Samantha Isbell Bio
Samantha Isbell (born February 17, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who competes as a forward. She has played across several of the top women’s professional leagues, including the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA), the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), and the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). As of 2025, she has been listed on PWHL rosters with the Montreal Force, PWHL Boston, the Ottawa Charge, and the Montréal Victoire.
A versatile skater capable of playing both forward and defense, Isbell has built her career on positional flexibility and a reliable two-way game. She developed through the Ontario minor hockey system, starred in the NCAA with Mercyhurst University, and has continued to carve out a role at the professional level since 2020.
Early Life and Background
Samantha Isbell was born on February 17, 1998, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. She grew up in Thunder Bay, a city with a long-standing reputation for producing elite Canadian hockey players, and she was drawn to the sport at a young age. She has spoken about looking up to fellow Thunder Bay native Haley Irwin, a three-time Olympic medalist with Team Canada, as a formative influence on her development.
Isbell is the daughter of Rob and Ruthann Isbell, and she has two siblings, Sydney and Bryce. Her sister Sydney played goaltender at Chatham University, while her grandfather, Bill Isbell, played junior hockey for the North Bay Trappers, an affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, during the 1961-62 season. That family connection to the game helped shape her early commitment to hockey.
Off the ice, Isbell attended Westgate High School, where she was an honor roll student during grade 11. She later graduated from Mercyhurst University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with honors, and she is also certified as a personal trainer.
Path to Professional Hockey
Isbell began her competitive hockey journey with the Thunder Bay Queens in minor hockey. In 2013, she helped the Queens win a silver medal at the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association provincial championship, and she was named co-captain of the team for the 2014-15 season. She later spent the 2015-16 season with the Whitby Wolves of the Ontario Women’s Hockey League, gaining valuable experience at a higher level of competition.
Her play in Ontario earned her a scholarship to Mercyhurst College, where she joined the Mercyhurst Lakers for the 2016-17 NCAA Division I season. Across four college seasons, Isbell developed into a steady contributor, eventually serving on the blue line during her senior year, when she set a career high of 31 points, including 6 goals and 25 assists in 35 games. That senior campaign also earned her a spot on the CHA All-Conference Second Team.
Isbell began her professional career in the 2020-21 pandemic-shortened season, joining the regional Montreal entry, Team Bauer, of the PWHPA, where she continued to play defense.
Samantha Isbell Career
Early Career (2020-2022)
Isbell’s first two professional seasons came in the PWHPA, the organization formed to advocate for a sustainable professional women’s league. Playing primarily on defense in her rookie year, she gained experience against top international competition while based in Montreal. For the 2021-22 season, she remained in the PWHPA with Team Harvey’s, and the coaching staff shifted her back to a forward role, allowing her to use her skating and playmaking in the offensive zone.
These seasons helped Isbell establish herself as a reliable two-way player and prepared her for the opportunity that came when the Premier Hockey Federation expanded into Montreal.
Montreal Force Era (2022-2023)
On August 10, 2022, the Montreal Force announced the signing of Samantha Isbell for the 2022-23 PHF season. The move gave her a full-time professional platform after two years in the PWHPA exhibition structure. She quickly delivered a signature moment, scoring the game-winning goal in the eighth round of the shootout on November 5, 2022, against the Buffalo Beauts, a 3-2 victory that marked the first regulation win in Montreal Force history.
Across 22 games that season, Isbell recorded 12 points on 3 goals and 9 assists, contributing on both special teams and at even strength. In May 2023, she re-signed with the Force for a reported $75,000, but the deal was voided when the PHF was purchased by the Mark Walter Group, a transaction that ultimately led to the creation of the PWHL.
PWHL Boston and Ottawa Charge Era (2023-2025)
With the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, Isbell declared for the inaugural 2023 PWHL Draft but went undrafted. She was invited to PWHL Boston’s training camp and made the final roster as a reserve player for the 2023-24 season. On February 16, 2024, she was activated from reserve and signed a 10-day Standard Player Agreement (SPA), appearing in three games for Boston before signing a one-year SPA with the Ottawa Charge on March 5, 2024. She made seven appearances with Ottawa down the stretch, playing primarily on defense as injuries left the team with only six healthy defenders.
For the 2024-25 season, Isbell attended the Charge training camp and signed a Reserve Player contract. She signed two 10-day SPAs, was activated to the active roster, and played four regular-season games without registering a point. She went on to appear in four playoff games after signing another SPA when defender Jincy Roese was placed on long-term injured reserve, taking part in the Charge’s first postseason series in franchise history. On July 10, 2025, she signed a one-year contract extension with Ottawa.
Driving Style and Strengths
Isbell is best known for her positional versatility, having played both forward and defense at the professional level. She brings a calm, defensively responsible presence to whichever position she fills, and her skating allows her to transition quickly between roles. Her willingness to play wherever her team needs her, including accepting reserve contracts and short-term SPAs, has made her a dependable depth piece in a young league.
Notable Events and Milestones
The biggest milestone of Isbell’s career came on November 5, 2022, when her shootout goal against Buffalo gave the Montreal Force their first regulation victory. She has also contributed to league history with the Ottawa Charge, appearing in the franchise’s first playoff games in 2024-25.
Samantha Isbell Career Wins
Throughout her career, Samantha Isbell has contributed to several landmark results in women’s professional hockey, from the first regulation win in Montreal Force history to a postseason run with the Ottawa Charge. Her wins and performances reflect a player who has consistently delivered in key moments, even while splitting time between forward and defense.
PHF Highlights
During the 2022-23 season, Isbell posted 12 points in 22 games for the Montreal Force, with her shootout winner against Buffalo standing as the defining performance of her PHF tenure. She also helped the Force remain competitive in their inaugural season, contributing on special teams and at even strength.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her professional career, Isbell won a silver medal at the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association provincial championship in 2013 with the Thunder Bay Queens. She also captained the Queens during the 2014-15 season and was named to the CHA All-Conference Second Team during her senior year at Mercyhurst.
Samantha Isbell Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hockey runs deep in the Isbell family. Samantha Isbell is the daughter of Rob and Ruthann Isbell and the sister of Sydney and Bryce Isbell. Her sister Sydney played goaltender at Chatham University, while her grandfather, Bill Isbell, played for the North Bay Trappers, a junior team affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens, in 1961-62. That multi-generational connection to the sport helped shape her path into competitive hockey.
Personal Life
Isbell is from Thunder Bay, Ontario, and continues to identify the city as a central part of her identity. She has previously dated Canadian hockey player Jill Saulnier. Outside of hockey, she is active on TikTok, where she has built a following of more than 30,000 by sharing fashion, LGBTQ+ content, and home content featuring her dogs, a hobby she picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2025 Season Performance
Isbell’s 2025 calendar included a series of major transitions across the PWHL. She opened the year on the Ottawa Charge roster after signing a one-year contract extension on July 10, 2025, and continued to serve as a versatile depth player capable of filling in at either forward or defense. Her status as a reserve player allowed the Charge to call her up when injuries thinned their blue line.
On January 30, 2026, the Charge released Isbell from her contract in order to sign forward Olivia Wallin, opening a new chapter in her professional journey. While waiting for her next opportunity, she skated with the Concordia Stingers, a U Sports program based in Montreal, to stay game-ready.
On March 24, 2026, Isbell signed a Reserve Player contract with the Montréal Victoire, joining the team during the 2025-26 season as the club dealt with injury concerns. The move reunited her with the Montreal-based organization where her professional career began, and it gave her another platform to compete in the PWHL playoff picture.