Partners Michela Cava and Emma Greco Adjusting to Playing Hockey in Separate Cities

Michela Cava and Emma Greco are no longer teammates on the ice, but the off-ice partners remain PWHL regulars and support each others' careers from afar.

As the PWHL’s second season gets underway, players are adjusting to their new surroundings, whether they are rookies, returning players, or those new to a team through free agency.

Some, like married partners Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey, have the privilege of playing and working alongside their significant others. Others, like the newly engaged and new-to-the-league draftees Ronja Savolainen and Anna Kjellbin, will be together in the league, but in separate cities.

For former Minnesota Frost teammates and partners in life, Emma Greco and Michela Cava, this season brings an unfamiliar situation: for the first time, they are on different teams. They met two years ago while on the PHF championship Toronto Six and moved on together to the championship Minnesota team in the PWHL.

However, after their first season, Emma, a rugged defensive defender, signed with the Boston Fleet, the very team that Minnesota had defeated in the Walter Cup finals. Cava, meanwhile, re-signed with the team for one year.

Greco said they’ve never faced each other since they have been together.

“No, never, first time. I mean it will definitely be weird, but you know, when you're on the ice, nothing else matters.”

Cava added that they knew this situation was ahead of them, and they were prepared.

“I feel like we had time to process it in the summer. We've known for a while that this was the way it was going to be and I obviously find it very tough, but you put the business part first and you want to be professional and that's my number one focus is to be ready every time I go on the ice.

“We've definitely looked into the schedules and have planned time to go and see each other and unfortunately the drive is pretty far so it will be a lot of extra flying time.”

Greco added, “Being apart this season is definitely difficult but there are others in the league who are in the same boat. This is our job and right now it comes first.”

The two will get some video calls in and stay in touch as much as they can.

It's nice that we have that [technology] these days to be able to FaceTime our families,” said Cava.

“Even if it's for five, 10 minutes, just to see how everything's going. So it's obviously not the same, but we're lucky that we have access to that and being able to at least see each other and make that work.”

“We've definitely looked into when our teams will play each other, but of course, it will be all business first trying to focus on our games and then obviously we'll try to arrange some time to see each other.”

She added that having their families together at the games to watch them will be one of the most difficult aspects of being apart.

“We always just had a good group of people that came to the games supporting us, and I feel like it might be hard now for us to not get as many people coming to one or the other.”

Both players are living with roommates in their cities, which Cava feels will help them to receive a little extra support when they need it.

“I was originally looking to live alone, have my dog with me, and then one of my good friends from last year had a spot open up in her place, and she asked me to live with her. I thought it would be a good idea for me just mentally to have somebody around and kind of keep me online and just feeling good.”

“I’m living with one of my teammates. I hadn’t met her before this season but it’s been great so far,” said Greco.

”I think we are both in pretty good situations that way – that we have people supporting us and making it a little easier on us,” Cava added.

Still, the separation won’t be easy, and although hockey comes first, it will take some adjustment.

“Every second I can, I'll be trying to talk to her,” said Cava.