PWHL Montreal has signed top draft pick Cayla Barnes for three seasons, giving the team another top defender to build around.
The signing comes on the opening day of the window for teams to sign draft picks and free agents from other teams. GMs have been able to re-sign players to contract extensions since June 1.
Barnes won an Olympic gold medal with the United States in 2018, and is a two-time world champion. She scored 36 points en route to winning a national championship with the Ohio State University Buckeyes this past season.
Montreal drafted the 25-year-old from Eastvale, Calif. fifth overall. The league has agreed with the players’ union to not release specific salary amounts.
“Cayla will solidify our team at the blue line, even more so with her style of play which fits perfectly with ours,” Montreal GM Danièle Sauvageau said in a statement. “Since drafting her we have realized even more what a great person she is, and that she will fit in nicely with our team.”
WATCH | Meet the newest faces of PWHL Montreal:
Cayla Barnes and Jennifer Gardiner, who won an NCAA title as Ohio State teammates, were elated to both be selected by Montreal at the 2024 PWHL draft.
Montreal now has six defenders under contract for next season, including Erin Ambrose, who was named defender of the year earlier this month.
Barnes can contend for time on the power play and should ease the load on Ambrose, who played big minutes in all situations for Montreal last season.
Toronto bringing back Miller
Toronto also re-signed forward Hannah Miller to a one-year deal on Friday, bringing back the team’s fourth-leading scorer last season.
Miller, who Toronto selected in the 13th round of the 2023 draft, registered 14 points in 23 games.
“Hannah was a key part of our team’s success in the inaugural season,” Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury said in a statement. “She is a strong power forward that plays a 200-foot game. We are happy to have her sign an extension and we look forward to her continued impact on PWHL Toronto.”
From North Vancouver, 28-year-old Miller represented China at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
She played for the KRS Vanke Rays in the defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League and the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) in Russia, as well as for Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL), before returning to North America last season.
Miller was one of the biggest free-agent names on the market going into Friday, along with Ottawa forwards Daryl Watts and Kateřina Mrázová, Minnesota forward Michela Cava and Boston defender Kaleigh Fratkin, among others.
New York also extended backup goaltender Abbey Levy for another year on Friday.
The 24-year-old posted a .906 save percentage over eight games with New York last season, behind starter Corinne Schroeder. New York also extended Schroeder, who was nominated as goaltender of the year, for two seasons earlier this month.
“Knowing that Abbey is back and part of our group of goalkeepers not only makes our team better but also improves every teammate who is part of it,” New York GM Pascal Daoust said in a statement.
“At her age, her size, and her skills, she is undoubtedly a good athlete with whom we can continue to develop her potential, performance, and achieve our greatest goals.”
Training camps are expected to open in November for the next PWHL season, which will begin toward the end of the year.