Ahead of the Canucks’ game Thursday against the Dallas Stars, several players donned Vancouver Goldeneyes jerseys in celebration of the new PWHL team’s season opener, set for Friday.
In a video and photos posted to social media, forwards Jake DeBrusk, Kiefer Sherwood and Aatu Raty and goaltender Kevin Lankinen were seen sporting the Goldeneyes’ blue and orange.
The Goldeneyes open their inaugural season at home against fellow expansion team Seattle Torrent at the Pacific Coliseum, the former home of the Canucks from 1970 to 1995 and of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants from 2001 to 2016.
A crowd of more than 15,000 is expected to pack Pacific Coliseum on Friday, which has been recently renovated with improved lighting, locker rooms and a new scoreboard.
“Coming here to the third-largest market in Canada was really important,” said Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s executive vice-president of business operations, when the Vancouver expansion was first announced in April. “You’ve shown a remarkable commitment to growing the game of hockey. I think the last stat I saw from B.C. Hockey was that girls’ and boys’ registration is just about 50/50, and that’s huge. We want to help build and continue that momentum that you’ve already started.”
The Goldeneyes feature a stacked roster that includes Sarah Nurse, Claire Thompson, Emerance Maschmeyer, Jenn Gardiner and Michelle Karvinen.
Vancouver will make its first appearance on Sportsnet on Nov. 29 against the New York Sirens at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT.
