After a disappointing semi-final exit that saw them lose three straight overtime games to the eventual Walter Cup finalists from Boston, PWHL Montreal made their second big move of the off-season selecting Cayla Barnes with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft.
Barnes, 25, is a right-handed defender who has been in the international spotlight since she was just out of high school. After only five games as a freshman at Boston College during the 2017-18 season, she was added to the United States Olympic roster. She has been a mainstay on the right side of their blue line ever since.
The native of Corona, California transferred to Ohio State for her final NCAA season, where she won the national championship. In 170 career NCAA games, she had 31 goals and 80 assists. She has a goal and five assists in 12 Olympic games and five goals and 19 assists in 35 career games at the World Championships.
She provides Montreal with an extremely solid right side of their defence, joining Erin Ambrose and Dominika Lásková.
Montreal signed forward Lina Ljungblom to a three-year contract earlier in the day.
