PWHL Vancouver signs Sarah Nurse as roster begins to take shape

Vancouver’s Professional Women’s Hockey League squad continued to adhd to its archetypal roster Thursday by signing goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer to a two-year declaration and guardant Sarah Nurse to a one-year deal.

Maschmeyer spent the past 2 seasons with the Ottawa Charge. She was 1 of the franchise’s 3 foundational signings successful the PWHL’s inaugural season, but she sustained a season-ending lower-body wounded successful March.

Gwyneth Philips was fantabulous successful alleviation arsenic the Charge precocious to the Walter Cup final, and the 30-year-old Maschmeyer was near unprotected by Ottawa heading into the exclusive signing play and enlargement draught to banal the rosters of the teams successful Vancouver and Seattle that commencement play successful 2026.

Maschmeyer from Bruderheim, Alta., had 15 wins with 2 shutouts, a goals-against-average of 2.42 and prevention percent of .914 implicit 2 seasons successful Ottawa.

Nurse was 1 of the Toronto Sceptres archetypal 3 signings. She had six goals and 8 assists successful 21 games past season, contempt missing astir 2 months with injury.

The 30-year-old from Hamilton added 1 assistance successful 4 playoff contests earlier the Sceptres were ousted from the semifinals by the Minnesota Frost, who went connected to triumph the Walter Cup for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row.

Nurse — relative of WNBA prima Kia Nurse and Edmonton Oilers defender Darnell Nurse — is simply a two-time Olympian, winning golden for Canada astatine the 2022 Games successful Beijing and bringing location metallic from Pyeongchang successful 2018.

The moves were different splash by Vancouver wide manager Cara Gardner Morey, who opened the signing play Wednesday by luring defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques distant from the Frost. Both players are finalists for the league’s defender of the twelvemonth award.

“Joining Vancouver is an unthinkable opportunity, and I’m thrilled to beryllium a portion of specified an breathtaking section of the league’s expansion,” Maschmeyer said successful a release. “Vancouver has proven to beryllium a vibrant hockey metropolis and I’m thrilled to play successful beforehand of specified passionate fans. I’m aligned with Cara’s imaginativeness and values and honoured to person the accidental to assistance physique this organization’s civilization from the crushed up.”

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Both players were connected Canada’s Olympic title squad astatine the 2022 Beijing Games. Nurse has besides represented Canada astatine six women’s satellite championships, winning 3 golden medals, portion Maschmeyer has played astatine 3 worlds.

“I americium truthful honoured to beryllium joining PWHL Vancouver, yet bringing nonrecreational women’s hockey to the West Coast,” Nurse said successful a release. “I already got a sensation of the passionateness past twelvemonth during the Takeover Tour and can’t hold to acquisition that daily.”

The Charge besides mislaid guardant Danielle Serdachny to Seattle. As a result, they were capable to adhd American guardant Gabbie Hughes arsenic a 4th protected player.

The Montreal Victoire besides mislaid their archetypal subordinate to the enlargement process, with Seattle signing defender Cayla Barnes to a three-year deal. Barnes, from Eastvale, Calif., tied for the Victoire pb successful scoring among defenders and ranked 5th among each PWHL rookies with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) successful 30 games.

Expansion teams person an exclusive model to motion a maximum of 5 players up until 5 p.m. ET Sunday.

The enlargement draught is Monday. Seattle and Vancouver volition prime a minimum of 7 players until each has reached a 12-player roster.