If you didn’t lose one of your favourite emotional-support players in the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s (PWHL) expansion draft this past June, consider yourself lucky.
When the PWHL commenced in January 2024, the league gained success right out of the gates: in April of their inaugural season, they set a new record for the most attended women’s hockey game ever – 21,105 people attended game day at Montreal’s Bell Centre to cheer on the Toronto and Montreal teams. Not only did this turn-out remind us how much Montreal loves Marie Philip Poulin, but it also showcased what we all know to be true: there is a large audience for women’s sports. This audience is so large that, on April 23 and 30, 2025, the PWHL announced a West Coast expansion, with Seattle and Vancouver joining the league for the 2025–26 season. However, given how early the league was in its development, significant uncertainty surrounded the expansion draft. In retrospect, several of the league’s decisions appear questionable.
The process:
With only two teams participating in the expansion draft, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding how the league would approach the drafting process. In a National Hockey League (NHL) expansion draft, teams are allowed to protect either seven forwards, three defencemen, and one goalie, or eight total skaters–defenceman or forward–and one goalie. The PWHL, however, did not exactly follow suit: during their June expansion, they allowed each of their inaugural six teams to protect only three players. After Seattle and Vancouver, respectively, had each made a pick, each team would be allowed to protect a fourth.
Many fans were rightfully unhappy with the league’s rules. With teams limited to protecting just three players, and with the additional two expansion teams, most of the teams lost their anticipated draft picks. Many teams had prepared for the draft by scouting new talent when the league began. In a few of the team’s cases, the draft made protecting their star players very difficult. Take the Montreal Victorie, for example, which was faced with the tough decision of which star player they should protect. How do you pick between Marie Philip Poulin, women’s hockey superstar, or brick-wall goalie, Ann-Renée Desbiens?
The 3 player limit rule was put in place to ensure that Seattle and Vancouver had competitive chances from the beginning of the season. This said, even the executive vice president of hockey operations for the PWHL, Janya Hefford, acknowledged that she was aware the choice was unpopular amongst the league’s fans. “We understand a lot of people will have questions about the process and of course an affinity towards their teams and their favourite players,” she commented. However, she also noted the league’s desire to give Seattle and Vancouver a competitive edge, pointing out that “[it is] an exciting time of growth for women’s hockey and for the PWHL.”
Of course, any league expansion this early on is certainly an occasion to celebrate, but the associated process–for fans and the players alike–is not.
so…. who’s donning new colours next season?
Great question. Leading up to June 9th, the official date for the expansion draft, there was an ‘exclusive signing window’, which meant that Seattle and Vancouver could sign, or at the very least, talk to, any players of the inaugural six teams that weren’t on the team’s aforementioned protected list. This window continued until 5 p.m. E.T. on June 8th, the day before the draft. Seattle and Vancouver were each set to end up with 12 players, signed during both the signing window and the draft itself.
As mentioned, the goal of allowing teams to initially protect just three players was to ensure Seattle and Vancouver were competitive right off the bat– an objective that was certainly accomplished. By the end of the day on June 9th, fans were heartbroken: previous rosters of all existing teams were thrown into a blender.
Which team left fans the most heartbroken, and who are we most excited to see take over on the West Coast? Let’s take a look at some of the players who, despite the flaws of the draft process, will be wearing new threads (and potentially breaking our hearts while they’re at it!).
Sarah Nurse:
As per usual, Toronto sports fans get the short end of the stick.
If you know a Toronto sports fan, you may have learned to tune out their bemoaning about how much they hate their teams at this point. Let’s be honest: every April, everyone is forced to listen to Toronto fans blame their frustrations on one player, and then move on. It’s never that deep.
This melodramatic reaction certainly held true during the league’s signing window when, on June 5th, Sarah Nurse signed with Vancouver.
If you know anything about hockey, you’ve heard of Sarah Nurse. Nurse, age 30, was born in Hamilton, ON. Winning a gold medal for Canada in the 2022 Winter Olympics, Nurse continues to serve as a reminder to the world that hockey isn’t just a “boys’ sport”. In the 2022 Winter Olympics alone, she broke two (two!) records: most points (18), and most assists (13). When the PWHL was announced in 2024, she, along with fellow Canadians Blayre Turnbull and Renenta Fast, were the first three players announced to be joining the new Toronto team. It marked an exciting time for a city that needed some cheering up after the 2024 NHL playoffs (we’re looking at you, Leafs). The nurse proved this excitement was warranted: in her first season with Toronto, she put up 23 points in 24 games.
Perhaps Nurse leaving for Vancouver was to be expected. Remember that three-player protection list? Well, Toronto’s list consisted of Reneta Fast, Blayre Turnbull, and Dayrl Watts–not Sarah Nurse. Nurse being signed with Vancouver so early into the signing window proved just how sought after she is, and for good reason: when you think of women’s hockey, her name is one of the first to come to mind. After the news broke, Vancouver’s general manager (GM), Cara Gardner Morey, shared her excitement: “[Nurse’s] outstanding on-ice abilities will help establish our foundation at forward… [and she’s a] fan favourite everywhere she goes.” Though it’s heartbreaking for many Sceptres fans, we’re excited to see how Nurse develops on the West Coast and as a clear face for Vancouver. We certainly know she’s going to continue to excel as she heads over to the other side of the country.
hillary knight:
If you didn’t know all about Sarah Nurse already (we’re lowkey judging), then you must know who Hiliary Knight is. The face of USA hockey for over ten years, Knight has record after record attached to her name. A cornerstone to women’s hockey, she began her hockey career in college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, playing for the Badgers, where she led the team to win a National Championship and place second in the following year. Beyond her successful college career, Knight has collected a casual nine gold medals at the Women’s World Championships, as well as an additional gold medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics. In her PWHL career, she played two seasons for the Boston Fleet, earning 29 points in her inaugural season- a score tied for the most points in the league’s records.
Safe to say, Knight is one of the best women’s hockey players right now, so it comes as no surprise that she was the very first player to sign with an expansion team. On June 4th, Seattle announced that they’d signed Knight to a one-year deal, making her the first player to move to one of the two expansion teams and also to officially sign with one. Though a great loss for many Boston Fleet fans, Knight is no stranger to the West Coast. When asked about the move, she said, “Seattle holds a special place in my heart, and I’m beyond excited to join PWHL Seattle in such a storied sports city.” Indeed, Seattle feels special to women’s sports; hosting one of the Rivalry Series USA-Canada games in 2022 in front of nearly 14 500 fans at Climate Pledge Arena. Last season, the future home of the Seattle Kraken hosted a PWHL Takeover Tour game last season that ended in fans chanting ‘we want a team’. The PWHL must have heard them, and with the exciting prospect of one of the best women’s hockey players ever stepping on the ice, we know that West Coasters are glad the city is getting the team that they asked for.
jenn gardiner
181 points in 92 games. Sounds impossible, but for British Columbia (BC) native Jenn Gardnier, it’s reality.
During secondary school, while playing in the BC Elite Hockey League, Gardnier really did record 181 points over the course of 92 games–90 assists and 91 goals. Subsequently, it’s no surprise that after graduatingvfrom secondary school, she played for Ohio State’s women’s hockey program. In two seasons, both shortened due to COVID-19, she led the team in points, and in 2022, she scored a winning goal, advancing the team to play in a championship game in the Frozen Four. On top of this accomplishment, Gardiner went on to lead the team to win their first-ever National Title. Throughout her college career, Gardiner’s point production rate was high enough for her to become the third player in Ohio State history to have 100 points by the end of their collegiate career.
In the sophomore season’s PWHL draft, Gardiner was drafted in the second round, eleventh overall by PWHL Montreal. Once back in Canada, Gardiner picked up right where she left off: in her first season with Montreal, she scored 19 points in 30 games, leading to Montreal’s successful playoff run of three points in four games.
Though she didn’t produce the same outcomes she did during her collegiate career, Gardiner was still an important part of Montreal’s roster. As such, when she signed with PWHL Vancouver on June 5th, 2025, there were definitely some tears from Montreal fans. With their protection list consisting of Marie Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Anne Rennee, Montreal clearly had no shortage of stars on their roster., Although upsetting, the competitive roster made Garinder’s move feel fairly unsurprising. Given that she’s from BC, a move to the West Coast doesn’t seem inconvenient for the star forward, and in a statement, Cara Gardner Morey noted that she “can’t wait to see her thrive in front of her hometown fans.” In Vancouver, Gardiner will join star defenders Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, who are fresh off a Water Cup Championship with their former team, the Minnesota Frost. This new Vancouver roster makes for an intimidating lineup that even Montreal or a Hiliary Knight-lead Seattle team should fear.
What about the upcoming season?
This will be the PWHL’s third season, and the first for the two new expansion teams. While the league is still relatively new, there are still many things to be excited about beyond the expansion of women’s hockey or the move of some star players.
Fans should get excited for the return of the ‘Takeover Tour’, where the league plays games in new venues in cities across North America. Seattle and Vancouver were both Takeover Tour cities last season, so there is good reason to suspect that each city the league visits this year may also be a potential candidate for the next expansion draft (we vote for Halifax!). Additionally, in accordance with the 2026 Winter Olympics, the league will take a long break in February. Unlike many of the NHL’s players, most of the national hockey team’s female athletes have been playing together for years, so the upcoming Olympics will feel more like a great reunion than a break from their pro league.
In any case, even if you’re a Toronto fan, there are things to be excited about in the 2025-2026 PWHL season. The two new teams are bound to bring some competition and entertainment to the league. This year, the Minnesota Frost is aiming for a three-peat victory, and Montreal Victorie’s Marie Philip Poulin will no doubt dominate the league once again. All-in-all this year will be an exciting season for women’s hockey and for women’s sports in general. We are all excited to be coming along for the ride!