To hear Sarah Nurse tell it, her inaugural season with the Vancouver Goldeneyes has been nothing short of exceptional. The 31-year-old forward from Hamilton, a stalwart of the Canadian national team, has embraced her new home with open arms.
Embracing Vancouver's Vibrant Community
"I've loved everything about the city," Nurse explained enthusiastically. "The community has been so incredible. There's not a time that I don't leave my house that I don't find a Goldeneyes fan—someone who wants to come up and say hi and chat about the season, or somebody wearing merch."
She continued, "The city, this arena, every time we play a home game it's been so electric. I have nothing but great things to say." Nurse specifically highlighted the surprising prevalence of team merchandise in the stands, noting that this was particularly remarkable given that the team had only received its branding a few weeks before the season opener. "It's just a testament to our fan base and how passionate they are," she added.
Attendance and On-Ice Performance
The expansion Goldeneyes currently rank second in the eight-team Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) for attendance, boasting an announced average of 11,254 spectators at their Pacific Coliseum home games. However, their on-ice results have not matched this fan enthusiasm. With just three games remaining in the regular season, Vancouver (8-1-4-14) clings to slim playoff hopes, sitting in seventh place and trailing the fourth and final postseason spot by six points.
The team's remaining schedule includes:
- A road game against the Seattle Torrent on Saturday
- A home matchup versus the Montreal Victoire on Tuesday
- A season finale at home against the Minnesota Frost on April 25
Given that they need to leapfrog three teams in the standings, the Goldeneyes likely require victories in all three contests to extend their season beyond the Frost game. The PWHL's points system—awarding three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout win, and one for an overtime or shootout loss—adds complexity to their mathematical playoff scenario.
Building the Roster and Season Challenges
The league appeared to position Vancouver and their expansion counterparts, the Seattle Torrent, for immediate success by granting both teams an exclusive window to sign five free agents or unprotected players prior to the expansion draft. During this period, the Goldeneyes secured Nurse—who previously played two seasons with the Toronto Sceptres—on a one-year deal. They also added forward Jenn Gardiner, defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, and standout goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer. Notably, all five of these initial Goldeneyes represented Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
Despite this talent infusion, Vancouver has struggled offensively, particularly on the power play at home, where they operate at a league-worst 5.9 percent (2-for-34). Nurse's absence for 11 games early in the campaign due to an upper-body injury further hampered the team, with the Goldeneyes managing only three wins during that stretch.
"I think that we had very high expectations for ourselves at the beginning of the year, and obviously things have not gone the way we wanted to for a multitude of factors," said Nurse, who has recorded 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points, trailing Thompson (3-13-16) and Jaques (8-6-14) in team scoring. "Some are within our control and some are out of our control. As the season has gone on, it's been disappointing because we want to play our absolute best for this city and these fans."
Future Expansion and West Coast Focus
The PWHL is reportedly considering expansion this summer, with speculation ranging from two to four new teams. The rules for engaging with these potential additions remain uncertain. Vancouver general manager Cara Gardner Morey recently commented on Nurse's future, stating, "She is obviously someone we would love to keep around," citing her profile, leadership, and on-ice performance.
Nurse expressed hope that any league expansion would prioritize adding more teams in the western region to join Vancouver and Seattle. She pointed to travel challenges as a significant factor, noting that "every time we travel it's a minimum eight-hour travel day." Vancouver's 4-1 victory over Seattle on Tuesday eliminated the Torrent from playoff contention, and Goldeneyes coach Brian Idalski recently highlighted travel as an issue, suggesting that "it would be one thing if one of the expansion teams was killing … but we're both struggling."
"I think there are logistical things that can be fixed leading into an expansion," Nurse concluded. "If they are going to expand, I do hope it's on the west coast, because I know every time we travel it's a minimum eight-hour travel day. If we could have more teams on the west coast, it would help mitigate that."
