Reigning Premier Hockey Federation MVP Mikyla Grant-Mentis has become the highest-paid professional women’s player in history.
On Monday, the 23-year-old from Brampton, Canada, signed a one-year, $80,000 free-agent contract with the Buffalo Beauts, taking advantage of the league’s booming salary cap.
In February, the PHF — formerly the NWHL — announced that beginning with the 2022-23 season, the league will expand to eight teams with a salary cap rising 150% to $750,000.
Following a stellar four years at Merrimack College, Grant-Mentis played for the Beauts at the tail end of the 2019-20 season before spending the last two seasons with the Toronto Six.
In her first complete season with Toronto, she was named both league MVP and Newcomer of the Year.
In a statement welcoming Grant-Mentis back, Buffalo GM Nate Oliver said, “There aren’t many athletes who can take over a game the way that she can,” adding, “We feel very fortunate that she believes that the Beauts are the right fit for her.”
In 2021-22, Grant-Mentis finished with 13 goals and 17 assists in 19 regular-season games, adding to her 20 career goals and 22 assists in 27 PHF games — an average of 1.56 points per contest.
