Michela Cava Bio
Michela Marie Cava (born March 26, 1994) is a Canadian ice hockey centre who plays in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). A veteran of more than a decade in professional women’s hockey, she has competed in Canada, Sweden, and the United States, building a reputation as a dependable scorer and playoff performer. Cava is a two-time Walter Cup champion with Minnesota Frost and currently plays for the Ottawa Charge, following a January 2026 trade from the Vancouver Goldeneyes.
Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Cava developed her game in one of Canada’s most storied hockey regions before moving on to the NCAA, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL), the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), and ultimately the PWHL. Across every stop, she has been recognized for her hockey sense, scoring touch, and leadership in high-stakes moments.
Early Life and Background
Michela Marie Cava was born on March 26, 1994, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, a city long known for producing elite hockey talent. She grew up immersed in the local hockey culture and began her competitive career with the Thunder Bay Queens, a strong program in the female midget ranks. Her early development in northern Ontario helped lay the foundation for the disciplined, two-way style she would carry into higher levels of the game.
At the youth national level, Cava distinguished herself as one of Canada’s top young players. In 2010, she won the Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship, with the Thunder Bay Queens. The following year, she added a gold medal at the U18 Canadian women’s nationals with Team Ontario Red, becoming the first player to capture both titles. These early championships foreshadowed a career defined by winning.
Path to Hockey
Cava’s path to professional hockey ran through the NCAA, where she split her college career between two strong programs. She played her first two seasons with the University of Connecticut Huskies before transferring to the University of Minnesota Duluth to join the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women’s ice hockey program. In her final NCAA season, she recorded 38 points in 37 contests, including 12 multi-point games, establishing herself as an offensive threat at the collegiate level.
That production helped pave the way for her professional debut. Cava was selected by the Toronto Furies in the third round of the 2016 CWHL Draft and made her professional debut on October 14 of that year against the Boston Blades. A five-game scoring streak from October 30 to November 20 quickly announced her arrival, and a selection to the 2017 CWHL All-Star Game confirmed her status as one of the league’s rising stars.
Michela Cava Career
Early Career (2012–2017)
Although Cava is officially listed as active in professional women’s hockey from 2012 onward, her most prominent early years came in the CWHL with the Toronto Furies. Drafted third overall by the Furies in 2016, she made an immediate impact, becoming a regular contributor in the offensive zone and earning an invitation to the league’s All-Star festivities in just her first season.
After one year in Toronto, Cava chose to test herself in Europe, signing with Modo Hockey of the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL) in 2017. The move paid off quickly, as she scored 55 points in 36 games in her first Swedish season, leading Modo in points and finishing fifth in the league in scoring. She followed that up with an even stronger second year, scoring 64 points and finishing as the SDHL’s overall leading scorer.
SDHL Breakthrough (2017–2021)
Cava’s time in Sweden marked her emergence as one of the top scorers in women’s hockey. After two dominant seasons with Modo Hockey, she signed with Brynäs IF in Gävle ahead of the 2018–19 campaign, seeking a new challenge and a larger city. With Brynäs, she recorded 45 points in 36 games, finishing fourth in club scoring while helping the team reach the SDHL semi-finals for the first time in seven years.
Looking for another step up, Cava signed with Luleå HF/MSSK ahead of the 2020–21 SDHL season. Her move to Luleå placed her on one of Sweden’s flagship women’s programs and further cemented her reputation as a reliable point producer in high-level competition.
PHF and Toronto Six Era (2021–2023)
On October 6, 2021, Cava returned to North America, signing with the Toronto Six of the Premier Hockey Federation. The mid-career move brought her back to her home country and reconnected her with Canadian hockey. During the 2022–23 PHF season, Cava was named Playoff MVP, leading the Toronto Six to an Isobel Cup championship, the first major professional title of her career.
PWHL Minnesota Era (2023–2025)
Cava was selected in the 12th round of the 2023 PWHL Draft by PWHL Minnesota. In the league’s inaugural 2023–24 season, she recorded five goals and three assists in 24 regular season games, then elevated her game when it mattered most. In the playoffs, she tied Taylor Heise for the team lead in scoring with four goals and four assists in ten games, helping Minnesota win the inaugural Walter Cup. On June 21, 2024, she signed a one-year contract extension with the Frost.
During the 2024–25 season, Cava recorded nine goals and ten assists in 30 regular season games. In the 2025 PWHL playoffs, she added three goals and two assists in eight games to help the Frost capture their second consecutive Walter Cup, further establishing her reputation as a clutch postseason performer.
Vancouver Goldeneyes Era (2025–2026)
On June 17, 2025, Cava signed a two-year contract with the Vancouver Goldeneyes, the PWHL’s expansion franchise based in Western Canada. The signing gave the new club an experienced, championship-caliber centre to anchor its offensive group. However, her tenure in Vancouver was brief.
On January 18, 2026, Cava was traded to the Ottawa Charge, along with teammates Emma Greco and Brooke McQuigge, in exchange for Mannon McMahon, Anna Meixner, and Anna Shokhina. The move returned Cava to the Eastern Conference and reunited her with familiar linemates, including her partner, Emma Greco.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cava is best known as a cerebral centre with strong offensive instincts and a reliable two-way game. Her track record suggests she performs best when the pace is high and the games tighten, an attribute that has translated into strong playoff numbers. She has consistently produced in multiple leagues and on multiple continents, an indicator of a skill set that travels well across different styles of play.
Notable Events and Milestones
Cava is one of only two players, along with goaltender Danika Ranger, to have won a gold medal at the Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship, and the U18 Canadian women’s nationals, with Cava being the first to accomplish the feat. She is also a two-time Walter Cup champion, an Isobel Cup champion and Playoff MVP, and the SDHL’s former leading scorer.
Michela Cava Career Wins
Michela Marie Cava has built a résumé that spans championships at nearly every level of women’s hockey. From her early national titles with the Thunder Bay Queens and Team Ontario Red, to an Isobel Cup with the Toronto Six, to back-to-back Walter Cups with the Minnesota Frost, she has consistently played on winning teams and delivered in decisive moments.
PWHL Highlights
Cava has been part of two Walter Cup championships with the Minnesota Frost, in 2024 and 2025, establishing herself as one of the league’s premier playoff performers. Her strongest statistical playoff run came during the 2023–24 postseason, when she tied for the team lead in scoring on the way to the inaugural Walter Cup title. She was traded to the Ottawa Charge in January 2026 after signing a two-year contract with the Vancouver Goldeneyes in June 2025.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her PWHL success, Cava won the Isobel Cup with the Toronto Six in 2023 and was named Playoff MVP for her performance. She also won the Esso Cup in 2010 with the Thunder Bay Queens and a U18 Canadian women’s national gold in 2011 with Team Ontario Red. In Sweden, she was the SDHL’s leading scorer during her second season with Modo Hockey.
Michela Cava Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Michela Marie Cava was raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, a region with deep roots in Canadian hockey. Her early development within that community shaped her competitive foundation, though specific details about her parents and immediate family are not publicly documented in available sources.
Personal Life
Cava has been in a relationship with her Ottawa Charge teammate Emma Greco since October 2022. The two have also been teammates on the Vancouver Goldeneyes, PWHL Minnesota, and the Toronto Six, meaning their professional and personal lives have been closely intertwined throughout Cava’s PWHL career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 PWHL season represented another strong chapter in Cava’s career. With the Minnesota Frost, she recorded nine goals and ten assists in 30 regular season games, serving as a steady offensive contributor on a deep, defending-champion roster. Her consistent two-way play helped the Frost remain among the league’s top teams throughout the regular season.
In the 2025 PWHL playoffs, Cava elevated her production with three goals and two assists in eight games, helping the Frost capture their second consecutive Walter Cup. The championship cemented her status as a proven postseason performer and gave her the leverage to sign a two-year contract with the expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes in June 2025.
Looking ahead, Cava’s outlook shifted in January 2026 when she was traded to the Ottawa Charge, alongside Emma Greco and Brooke McQuigge. The trade placed her back in the Eastern Conference on a contending roster, setting the stage for another run at a Walter Cup and offering renewed opportunity to influence a team’s playoff fortunes.