PWHL Minnesota signs Claire Thompson to two-year contract
One of the top blueliners in women’s hockey is ready to return to the ice.
On Friday, PWHL Minnesota announced it has signed defender Claire Thompson to a two-year standard player agreement that will carry through the 2025-26 season.
Making things official! ✍️
We've signed first-round pick Claire Thompson to a two-year Standard Player Agreement.
📰 https://t.co/2hpBNNMGsl pic.twitter.com/1viTB71DzF
Thompson was taken by Minnesota in the first round, third overall, of the 2024 PWHL Draft.
“I am thrilled to join the PWHL this upcoming season,” Thompson said in a release. “It is an honor to sign with PWHL Minnesota, and I can’t wait to get started to continue to build upon their most impressive first season.”
Thompson is not considered a rookie by any standards, especially given the fact that she is 26 years old. After spending parts of two seasons with the PWHPA Dream Gap Tour, she took last season off to pursue her medical degree. Thompson was on New York’s reserve list, but did not appear in any games. However, that doesn’t mean she will be coming into the 2024-25 campaign rusty. The Toronto native has reportedly been skating with New York University’s men’s club hockey team.
The former Princeton captain established herself as one of the best two-way defenders in the game, especially with her performance at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. In helping Canada take home the gold medal, Thompson scored two goals and 11 assists in seven games, and was named to the tournament’s all-star team. She also won gold with Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
Her last official game of hockey was during the 2023 Women’s Worlds, in which Canada lost to the United States in the gold medal game.
The former Toronto Aero was an exception force in four years at Princeton University. While she didn’t receive any individual accolades, she posted 31 goals and 56 assists in 129 games, registering a plus/minus of +56.
She is the third player drafted by Minnesota that has signed a contract. The team currently has 16 players on SPAs for the 2024-25 season. Thompson joins a talented d-corps that includes Sophie Jaques and Natalie Buchbinder.