The foundation for the new Vancouver Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) team is starting to come together.
From June 4-8 is the league's exclusive signing window, where the two expansion franchises - Vancouver and Seattle - have the ability to sign players from the six other PWHL teams, excluding players that are protected.
So far, Vancouver has made a big splash, signing four players - a forward, two defence, and a goaltender.
On Wednesday, June 4, the team made history by announcing their first-ever signing, Claire Thompson, to a one-year contract
The 27-year-old was one of the best players in the league last season and was named a Defender of the Year finalist after scoring four goals and adding 14 assists in 30 games.
Joining Thompson in Vancouver is defenceman Sophie Jaques, who both won the Walter Cup with the Minnesota Frost last week. Jaques was also a nominee for the Defender of the Year award after leading all defenceman with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 25 games. The 24-year-old is in Vancouver for the long-term, signing a three-year deal.
In the net, Emerance Maschmeyer has inked a two-year contract. For the Ottawa Charge last season, the Alberta-native went 9-9-4 with a 2.30 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. In the PWHL's inaugural season in 2024, Maschmeyer led the league with 548 saves in 23 games.
Vancouver made another big splash late Thursday morning, signing forward Sarah Nurse to a one-year contract. The 30-year-old collected 14 points in 21 games last season with the Toronto Sceptres, and sits fifth in PWHL history in points per game (0.82, 37 points in 45 games).
Thompson, Maschmeyer, and Nurse all won gold with Team Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
The franchise has until 2 p.m. Pacific time on June 8 to sign one more player to the roster.
On June 9 is the PWHL expansion draft, where Vancouver and Seattle will get the chance to select a minimum of seven players who are unprotected by the six other teams in the league.
A couple weeks later, the PWHL Draft takes place, where all eight teams will select eligible players from a talent pool which includes recent collegiate graduates and/or players from other professional leagues.
