PWHL Las Vegas signs Erin Ambrose, Hayley Scamurra
A couple of recent champions are heading to the desert.
On Monday, PWHL Las Vegas announced that the team has signed defender Erin Ambrose and forward Hayley Scamurra, formerly of the Montreal Victoire. They are the team’s final two signings of Phase 2 of the PWHL Expansion Player Distribution Process.
They join a solid core in Las Vegas, which includes former Minnesota Frost defenders Mae Batherson and Kendall Cooper. Team USA star Hilary Knight is expected to sign with the team, but will be traded to Detroit ahead of the 2026 PWHL Draft.
The signings check a lot of boxes for multiple reasons. Both are coming off incredible runs to the Victoire’s first Walter Cup and are experienced veterans who will add depth and experience to the new team in Sin City. It also helps that Scamurra was a client of Las Vegas general manager Dominique DiDia while she was an agent at CAA Hockey.
Ambrose, who signed a two-year contract, has an extensive resume, and she’s one of the premier defenders in the game, despite potentially being a couple of years past her prime. Ambrose has proven that she can still be one of the more reliable pieces on the roster. She has been one of the top defenders for the Victoire since year one and has been a key part in helping Nicole Gosling develop in her first year in the PWHL.
Ambrose didn’t score a goal this past season, but posted six assists in 21 regular-season games before adding a couple of helpers in the postseason. In 73 career games, she has posted four goals and 37 points, with five assists in 16 playoff contests.
Scamurra, not the most touted goal scorer, has proven to be an exceptional two-way player for all three teams she has played for. She added some strength in the bottom six for the Victoire, with the ability to step up in the lineup if she had to. She scored some clutch goals down the stretch, really helping the Victoire keep their status as one of the best teams in the PWHL. She posted eight goals and 16 points, both career-highs, during the regular season, before scoring two goals and four points in the playoffs.
The Buffalo native signed a three-year contract with Las Vegas.
In 79 regular-season games in the PWHL, the 31-year-old has notched 14 goals and 29 points, with another five points in 13 postseason games.
Both have extensive international careers as well. Ambrose won gold with Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics, as well as the 2021, 2022 and 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championships. Scamurra was an unsung hero on the United States team that won gold at the 2026 Winter Games, also winning gold at the Women’s Worlds three times (2019, 2023, 2025).
The next time Las Vegas will be able to sign players officially will not be until phase three begins on Wednesday