The Vancouver Goldeneyes have protected three players to complete Phase 1 of the PWHL’s Expansion Roster Distribution Process.
On Wednesday, June 3, all eight teams had to submit its three protected players list, stopping the league’s four expansion teams – Hamilton, Detroit, San Jose, and Las Vegas – from selecting those players ahead of the Expansion Team Foundational Signing Period (Phase 2), beginning on Friday, June 5 at 9 a.m. Pacific time.
The Goldeneyes three protected players are defender Sophie Jaques, goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer, forward Sarah Nurse, who re-signed with the team on Tuesday, June 2.
Jaques led the Goldeneyes with 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in the team’s inaugural season this past year. She also became the first defender in PWHL history to reach 50 career points on April 22.
Maschmeyer, the team’s number one goaltender, appeared in 19 games, finishing with a 7-9-2 record, 2.57 goals against average, and .916 save percentage.
Of note, protecting goaltenders was a theme of the protecting process around the league. Seven of eight already existing teams protected one goaltender.
Nurse was one of five inaugural Goldeneyes players and is an assistant captain. She scored the first goal in franchise history in the team’s opening game on Nov. 21, 2025.
Under the PWHL rules, when Phase 2 begins, the existing teams may lose up to three unprotected players who are signed for next season as the expansion teams are able to select them for their teams.
Phase 2 runs until June 8 at 10 a.m. Pacific time.