There’s no perfect way of going about the PWHL expansion process, but this year, the Vancouver Goldeneyes played it about as perfectly as they could have. 

With four teams slated to join the league and 10 spots open on each, there was no doubt that the Goldeneyes would end the process by losing at least a handful of players. 

Yet, against all odds, Vancouver exited the PWHL Entry Draft losing only two players and gaining the rights to five others, including standout defender Caroline “KK” Harvey. 

Defenders Sydney Bard and Nina Jobst-Smith were the two players Vancouver lost via expansion, though they did part ways with Abby Boreen briefly before she was traded back to the Goldeneyes in exchange for their fifth-round pick. Defender Mellissa Channell-Watkins also ended up departing in free-agency. 

That said, Vancouver was still able to retain a very fair number of players from their 2025–26 roster. Aside from their six expansion protected players — Sarah Nurse, Sophie Jaques, Emerance Maschmeyer, Jenn Gardiner, Izzy Daniel, and Hannah Miller — they also re-upped forwards Mannon McMahon, Gabby Rosenthal, and Katie Chan, as well as signing free-agent defender Dominika Lásková. 

Goldeneyes General Manager Cara Gardner Morey has been upfront about her priorities throughout the expansion process — minimizing the amount of losses and retaining as much of their inaugural-season’s roster as possible. Now that all four expansion teams have made their picks and signings, the GM can finally take a breather. 

“I never felt good until it was over,” she explained in a media availability after the draft. “You just knew, it was like every night trying to sleep, not sleeping well, wondering when the shoe was going to drop.” 

Being able to hold onto so many players was something that Gardner Morey credited to the team culture and the bonds they created within the locker room — again, something that many players spoke on throughout the Goldeneyes’ inaugural season. Vancouver’s GM also touched on how this was something that definitely impacted the expansion GMs’ signings.  

“I feel like they did really consider players that wanted to move and didn’t, and I think as a GM, that’s smart. They wanted to bring in players that wanted to be a part of it. So, when they had conversations, and our players were like, ‘I’m really happy in Vancouver, and I’d like to stay,’ I have a lot of respect that they listened to them in that manner.” 

Where Vancouver goes next in regards to preparing for the 2026–27 season is in searching for their next head coach. Inaugural-season bench boss Brian Idalski was let go of early on in the expansion process. With expansion and the draft to focus on in the following weeks, the search for a new head coach is something Gardner Morey is finally able to shift her attention towards. 

“Nothing’s going to be rushed, so if you say timeline, as long as it takes to find the right person to come in and take over.” 

Gardner Morey also noted the importance of consulting the players in regards to this decision. 

“I think that it’s important for your leadership to kind of talk about what they really are looking for and what they really think will help them get to that next level, not necessarily who they want as a coach, but more the qualities that they’re looking for.” 

One name that has occasionally popped up in regards to the Goldeneyes’ head coaching search has been Garnder Morey herself. The dynamic within the league changed when Troy Ryan was named the PWHL’s first dual head coach and GM of PWHL San Jose. Given her previous experience as the head coach of Princeton University’s women’s team, the fit could work well — though it’s something that Gardner Morey quickly shut down. 

“I do love it, but it’s a big job at the pro level, and there is a difference between when you’re talking about salaries and that, and you’re coaching them. You don’t want to be skewed because they did something in the moment on the ice and it changes your impression of them.” 

Moving ahead to free-agency, Vancouver has already extended the bulk of their players, though there are still some additions they could make through Training Camp invites and free-agent signings. At the forefront of her focus is players that can chip in from a locker-room perspective and bring compete and physicality. 

“The spots that are going to come are really kind of that character-like work ethic, bring compete level every day, but understand that there’s a really strong roster already built, [...] it sounds cliche, but they have to be team-first, and they have to understand that role.”