The Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent are the names of the two new Professional Women’s Hockey League teams joining the league this season.
The PWHL unveiled Thursday the names and logos of the clubs that bring the number of teams in the league from six to eight when the third season starts Nov. 21.
The PWHL played a first season before giving names and logos to its original six clubs: the Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, New York Sirens, Boston Fleet and Minnesota Frost.
The Torrent and Goldeneyes square off on opening day at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum. The Sceptres visit the defending Walter Cup champion Frost also that day.
A Goldeneye is a diving duck found in inland lakes and rivers and coastal waters, and are fast flyers, according to Cornell University’s ornithology lab.
Vancouver’s logo features a golden bird’s eye with a colour palette of blue, cream, bronze and gold.
The Seattle Torrent logo’s flowing letter ‘S’ reflects Washington state’s rivers and waterways.
“In both Vancouver and Seattle, nature is such an incredible presence,” said PWHL vice-president of brand and marketing Kanan Bhatt-Shah.
“Everywhere you look, all around you, it plays such a huge role in everyone’s life, and that was something that we wanted to make sure we captured.”
The PWHL collaborated with the creative agency Flower Shop for Seattle’s identity, but Vancouver’s brand was developed all in-house, Bhatt-Shah said.
“We’re very proud that we have Vancouverites on our team who were able to very authentically help craft the creative vision behind how the Goldeneyes are taking flight,” she said.
“That process was extremely authentic to looking at vibrant colours, the role of nature, and in our research, uncovering the origin story of this beautiful, common golden-eyed bird that is ubiquitous to Vancouver, that also shares many of the attributes in terms of strength, speed, resilience, synchrony that really ties to and embodies the team and the sport of hockey.”
The PWHL announced in April that Vancouver and Seattle were its expansion teams for 2025-26.
Brian Idalski of Warren, Mich., is the first head coach of the Goldeneyes.
Steve O’Rourke of Summerland, B.C., will be behind the Torrent’s bench in its inaugural season.
The addition of two teams brings 46 new players to the PWHL, plus another six reserves.
Each club will play 30 regular-season games plus playoffs. The PWHL will pause from Jan. 29 to Feb. 25 for the Olympic Games.
The Goldeneyes obtained forwards Sarah Nurse and Jenn Gardiner, defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jacques, and goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer during the summer’s exclusive signing window before adding another seven women in the expansion draft.
Gardiner of nearby Surrey, B.C., and North Vancouver forward Hannah Miller are local Goldeneyes under contract heading into training camp starting Monday.
“Jenn Gardiner is from Vancouver and as soon as she saw the branding, her immediate reaction was ‘that’s a bird. This is so cool’ and felt such a personal connection to it that felt very rooted and very authentic to the city,” Bhatt-Shah said.
Defender Nina Jobst-Smith of North Vancouver, forward Chanreet Bassi of Kelowna, and goalie Kimberley Newell of Nelson are other B.C. players on Vancouver’s 32-woman training camp roster.
Seattle’s first five signings were forwards Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter and Edmonton’s Danielle Serdachny, defender Cayla Barnes and goalie Corinne Schroeder of Elm Creek, Man.
Jessica Eldridge of Barrie, Ont., Julia Gosling of London, Ont., Mikyla Grant-Mentis of Brampton, Ont., Jenna Buglioni of Port Moody, B.C., and Lexie Adzija of St. Thomas, Ont., are Canadian forwards who have signed with Seattle.
Defender Megan Carter of Milton, Ont., and goaltenders Carly Jackson of Amherst, N.S., and Hannah Murphy of Kingston, Ont., are also under contract to the Torrent for 2025-26.
