PWHL Vancouver adds trio of top free agents during signing window

PWHL Vancouver has made a splash in free agency, signing three of the top forwards available on the market.

North Vancouver native Hannah Miller (three years), two-time Walter Cup champion Michela Cava (two years) and the Ottawa Charge’s Tereza Vanišová (two years) all signed deals with the expansion team in the first 24 hours of free agency.

After an expansion process that saw Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey focus on building the team from the net out, the three signings give Vancouver offense and more two-way ability up top. Vancouver looks like one of the best teams in the league next season, at least on paper.

Miller will be reunited with former Toronto Sceptres teammate Sarah Nurse in Vancouver. She racked up 24 points in 29 games with Toronto before a late-season injury seemed to slow her scoring pace a bit.

Miller is a defensively-responsible forward who can play anywhere in the lineup, from the power play to the penalty kill. Only Toronto teammate Renata Fast had more power play assists last season than Miller.

“Hannah is an elite forward who can put up points and wear down opponents,” Gardner Morey said.

The contract brings Miller back home to British Columbia after stops in China, Europe and Toronto.

“It means so much to me to represent the city where I first fell in love with the game,” Miller said. “It’s a real full-circle moment, and I can’t wait to meet all the fans and get started.”

A proven winner

Cava spent the last two seasons on the Minnesota Frost’s top line alongside Kendall Coyne Schofield and Taylor Heise.

Remarkably, Cava has won five straight titles in four different leagues. In addition to back-to-back Walter Cups with Minnesota, she won championships with the Premier Hockey Federation’s Toronto Six in 2023, the KRS Vanke Rays in Russia’s ZhHL in 2022 and Luleå in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League in 2021.

Now, the 31-year-old from Thunder Bay will try to win with a new team on the west coast, without Heise on her line.

“Michela has tremendous vision, and her elite playmaking will help our offense,” Gardner Morey said.

Vanišová tied Boston’s Hilary Knight with 15 goals in 30 regular-season games, trailing only Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin. 

Beyond her skill with the puck, Vanišová is hard to play against. That helped fuel Ottawa to a playoff spot, even if she was undisciplined at times. Vanišová led the league in regular-season penalty minutes. 

In Vancouver, Vanišová could slot in on the top line beside Sarah Nurse or play on a gritty second line.

In the expansion draft, Gardner Morey, alongside head scout Kathy Pippy and salary cap expert Alex Gimenez, selected young, two-way forwards with an offensive touch.

They targeted 2024 draft picks who outperformed expectations last season, including Toronto’s Izzy Daniel and Minnesota’s Brooke McQuigge, and who were likely on smaller contracts.

That left salary cap space to target top-six forwards in free agency. Going into the signing window, Gardner Morey wanted to add two more top-six forwards. So far, she’s done that and more.

Toronto re-signs Spooner, Compher for 2 years

Elsewhere in the league, the Toronto Sceptres re-signed 2024 MVP Natalie Spooner and forward Jesse Compher to two-year deals.

Spooner missed a chunk of last season as she recovered from knee surgery, and still seemed to be getting up to speed through the second half of the season.

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When she’s healthy, Spooner is one of the best power forwards in the league and a force to be reckoned with in front of the net. In 2024, Spooner topped the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games, including 20 goals. In addition to MVP, she was voted Forward of the Year.

“Natalie has been an important piece to our puzzle in Toronto,” Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury said. 

“She is a key member of our organization both on and off the ice. She is a world-class athlete that has shown just how impactful she can be in this league. With her determination and work ethic, we know Natalie will come back in season three ready to help our team be successful.”

Compher found her stride in her second professional season. The 25-year-old earned a spot on Toronto’s red-hot power play, where she produced three of her goals last season. She finished with 18 points in 30 games.

Toronto also signed one-year deals with forward Claire Dalton and goaltender Elaine Chuli, who both played for the Montreal Victoire last season.

Adding Chuli suggests Toronto might want to go forward with a tandem of Chuli and Raygan Kirk. But that will require finding a trading partner for Kristen Campbell, who has one season left with the Sceptres, and who struggled throughout last season.

“Elaine brings consistency to our team,” Kingsbury said. “A proven goalie in the league, she brings a lot of traits we value both on and off the ice. We are also excited to have signed Claire Dalton, who brings size, a great shot and a high ceiling.”

Meanwhile, the Montreal Victoire re-signed its top defender on the market. Kati Tabin spent most of last season beside Erin Ambrose, and bringing her back was crucial after Montreal lost two top defenders to expansion.

“Kati is an invaluable part of our team, both on the ice and in the locker room,” Victoire GM Danièle Sauvageau said.

“Over the past two seasons, we’ve seen tremendous growth in her game, and she continues to elevate her play each year. Her ability to contribute at both ends of the rink makes her a key piece of our lineup, and we’re thrilled to have her back.”

More will be coming for Montreal on the blue line. Only three defenders are officially signed for next season: Tabin, Ambrose and Amanda Boulier.

The Victoire also signed forward Shiann Darkangelo from the Ottawa Charge, which will give the team some of the centre depth it was missing last season. Darkangelo had a breakout year offensively, scoring 17 points in 29 games. She has signed with Montreal for two seasons.

The Boston Fleet also announced a one-year contract extension for its third-leading scorer last season, Susanna Tapani, on Tuesday. Bringing Tapani back to Boston was a priority for the Fleet, especially after the team lost both Hannah Bilka and Hilary Knight to Seattle in expansion.

“Susanna is a highly productive, two-way centre who consistently impacts every time she touches the ice,” Boston GM Danielle Marmer said. “Her speed, ability to posses, and finish set her apart as being one of the best players in this league.”

The PWHL’s free agent signing window is open until June 27 at 2 p.m. ET. It will reopen again on July 8 at 9 a.m. ET.

The league’s entry draft is set for June 24 in Ottawa.