Ashton Bell

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). She previously played for the Ottawa Charge of the PWHL. She played college ice hockey at Minnesota Duluth.

Early life During high school, she played for the Western Wildcats of the Manitoba AAA Female Midget Hockey League, twice winning the league's Most Valuable Player Award.

Playing career College In 2017, she began attending the University of Minnesota Duluth, playing for the university's women's ice hockey programme. She had originally committed to the University of North Dakota but was forced to change plans after UND eliminated its women's hockey programme. She scored 23 points in 35 games in her rookie NCAA year, good for second on her team in scoring. She was moved from forward to defence ahead of the 2019–20 season. She posted a career-high 32 points in 36 games that year, leading all Western Collegiate Hockey Association defenders in scoring and being named to the All-WCHA First Team. She was then named team captain for the 2020–21 season. She was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Month in November 2020.

Professional 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. During her two seasons with the club, Bell developed a reputation for her strong skating, defensive awareness, and leadership qualities, helping Ottawa remain competitive during the PWHL's formative years.

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.

International play Bell represented Canada at the 2016 and 2017 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, scoring a total of eight points in ten games and winning silver twice.

In 2017, she served as the Canadian team captain. She was one of 28 players invited to Hockey Canada's Centralization Camp, which represents the selection process for the Canadian women's team that shall compete in Ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

On January 11, 2022, Bell was named to Canada's 2022 Olympic team.

Personal life Bell studied biology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She previously graduated from Deloraine High School in Manitoba, competing in the Manitoba High School Rodeo Association alongside her hockey play.

Bell 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.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffsSeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM 2017–18 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 35 11 12 23 6 — — — — — 2018–19 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 35 5 12 17 25 — — — — — 2019–20 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 36 11 21 32 10 — — — — — 2020–21 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 19 4 10 14 4 — — — — — 2022–23 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 39 12 21 33 10 — — — — — 2023–24 PWHL Ottawa PWHL 24 2 5 7 2 — — — — — 2024–25 Ottawa Charge PWHL 27 3 3 6 0 8 1 1 2 0 2025–26 Vancouver Goldeneyes PWHL 30 2 4 6 0 — — — — —PWHL totals 81 7 12 19 2 8 1 1 2 0

International

Awards and honours Award Year RefPWHL PWHL All-Rookie Team 2024