The Vancouver Goldeneyes have selected the three players they will protect throughout the 2026 expansion process. Sarah Nurse, Sophie Jaques, and Emerance Maschmeyer will remain Goldeneyes through the off-season and player distribution process.
As the teams exit Phase 1 and enter Phase 2 of the expansion player distribution process, each existing team has announced three protected players, either free agents that have been re-signed or signed to the team, or players under contract. Any player not protected in Phase 1 is eligible to be taken by an expansion team.
When asked about her protection decisions, Goldeneyes general manager Cara Gardner Morey told the media, “A big focus of mine is leadership and veteran leaders in the locker room, and good culture and and then talent on the ice. And I like that we have all three positions being covered [by these protections].”
This was also Gardner’s emphasis last year, and she has previously said that they had a fantastic culture and no off-ice issues. She also said that with expansion coming to an end, it’s easier to build in a long-term focus for the team. Signing these three players will help them to do that.
Three Protections
Sarah Nurse
On Tuesday, the Vancouver Goldeneyes announced they would be re-signing forward Sarah Nurse. The contract not only guarantees that Nurse cannot be taken by any teams during the expansion process, but also keeps her as a member of the Goldeneyes through the 2027-28 season.
Getting Nurse signed was a key piece this off-season for the Goldeneyes brass. The inclusion of a PWHL expansion team in Hamilton, Nurse’s hometown, had some people (myself included) worried that she would take the chance to go home. Nurse didn’t commit to staying in Vancouver at the end of last season, leaving open some questions about her future.
Last season, it was evident how important Nurse was to the team. The Goldeneyes lost eight of the eleven games that Nurse missed with injury. She was tied with Jaques and Gardiner for the team lead in goals and had a four-game point streak after returning from injury. Brian Idalski — now the former head coach of the Goldeneyes — and her teammates have sung her praises as a key member of the team on and off the ice.
Nurse was also a fan favourite last season. Having her back in Vancouver will be a win both on and off the ice. This extended contract allows her to be a key piece of the team for a few years to come.
Sophie Jaques
Aside from Sarah Nurse, Jaques was the other must-protect player this season for the Goldeneyes. She was a crucial player to the success of the Goldeneyes this season, both offensively and defensively. Nominated for Defender of the Year in 2025, Jaques led the Goldeneyes in points and tied the team lead in goals. Defensively, she led the team in blocked shots and averaged the most minutes of any non-goaltender on the team.
While she wouldn’t be able to be taken on an Expansion Foundational Offer (EFO), she would definitely be on the Exclusive Negotiation Target Lists (ENTL) for all four expansion teams. Having her protected assures that an expansion franchise won’t poach her.
“She speaks for herself; she’s a two-time finalist for Defender of the Year in the PWHL,” Gardner Morey said. “[We’re] really just happy to keep her on the roster.”
Emerance Maschmeyer
When I wrote about protection predictions last week, I said it was important for the Goldeneyes to protect one of Campbell or Maschmeyer. Goaltending was one of the few positives from the 2025-26 season for Vancouver, so using one protection slot on Maschmeyer is a good decision.
“Emerance was excellent for us as our starting goaltender,” Gardner Morey said. “Goaltending is a really important position in our league, so we just wanted to make sure that we were safe in that area.”
Goldeneyes backup goaltender Kristen Campbell and the third-string goaltender, Kimberly Newell, are unprotected heading into Phase Two. Newell is a free agent.
Who is at risk?
Claire Thompson
The Vancouver Goldeneyes have fourteen players who are free agents heading into next season. The biggest names on that list are Claire Thompson and Jenn Gardiner. As I wrote last week, we still don’t know if Claire Thompson is planning to play next season. If she is, I could see her being targeted by expansion teams as they build for the future. A top defender on both the international and PWHL levels, Thompson led the Goldeneyes in assists this past season. She is an elite player who could improve both the offense and defense of any team in the PWHL. That being said, I think she is a long shot to get an Expansion Foundational Offer (EFO). Only four of those slots are available and many talented players are left unprotected.
When asked about Thompson’s future, Gardner Morey said it is Thompson’s decision to make. “She’ll kind of figure that out as she goes.”
She added that it was a difficult decision to leave Thompson unprotected, but just “knowing that it was probably a longer future with Sophie [Jaques]” was what it came down to.
Jenn Gardiner
Jenn Gardiner is the other player who is most at risk of being signed on an EFO. She’s entering her third year in the league and has continued to improve each season, making her a prime target for an expansion team. That being said, with only four EFO slots out there, I do think there are bigger names out there who may earn an EFO over her, including Daryl Watts.
“Jenn brings a ton to our program,” Gardner Morey said when asked about wanting to keep Gardiner. “She brings a lot of energy, she’s fast, she has the ability to score goals, she’s great in our culture. It’s one of the hardest questions because obviously, we want to keep everybody.”
EFOs are the only time that free agents don’t get a say in their futures, so if Thompson and Gardiner are not offered an EFO, they could each choose to re-sign in Vancouver. Gardiner expressed her desire to stay in Vancouver on exit day, so she may be a top candidate to stay when Phase 3 comes around.
Losing other free agents like Manon McMahon, Gabby Rosenthal, Izzy Daniel, and Mellissa Channell-Watkins would be a blow to the team, but not as big as losing Thompson or Gardiner.
Under Contract
Players under contract are not eligible for an EFO, which gives them more protection than unrestricted free agents. Any player under contract can be on the expansion team’s list for interest, and could be taken if the Foundational Roster Completion is activated at the end of Phase 2.
Unprotected players who are under contract with the Goldeneyes include big names like Kristen Campbell, Ashton Bell, Hannah Miller, and Tereza Vanišová. With goalies seeming to be at a premium in this draft class, Campbell is likely the most at risk of these four players.
Now that the three protected players have been announced, expansion teams must submit their list of players they’d like to talk to and sign by June 4 at 3 PM ET. Expansion teams will be able to start signing players on June 5 at 12 PM ET. Teams will have the chance to protect another three players in Phase 3.
