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PWHL Vancouver steals two top goalscorers in league’s Free Agent Frenzy

Originally posted on Canucksarmy | By Dylan Nazareth | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 8:15 PM ET

PWHL Vancouver’s top six just got a lot scarier.

The league had its own ‘Free Agent Frenzy’ on Monday, as players hit the market for the first time since the season’s end and the expansion draft.

After already scoring some big names, PWHL Vancouver has now added forwards Hannah Miller and Tereza Vanišová. Arguably the two highest profile free agents available, the pair were both included on CanucksArmy’s list of targets for Vancouver ahead of the expansion process.

Miller signing out West was practically a given, but it is a huge get for GM Cara Gardner Morey, regardless. Hailing from North Vancouver, the 29-year-old is coming off a huge season with the Toronto Sceptres, where she scored 10 goals and finished sixth in points with 24. As questions begin to swirl about how Vancouver has been able to stay within the salary cap with so many top players, some have speculated Miller may have taken a team-friendly deal in order to sign with her hometown group.

Meanwhile, Vanišová finally found her footing in the league in her sophomore season and smashed all expectations. She finished second in goals with 15, tied with Hillary Knight and behind only Marie-Philip Poulin’s 19, putting her right up there with two of the greats of women’s hockey. She finished tied for eighth in the league in points overall with 22, leading the Ottawa Charge.

Beyond that, she’s a physical player who packs a punch, literally. Vanišová was part of the first-ever fight in the PWHL earlier this year against the Boston Fleet’s Jill Saulnier. With a goal and an assist in the same game, she’s the only player in PWHL history to record a Gordie Howe hat trick.

The first legitimate fight in the #PWHL. @PWHL_Boston’s Jill Saulnier & @PWHL_Ottawa’s Tereza Vanišová square off. #PWHL @jill_saulnier @VanisovaTereza pic.twitter.com/L6fr5biVmv

— Melissa Burgess (@_MelissaBurgess) February 21, 2025

Adding to their offensive depth, Vancouver is also rumoured to be closing in on signing Minnesota Frost centre Michela Cava, per The Hockey News’ Ian Kennedy. Cava is coming off a second consecutive Walter Cup win with Minnesota, with 13 points across 18 career playoff games. At 31 years old, the Thunder Bay native brings veteran experience, high hockey IQ, and consistent production, finishing the season with nine goals and 19 points in 30 games.

Miller, Vanišová, and Cava now join a roster that already includes Canadian star Sarah Nurse, Surrey native Jenn Gardiner, and 2025 Defender of the Year finalists Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, just to name a few. While fans of the original six teams certainly aren’t happy, it’s clear that PWHL Vancouver has emerged as a fierce, offensive team and an early contender for next year’s Walter Cup.

The PWHL’s free agency window is open until June 27th at 11 am PST, before it reopens in early July. The league will hold its entry draft in Ottawa on June 24th at 4 pm PST.

This article first appeared on Canucksarmy and was syndicated with permission.

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