Canadian defender Zandee-Hart among 1st 3 players to sign with New York's PWHL team

New York began its roster-building process for the new Professional Women's Hockey League by signing a pair of American forwards and bolstering its defence with a Canadian Olympian.

Micah Zandee-Hart — who competed for Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics — will be linking up with Alex Carpenter and Abby Roque, the league announced Friday.

Salary figures were not disclosed, but the PWHL's annual salaries will range from $35,000 US to $80,000.

"When you're building a championship-calibre team, you look for your cornerstone players," said Pascal Daoust, General Manager of PWHL New York. "Signing Abby Roque, Micah Zandee-Hart, and Alex Carpenter isn't just about roster building, it's about setting the tone in the locker room and on the ice.

"They represent the heart of our foundation, the compete every player and coach respects, and the spirit our fans will rally behind. With them lacing up for us, every play and every moment will be a step closer to the culture of excellence we're crafting."

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At just 26-years-old, Zandee-Hart brings a wealth of international experience to the table, winning gold and silver medals at the 2014 and 2015 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, as well as one of each medal at the world championships, including a gold medal in Herning, Denmark, in 2022 shortly after doing the same at the Olympics in Beijing.

"I feel privileged to be one of the first women to sign with the PWHL," Zandee-Hart said. "This league has been years, even decades in the making, as it is the legends of our game who have paved the way for women's hockey.

The Victoria native has familiarity with area after playing for four seasons with Cornell University in