Cayla Barnes signs with PWHL Seattle on three-year deal, becoming teams first blueliner
By Silvia Leija-Rosas, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Seattle's PWHL franchise has announced the signing of defenseman Cayla Barnes to a three-year contract, securing the defender through the 2027-28 season. Barnes becomes the third player and first defender to join Seattle ahead of its inaugural season, following the signings of Hilary Knight and Danielle Serdachny which have been been made official. General manager Meghan Turner inks her first longer term deal, as the contract for Knight is just a one-year deal while Serdachny’s signing is a two-year contract. The 26-year-old defender will be key for Seattle, considering her impressive point production from the blueline in her rookie season this past year with the Montréal Victoire.
Montréal Victoire defender Cayla Barnes during the Seattle stop of last years PWHL Takeover Tour against the Boston Fleet on January 5th, 2025 at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo for Circling Seattle Sports)
Barnes, a former Ohio State Buckeye, brings a wealth of experience from international play, collegiate competition, and most recently the PWHL. The Eastvale, CA native was a member of the U.S. Women's National Team that won gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics and silver at the 2022 Games. Barnes also contributed to Team USA's success at the IIHF Women's World Championships, competing in six editions of the tournament while earning three gold medals (2019, 2023, 2025) and three silver (2021, 2022, 2024). Barnes wasn’t just a participant in the international competition that she’s seen, as she was named a World Championship All-Star in 2019 and has twice been named Best Defender at the U-18 World Championships.
Barnes’ collegiate tenure saw her start at Boston College before transferring to Ohio State University for the 2023–24 season, where she helped the Buckeyes win the 2024 NCAA National Championship. Her impressive resume at the collegiate level features 111 points (31 goals, 80 assists), including a career-high 36 points in 39 games and leading the nation with a +71 plus-minus rating in her final collegiate season. That sort of play helped her get selected fifth overall by Montréal in the 2024 PWHL Entry Draft. The signing of Barnes gives Seattle two of the top five draft picks from the 2024 Entry draft, as Danielle Serdachny was taken second overall by Ottawa and was signed yesterday.
During her rookie season with Montréal Victoire, Barnes appeared in all 30 regular-season games, tallying two goals and eleven assists for a total of 13 points. During that rookie campaign last season, she competed in the PWHL Takeover Tour game in Seattle on January 5th, 2025, at Climate Pledge Arena as a member of the Victoire, contributing an assist in Montréal’s shootout loss to the Boston Fleet for a final score of 3-2. General Manager Meghan Turner said this was a big step for PWHL Seattle. While she may have been a rookie this past season, Barnes led the Victoire in time on ice averaging 21:48 per game. Her aforementioned 13 points was the most among all rookie defenders this season, and tying for fifth among defenders league wide
“Adding Cayla is a big step for our team. She’s a dynamic defender who moves the puck well and consistently contributes offensively. Even as a rookie last season, she played with the poise and presence of a veteran, and we see her playing a key role on our blue line.”
In a press release from the League, the California-born player said she is looking forward to returning to the West Coast and being part of this moment in Seattle sports history. Barnes will ideally be part of this Seattle franchise for the future as well as it’s present, as a fun note about her contract is that she becomes one of two players in the league to sign through the 2027-28 season.
“I am thrilled and thankful for this opportunity to join PWHL Seattle in its inaugural season. The passion for women’s hockey has proven that Seattle is truly a hockey town, and I can’t wait to get started. I want to thank the Montréal Victoire for the opportunity to play for such a historic city and for drafting me into this league. Playing for the Victoire will always be a memorable chapter in my career that I hold close to my heart. I am looking forward to returning to the West Coast and to get to know the fans, the city, and the hockey community in Seattle!”
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