PHF 2022 Free Agent Signing Highlights

The PHF Free Agency has been open for a little over a month and a half and has provided fans with an abundance of excitement and shock. This off-season is unlike any other in the history of the league, with an increased salary cap and the option to sign players to a two-year deal for the first time. With every player essentially up for grabs in the free-agent market and more money and term to bring to the table, one can expect a few attention-grabbing signings and the anticipation of where beloved players will spend their 2022-2023 season. Below are a few of the biggest signings of the off-season thus far and a few deals the fans are waiting to be announced.

Signed: Mikyla Grant-Mentis

It would be difficult to kick off the big signings discussion without starting with Mikyla Grant-Mentis. The 23-year-old forward scored 30 points in 19 games last season and earned herself the league MVP title the season before, all done during her tenure with the Toronto Six. This upcoming season, she’ll be donning the Beauts’ baby blue jersey after Buffalo signed her to a one-year, $80,000 contract, a landmark deal for North American women’s hockey. It’s difficult for fans of the Six to lose arguably their best player, but given the landscape of women’s hockey and what a contract like this means going forward for the sport, it makes the pill a little easier to swallow. Grant-Mentis will provide the Beauts with the scoring power they lacked last year.

Signed: Dominique Kremer

Another important signing of the off-season belongs to the Buffalo Beauts. Kremer, the 25-year-old defender entering her third season in the league (all with the Beauts), was the first contract announced once free agency began in May. Not only was it the first contract of the summer, but it was also the first-ever two-year contract signed in league history.

Kennedy Marchment

The Connecticut Whale made their first-ever appearance in the Isobel Cup final after finishing first atop the standings this past season. The reigning league MVP Kennedy Marchment played a large role in the success. Leading the league in points (33), assists (20), and points per game (1.7), signing the star forward to a two-year contract was a required move if the Whale wanted another crack at the championship.

Unsigned (or unannounced) – the entire Boston Pride roster

While the five other teams in the league have announced their signings one at a time, the back-to-back Isobel champions have remained quiet on their free-agent moves. The expectation is a reveal of the full roster all at one go, leaving room for speculation about who’s being re-signed, who’s heading elsewhere, and what new faces are being brought in. This leads us to…

Unsigned/Unannounced – Allie Thunstrom

Last season’s league-leading goal scorer has not had a contract signing officially announced to date, and the idea that she will be heading to Boston would give an offensive boost to a team already considered a powerhouse. Not to mention, losing Thunstrom would be a massive blow to the squad she’s played on for the entirety of her professional career, the Minnesota Whitecaps.