The atmosphere inside Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum is buzzing with excitement once again.
It has been ten years since a significant hockey team occupied the arena, and three decades since the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks left the venue.
Currently, the Pacific Coliseum serves as the home for the PWHL’s Vancouver Goldeneyes, a shift that has been in progress for several months. Vancouver stands out as the first team to have its own dedicated arena, providing players the advantage of having their own space and the opportunity to spend more time on the ice whenever they choose.
A new logo now adorns the center ice, a state-of-the-art video board hangs from the ceiling, and players have access to an upgraded gym.
On Thursday, staff members prepared for the opening by placing rally towels on every seat, anticipating over 15,000 attendees. This sold-out event is expected to break the attendance record for a PWHL home game.
Meanwhile, others were busy unpacking jerseys and apparel for a new merchandise shop located near the entrance. Fans will have the chance to purchase jerseys featuring their favorite players’ names from the very first day, a significant advancement in women’s professional sports.
The action kicks off on Friday at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET, as the Goldeneyes take on the Seattle Torrent, marking the beginning of two new franchises and likely the emergence of a fierce rivalry on the West Coast.
The PWHL’s newest expansion team, the Vancouver Goldeneyes, are about to embark on their inaugural season in the league.
For Brian Idalski, the head coach of the Goldeneyes, this is truly a unique opportunity.
“You only get one chance to make a first impression like this,” Idalski mentioned to reporters at the rink this week. “Close your eyes, take in the atmosphere. It will be a lasting memory.”
As the arena staff readied the building for its first event, Idalski has been focusing on building his own squad.
He began assembling his roster from scratch through an expansion draft earlier this year. Under his guidance, the players are developing chemistry and learning systems and strategies simultaneously, embracing the freshness that will take time to settle.
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“I’m pleased with our core group,” Idalski expressed on Wednesday. “Now it’s about finding combinations that work well together and refining our strategies and details regarding how we want to play. This will take some time, but we’ll make it happen in the next two days.”
Fostering connections
Sarah Nurse was among the first players to join the Goldeneyes after being left unprotected by the Toronto Sceptres.
There is a degree of familiarity within this squad, as many players have competed together or opposed each other in various contexts. However, the experience of coming together as a unified team is something that has developed in the past two weeks.
Sarah Nurse was one of the Goldeneyes’ first signings during the expansion draft process. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
Nurse was uncertain about what to anticipate, yet she has been pleasantly surprised by how swiftly the players have bonded.
“I’ve faced many of these players in the past, and I’m really glad we’re on the same team now instead of opposing each other,” she noted. “It’s been an adjustment for everyone. However, I believe this will strengthen us as we progress throughout the season.”
While Nurse is a standout signing for the team, she is surrounded by significant talent, including Walter Cup champion defenders Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, Team Canada’s Emerance Maschmeyer in goal, and Finnish national team veteran Michelle Karvinen, who has begun to develop chemistry with Nurse on the ice.
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The team made its first trade on Thursday, sending forward Denisa Křížová to Minnesota, the franchise that left her unprotected during the expansion draft. In exchange, the Goldeneyes acquired rookie forward Anna Segedi, who represented the Chinese national team at the 2022 Olympics alongside Vancouver’s Hannah Miller, whom Idalski coached.
With a strong lineup and an abundance of young talent ready to develop, Vancouver is anticipated to be a frontrunner in the league during its inaugural season.
‘Everything feels real’
The sold-out game on Friday will feature a special opening ceremony to officially welcome the team to Vancouver, including an autograph session with Olympic gold medalist Meghan Agosta, who resides in the area. The team is also expected to announce its first captain prior to the game.
Host Karissa Donkin and The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian break down the rosters of the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s two newest teams.
Although some players are new to Vancouver, such as Nurse, the Goldeneyes also feature several local talents: Miller (North Vancouver), Nina Jobst-Smith (North Vancouver), and Jennifer Gardiner (Surrey).
Growing up in North Vancouver, Miller used to visit this rink as a child to watch Vancouver Giants games or attend monster truck events with her father. She finds it hard to believe that she now trains and plays here.
As she settles into the Coliseum, she has come to appreciate the many thoughtful details that have gone into its transformation. From the locker room painted in the Goldeneyes’ colors to the players’ images adorning the columns in the concourse.
“Seeing everything come together, especially this morning with the home opener towels on all the seats, it makes it feel tangible,” Miller remarked. “They’ve done a fantastic job.”
