VANCOUVER (June 17, 2025) –– PWHL Vancouver today announced that forwards Michela Cava and Tereza Vanišová have signed two-year Professional Women’s Hockey League Standard Player Agreements to join the team through the 2026-27 season. Cava won back-to-back Walter Cup titles as a member of the Minnesota Frost, and Vanišová is a veteran of two PWHL seasons, including the 2024-25 campaign as a member of the Ottawa Charge.
“Michela has tremendous vision, and her elite playmaking will help our offense. She is also a proven winner as a member of five straight championship teams,” said Cara Gardner Morey, PWHL Vancouver General Manager. “Tereza is an elite skater with a unique scoring touch and brings a physical presence to the ice every shift. We are excited about the energy and feistiness she will bring to the lineup, day in and day out. Vancouver hockey fans are in for a treat as they get to know Michela and Tereza.”
Cava finished fourth in Minnesota scoring this season with 19 points, including nine goals and 10 assists in 30 games. Since joining the team as a 12th-round pick in the inaugural PWHL Draft, the 31-year-old from Thunder Bay, ON, has amassed 27 points (14G, 13A) in 54 games, elevating her offensive production in the playoffs with 13 points (7G, 6A) in 18 postseason contests. Cava split her NCAA tenure between the University of Connecticut and the University of Minnesota-Duluth and has been playing professionally since 2016-17. Her five straight championships count two Walter Cups, an Isobel Cup with the PHF’s Toronto Six (2023), and overseas titles with the KRS Vanke Rays in Russia’s ZhHL (2022) and Luleå in Sweden’s SDHL (2021).
“I’m incredibly excited to be heading to Vancouver and to be part of building something from the ground up,” said Cava. “There’s a special energy that comes with a new team and a new fan base. I can’t wait to hit the ice and get started with this group!”
Vanišová tied for second in the PWHL with 15 goals this season and added seven assists for 22 points in 30 games as the Charge’s top scorer. The 29-year-old Czechia native has totaled 34 points (17G, 17A) in 53 career games after being selected by Montréal in the seventh round of the inaugural draft and joining Ottawa at the inaugural trade deadline. Following graduation from the University of Maine, Vanišová won three straight Isobel Cups with the PHF’s Boston Pride (2021, 2022) and the Toronto Six (2023). Internationally, she represented Czechia at the 2022 Olympics and has competed in eight IIHF Women’s World Championships, capturing bronze in 2023.
“I am delighted to have signed my contract with PWHL Vancouver and appreciate the trust the organization has shown in me,” said Vanišová.
Cava and Vanišová join fellow forward Hannah Miller as PWHL Vancouver’s latest acquisitions following the Expansion Draft.
PWHL Vancouver will also continue adding to its inaugural season roster with six picks in the 2025 PWHL Draft, including the seventh overall selection. The 2025 PWHL Draft presented by Upper Deck will take place on Tuesday, June 24 at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET, with the first three rounds to broadcast live on TSN and in its entirety on TSN+ and on the league’s YouTube channel.
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