The 2025–26 season won’t be Sarah Nurse’s first time playing in front of Vancouver’s crowd, but it will be her’s — and her teammates’ — first as part of PWHL Vancouver. Earlier today, it was reported that Vancouver’s PWHL expansion team will be signing Nurse, making her the team’s third official player alongside former Minnesota Frost defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques. Former Ottawa Charge Goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer is also reportedly joining the team.

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The three-time World Championship and Olympic gold medalist comes from a superpowered sports family consisting of Kia Nurse of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, former NCAA star Tamika Nurse, and Edmonton Oilers defender Darnell Nurse. She played with the Toronto Sceptres in the PWHL’s inaugural season, scoring six goals and eight assists in 21 games played. One of said games took place in Vancouver, in front of a packed Rogers Arena crowd that she has already endeared herself to. In Nurse’s postgame media following the PWHL’s Takeover Tour stop in Vancouver on January 8, it’s clear that this fanbase has already made a great impression in her eyes.

“To come to BC and be embraced by Vancouver, the Canucks, and all the girls or organizations throughout the province has been incredible,” she said of the Takeover Tour’s reception in Vancouver. “They don’t usually get women’s hockey. We may get one game a year and so to be here, for them to show up and also to see all of the other women’s sports that were here — we had Rugby Sevens, we had the girls from the NSL. I think it’s just special because it shows that we have created this platform for women’s sports and I know that it’s just gonna snowball and continue with other sports throughout the country.”

Nurse’s experience will prove valuable to a brand-new Vancouver team with a roster that has not been fully selected yet. The exclusive signing window for PWHL Vancouver and Seattle will continue until June 8 at 2:00 pm PT. After, the expansion draft will occur on June 9 at 5:30 pm PT.

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