her career, Brandt scored the 2015 NCAA championship-winning goal against Harvard, helped the United States win Olympic gold in 2018, and became a Walter Cup finalist in the PWHL’s inaugural season. She is also one of a small group of American women to have played in two Winter Olympics and to have won both Olympic and NCAA titles.
Hannah Brandt Career Wins
Hannah Brandt has collected a deep trophy case across amateur, collegiate, international, and professional play, including Olympic gold, multiple IIHF gold medals, two NCAA national championships, an NWHL free-agent contract, and a Walter Cup Finals appearance.
USA Hockey Highlights
Brandt has won gold medals with the United States at the 2011 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship, the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship, the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship, and the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Her Olympic gold ended a twenty-year drought for the U.S. women’s program and remains the highlight of her international resume.
Other Wins & Performances
At the collegiate level, Brandt won NCAA national championships with Minnesota in 2013 and 2015, was twice named WCHA Player of the Year, and finished as a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Trophy. She also scored the first goal for Team Americas in a 3–1 win at the 2019 Aurora Games and reached the Walter Cup Finals with the Boston Fleet in 2024.
Hannah Brandt Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hannah Brandt comes from a close-knit Minnesota family. Her parents, Greg and Robin Brandt, adopted her older sister Marissa from South Korea after a long struggle with infertility, and Hannah was born roughly six months later. The sisters played on the same youth hockey teams for most of their childhood, and both went on to represent their countries internationally: Hannah for the United States and Marissa, under her birth name of Park Yoon-jung, for South Korea. Both also skated at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Personal Life
Hannah Brandt resides in the United States and continues to be a prominent figure in American women’s hockey. She is active on social media, with public accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Her sister Marissa Brandt played NCAA Division III hockey at Gustavus Adolphus College and has remained closely tied to Hannah’s career. The Brandts are widely regarded as one of the most accomplished hockey families in the modern American women’s game.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 calendar year, Hannah Brandt is in the middle of a multi-year contract with the Boston Fleet that runs through 2025–26. Following a 2023–24 campaign in which she reached the Walter Cup Finals in the PWHL’s inaugural season, she remains a key middle-six centre and special-teams contributor for Boston. Her two-way reliability and championship experience have positioned her as a leader in the young PWHL club.
On the international stage, Brandt continues to be a candidate for future U.S. national team selection as she works toward the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina. With two Olympic golds and multiple world championship titles already on her resume, her 2025 form will be closely watched by U.S. national team staff and PWHL fans alike. Her combination of veteran poise and offensive skill makes her a stabilizing presence for a Boston roster still establishing its identity.
