Former Boston Fleet blueliner Sydney Bard was selected by PWHL Vancouver in the 2025 PWHL expansion draft to bolster their inaugural season defensive-core. 

Bard is looking forward to joining the team in Vancouver, and said that they have already planned some team bonding activities. 

“A roller coaster, I think. Just knowing how strong our team was, and how many good players we had in Boston, and I was so thankful for my time there,” said Bard when I asked about her emotions being selected by an expansion team. 

Sydney Bard, from New Hartford, New York, attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. While she's leaving family and friends on the East Coast Bard is excited to start a new chapter in Vancouver.

“You know, once all the noise dies down, it's really... It's kind of an incredible thing. So I'm definitely grateful,” she said.

Bard also knows that pro women's hockey continues to develop, and fans are flocking to the game leaving men's hockey behind.

“I've had so many people since I've started playing, even in the end of my year in college...they were like, ‘this is so much better than the men's games’ and they just like wanted to show up. And it's just a different style. But I think a lot of people enjoy that. So yeah, being on the West coast will be so cool.”

Bard hopes to bring her physicality and speed to the team in Vancouver. More importantly, she aims to connect with her teammates and be the best version of herself, making sure they know that they can rely on her to show up in different situations. 

“I've just heard how wonderful of a city it is, and like even just Googling like maps, and just like seeing where I'd be, and looking at all the different cities, and how amazing the landscape is," Bard said.

"I can't believe that you literally can be there, and you can see a mountain on one side, and you look the other way and it’s  water and a beach.”

“So I think just enjoying that, and the scenery, and just being...together with the new girls and kind of bonding over the fact that, like… wow, we're all moving to the West Coast together, and starting something new.”

Bard said that Jennifer Gardiner, a Surrey local, has already started planning hikes in the area for the team to do together. 

When Bard isn’t playing hockey, she can be found trying out new vegan recipes and having friends try them out to show that vegan food isn’t scary, and can be good. She also enjoys golfing and said that she will be bringing her clubs to Vancouver.