Vancouver Goldeneyes forward Jenn Gardiner received an unexpected call from Vancouver Canucks assistant general manager Cammi Granato while walking along the Stanley Park seawall. Initially thinking it was spam, Gardiner answered and was offered the opportunity to serve as a guest coach at the Canucks development camp this week at Rogers Forum in Abbotsford.
"We had a great conversation," Gardiner said of Granato, a former U.S. national team star and Hockey Hall of Famer. "She's so incredible to talk to and just a huge role model for me as well. She said, 'If you're free, we'd love to have you, whether it's all-day, every day … whatever it looks like.' So they were really excited about this opportunity, just as I was."
A Special Opportunity for a Surrey Native
Gardiner, 24, grew up in Surrey as a Canucks fan and dreamed of playing for the team. Now she is mentoring prospects, many of whom are younger and beginning their college careers, such as 18-year-old centre Caleb Malhotra, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft heading to Boston University. Gardiner played five years of NCAA hockey at Ohio State before joining the PWHL.
"No matter what, I was going to clear out this week and make it work. This is a very special opportunity and one that I couldn't pass up," she said.
Gardiner was one of the Goldeneyes' first additions, moving from the Montreal Victoire during expansion last summer. She went through another expansion this off-season as the PWHL added four new teams, becoming a free agent before re-signing with Vancouver last month. She also represented Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
Bridging the Gap Between the Canucks and Goldeneyes
Gardiner's presence at camp strengthens the connection between the Canucks and Goldeneyes. Granato is a key link, along with assistant general manager Emilie Castonguay, who previously represented national team star Marie-Philip Poulin as an agent. Gardiner sees herself as a resource for the young prospects.
"A lot of them were super friendly, coming right up to me and introducing themselves," she said. "There were a lot of great questions. I'm just trying to be a resource."
The collaboration may expand in the future. "Cammi and I talked about how we can continue to grow bigger and better and bring more girls in," Gardiner said. "It's really special to get to wear the Canucks logo in any capacity."
Gardiner's Journey and Commitment to Vancouver
During the PWHL expansion, existing clubs could protect three players. The Goldeneyes protected centre Sarah Nurse, defender Sophie Jaques, and goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer. Gardiner, a pending free agent, received non-binding contract offers from new clubs but opted to sign a three-year deal with Vancouver.
Last season, Gardiner recorded nine goals and 19 points in 30 games for the Goldeneyes. The team finished sixth in the eight-team league with a 9-3-4-14 record, missing the playoffs by seven points. However, they won their final regular-season games, earning the No. 1 pick in the entry draft under the league's Gold Plan, which they used to select American defender Caroline (KK) Harvey, MVP of the Milano Cortina Olympics.
Goldeneyes general manager Cara Morey Gardner emphasized team chemistry and retaining players. The team is still searching for a head coach after Brian Idalski was fired last month. Gardiner expressed her desire to stay in Vancouver and win a Walter Cup for the city.
"At the end of the day, I wanted the cards to fall into place for me to stay in Vancouver," she said. "I want to be a Goldeneye, I want to bring a Walter Cup home to Vancouver, to our city. It's a testament to what Cara is building that not a lot of people left our organization. We'll have a very similar team to last year and everybody believes in that group that we have and believes that we can do this. I want to be a part of that. I want to play at home. I want to represent the best city in the world."
