Happy Hockey Friday! I’m Elisha Côté from The Ice Garden, and this week we’re turning our attention to the West Coast, where the Vancouver Goldeneyes played their first home game in a sold-out arena and introduced their inaugural captain: Ashton Bell.
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For anyone who’s followed Bell’s career, her rise to becoming the face of a brand-new franchise doesn’t feel like a surprise; it feels like the natural next chapter of a player who has reinvented herself at every level and led everywhere she’s been.
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A career built on a steady climb
Bell’s story starts in a small town in Manitoba, Canada, with the Westman Wildcats, where she spent four seasons establishing herself as one of the best young players in the province. Her numbers jumped every single year, from 20 points to 37, then to 47, then to 49, and by the time she wore the C for Canada’s U18 team, it was clear she had the potential to be one of Canada’s top players.
At Minnesota Duluth, Bell made the transition that would define her entire career, shifting from forward to defense and somehow becoming even more dangerous. She captained the Bulldogs, ran their blue line, and built a reputation as the kind of player coaches trust when everything is on the line. Her best season came in 2019–20 with 32 points, elite production for a defender in the NCAA.
Bell’s move to the senior national team came in 2021, when she played at the worlds before having a breakout Olympics in 2022 with five points. From there, she leaned into a role built on reliability.
Before playing for Vancouver, Bell spent two seasons with the Ottawa Charge, where she learned what it takes to be a top defender in PWHL. Ottawa leaned heavily on structure, and Bell became one of their most dependable minute-eaters. Her game evolved. Her reads sharpened. She played playoff hockey and played against the best forwards in the world every night.
And quietly, she became the type of defender an expansion team would want to build around.
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Why Vancouver landed on Bell
When the Goldeneyes announced their first captain, Bell admitted she didn’t expect it: “I didn’t see it coming at all, but I’m super grateful and honoured to get to wear the letter.”
She’s captained almost everywhere she’s played, from U18 Worlds to multiple seasons at Minnesota Duluth, and she’s always led the same way: calm, steady and quietly influential. For an expansion team trying to build an identity from the ground up, that matters more than anything.
Vancouver didn’t need the loudest voice in the room. They needed the most reliable one.
That’s Ashton Bell.
Women’s hockey news
Topsy turvy in Hockey East: How special teams are changing the game — Power plays and penalty kills are swinging early-season results across the conference.
Reflecting on opening night: Where the expansion teams stand after Game One — Seattle and Vancouver showed early identity and strong fan energy in their PWHL debut.
Women’s hockey icon Marie-Philip Poulin reflects on the road to Milano Cortina 2026 — Canada’s captain opens up about legacy, motivation, and preparing for another Olympic run.
“Women’s hockey has never been better” – Michelle Karvinen finds fresh fire in the PWHL and dreams of 2026 Olympic gold — The Finnish star discusses life in Vancouver and what Milano-Cortina could mean for her national team.
Team USA Olympic hockey jerseys unveiled — Hockey USA unveiled their jerseys for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics.
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