Daryl Watts (born May 15, 1999) is a Canadian ice hockey forward for the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and a member of CanadaâÂÂs national womenâÂÂs hockey team.
Watts finished her NCAA career as the second-highest scorer of all time and remains the highest-scoring active player to have competed in NCAA womenâÂÂs hockey. A four-time NCAA All-American (three First Team selections), she is the first freshman ever to win the Patty Kazmaier Award. She also publicly disclosed a US$150,000 salary for the 2023âÂÂ24 PHF season, which remains the highest publicly disclosed annual salary in professional womenâÂÂs hockey. In 2021, she was named University of Wisconsin Female Athlete of the Year.
Watts was a member of Canada's entry at the 2016 IIHF U18 Women's World Championships in St. Catharine's, Ontario. Her first appearance in a Hockey Canada jersey took place in August 2015 as Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team challenged the United States in a three-game series in Lake Placid, New York.
In the gold medal game of the 2017 IIHF U18 Women's World Championships, contested at PSG Arena in Zlin, Czech Republic, Watts scored a goal for Canada in the third period, their first of the game. Although said goal would tie the game, the US would score twice in the final three minutes, prevailing in a 3âÂÂ1 final.
Watts played her first two collegiate seasons at Boston College. During the 2017âÂÂ18 season, she recorded 42 goals and 40 assists for 82 points in 38 games, leading all of NCAA Division I womenâÂÂs hockey in scoring. That season, she won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, becoming the first freshman to receive the honour. She was also named NCAA Rookie of the Year, Hockey East Player of the Year, and Hockey East Rookie of the Year.
Watts returned for the 2018âÂÂ19 season, recording 48 points in 39 games, before entering the NCAA transfer portal.
Watts transferred to the University of Wisconsin in 2019. She led the NCAA in scoring during the 2019âÂÂ20 season and was named WCHA Player of the Year in 2021. That same season, she scored the overtime game-winning goal in the NCAA national championship game.
In recognition of her achievements across all varsity sports, Wisconsin named Watts its Female Athlete of the Year in 2021.
In January 2023, Watts signed a two-year contract with the Toronto Six of the Premier Hockey Federation. She joined the team late in the 2022âÂÂ23 season and won the Isobel Cup championship.
Ahead of the following season, Watts publicly disclosed that her 2023âÂÂ24 salary would be US$150,000, a figure that received widespread North American media coverage and remains the highest publicly disclosed annual salary in professional womenâÂÂs hockey.
Following the dissolution of the PHF, Watts entered the PWHL and was selected by Ottawa in the leagueâÂÂs inaugural draft. After the 2023âÂÂ24 season, she became a free agent and signed with the Toronto Sceptres.
While with Toronto, Watts emerged as one of the leagueâÂÂs top offensive players, becoming the second player in PWHL history to reach 50 career points. She was named a PWHL Second Team All-Star in 2025.
Watts represented Canada at the IIHF U18 WomenâÂÂs World Championship and later earned selection to the senior national team where she won silver in the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship. In January 2026, she was named to CanadaâÂÂs roster for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan.
On February 7, 2026, Watts was one of six Canadian skaters making their Olympic debut as Canada played Switzerland. Defeating Switzerland in a 4-0 final, Watts contributed a multi point effort, recording a goal and assisting on a goal by Sarah Fillier.
In the final game of preliminary round play of Group A, Watts recorded a goal as Canada beat Finland by a 5-0 mark.
In the 2026 Olympic quarterfinals against Germany, Watts had a goal and assist in the match, a 5-1 win. In the match, she assisted on the goal scored by Marie-Philip Poulin, tying Hayley Wickenheiser for most Olympic goals all-time with 18.
In the semifinals of the 2026 Olympics, Watts assisted on a goal by Marie-Philip Poulin in a 2-1 win. Said goal was the 20th of Poulin's Olympic career, setting a scoring record.