PWHL Vancouver lands four marquee players, including Sarah Nurse
Vancouver’s PWHL team still doesn’t have a name, but it now has some players.
Along with Seattle, Vancouver was recently awarded an expansion team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Both teams will begin their inaugural seasons in the fall, and today they began the process of filling out their rosters.
Vancouver and Seattle were each granted an exclusive window until Sunday to sign a maximum of five players. The expansion draft is set for Monday at 5:30 p.m. PT, where each team will select a minimum of seven players until they reach a 12-player roster.
PWHL Vancouver general manager Cara Gardner Morey was rather busy today, signing four players who should excite fans locally.
Hearing that Sarah Nurse will be signing with PWHL Vancouver.
— Hailey Salvian (@hailey_salvian) June 4, 2025
The most well-known name is Sarah Nurse, who joins Vancouver from her hometown team, the Toronto Sceptres, according to a report from Hailey Salvian from The Athletic. The 30-year-old forward has played for Canada at two Olympic Games, winning gold in 2022, and six IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning gold on three occasions.
Nurse finished fifth in points with Toronto last season, scoring 14 points (6-8-14) in 21 games.
She’s a member of one of the most athletic families in Canada, as the cousin of Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse and WNBA star Kia Nurse. Two of her uncles were also pro athletes: former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb and former CFL wide receiver Richard Nurse.
From: the first PWHL Vancouver player
To: All of you 🫶 https://t.co/8F4q6dg7pG pic.twitter.com/OLfE8WzngN
— PWHL Vancouver (@PWHL__Vancouver) June 4, 2025
Claire Thompson is now the answer to the trivia question, as the first-ever player officially signed by Vancouver. The 27-year-old defender from Toronto won a gold medal with Canada at the 2022 Olympics and has represented her country at three Women’s World Championships.
“I’m incredibly excited to join PWHL Vancouver and be a part of this new chapter of women’s ice hockey,” said Thompson. “The opportunity to help build something special from the ground up is truly meaningful. I can’t wait to connect with the fans and represent this city!”
Thompson was a finalist for Defender of the Year in the PWHL last season and won the Walter Cup with the Minnesota Frost.
“Claire is one of the best defenders in the world and a phenomenal leader who will help create a culture of excellence in Vancouver,” said Gardner Morey. “Having had the privilege of coaching Claire at Princeton, I know how exceptional she is as a player and as a person and couldn’t be prouder to build our foundation with her contributions both on and off the ice.”
Thompson’s Minnesota teammate, 24-year-old defender Sophie Jaques, is also coming to Vancouver. The right-shot defender won a silver medal with Canada at the most recent Women’s World Championship in April.
“Vancouver fans are going to quickly fall in love with everything that Sophie brings to her game,” said Gardner Morey. “Sophie is a proven winner, and that experience will be instrumental in shaping our foundation from the blue line. She is a dynamic defender with world-class speed and skill, and a player I believe is only scratching the surface of her potential.”
“I’m incredibly honoured to sign with PWHL Vancouver and to help lay the foundation for something truly special in this city,” said Jaques. “Being part of this historic moment means so much, and I can’t wait to get started and represent Vancouver with pride in this vibrant and hockey-loving community.”
Both Thompson and Jaques were key members of Minnesota’s PWHL championship team last season as their two highest-scoring blueliners. Jaques was the highest-scoring defender in the league and tied for second overall in team scoring with 22 points (7-15-22) in 25 games. Thompson, meanwhile, was third in scoring among PWHL defenders and fifth overall on Minnesota with 18 points (4-14-18) in 30 games.
The fourth player signed by Vancouver is goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer, according to a report from Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News. The 30-year-old goalie from Bruderheim, Alberta joins Vancouver from the Ottawa Charge.
Maschmeyer won an Olympic gold medal with Canada at the 2022 Olympics and has represented her country at eight World Championships. She posted a 6-7-2-1 record in 18 games last season, ranking fifth in save percentage (.913).
A look at the team colours (PWHL)
The PWHL will become an eight-team league next season with the additions of Vancouver and Seattle. They join the original six franchises in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, New York, Boston, and Minnesota.
Vancouver has yet to pick a team name, though it has settled on team colours. “Pacific blue,” is the team’s primary colour, with cream as the secondary colour. Games will be played out of the Pacific Coliseum, with the Agrodome serving as Vancouver’s practice facility.