2025 Defender of the Year Finalist and Walter Cup Champion becomes the first player to join an expansion team
VANCOUVER, BC (June 4, 2025) – PWHL Vancouver today announced that defender Claire Thompson has agreed to terms on a one-year Professional Women’s Hockey League Standard Player Agreement to join the team for the 2025-26 season. Thompson, a finalist for the league’s 2025 Defender of the Year award and 2025 Walter Cup champion with the Minnesota Frost, becomes the first player to sign with PWHL Vancouver ahead of the team’s inaugural campaign.
“Claire is one of the best defenders in the world and a phenomenal leader who will help create a culture of excellence in Vancouver,” said Cara Gardner Morey, PWHL Vancouver General Manager. “Having had the privilege of coaching Claire at Princeton, I know how exceptional she is as a player and as a person and couldn’t be prouder to build our foundation with her contributions both on and off the ice.”
Thompson finished third in scoring among defenders with 18 points, including four goals and 14 assists, in 30 games with Minnesota. Returning to professional hockey after spending a year focusing on her medical studies, the third overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft was the first of four players this season, and only defender, to deliver a record-tying four-point performance with a goal and three assists on Dec. 19 in just her fourth career game. Thompson also finished fourth in playoff scoring with six assists in eight games as an integral part of the Frost’s championship run. The 27-year-old from Toronto, ON, spent her NCAA career at Princeton University and has represented Canada at the Olympics (2022 Gold), and at three IIHF Women’s World Championships (2021 Gold, 2023 Silver, 2025 Silver).
“I'm incredibly excited to join PWHL Vancouver and be a part of this new chapter of women’s ice hockey,” said Thompson. “The opportunity to help build something special from the ground up is truly meaningful. I can’t wait to connect with the fans and represent this city!”
Expansion teams have been granted an exclusive window to sign a maximum of five players up until Sunday, June 8 at 5 p.m. ET. The 2025 Expansion Draft presented by Upper Deck will take place on Monday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET where Seattle and Vancouver will select a minimum of seven players each until each has reached a 12-player roster.
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About the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that features the best women’s players in the world. It is comprised of eight teams: Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver. Launched on Jan. 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women’s hockey game. In 2024, the PWHL was recognized by Sports Business Journal as the Sports Breakthrough of the Year and received the top position in the first-ever Canadian edition of the Harris Poll, which ranks companies’ reputations. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter to receive the latest league updates. Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial.
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