VANCOUVER — Vancouver’s new Professional Women’s Hockey League team has signed its first player, nabbing defender Claire Thompson from the Minnesota Frost.
The two-time Walter Cup champions left the 27-year-old defender exposed and Vancouver inked her to a one-year contract when the exclusive signing window opened to expansion teams on Wednesday.
“I’m incredibly excited to join PWHL Vancouver and be a part of this new chapter of women’s ice hockey,” Thompson said in a release. “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.”
Thompson, who hails from Toronto, had four goals and 14 assists in 30 games for Minnesota last season and is a finalist for the PWHL’s defender of the year honour.
She added another six helpers in eight playoff appearances as the Frost captured the league championship for a second straight year.
Thompson has ample international experience, helping Canada to gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
The move to Vancouver will reunite the five-foot-eight blueliner with general manager Cara Gardner Morey, who was her coach at Princeton.
“Claire is one of the best defenders in the world and a phenomenal leader who will help create a culture of excellence in Vancouver,” Gardner Morey said in a release. “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.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.
The Canadian Press
