PWHL Vancouver signs Thompson, Jaques; Seattle adds Knight

The PWHL’s new Vancouver franchise went defense first by landing the two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost’s blue-line duo of Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques to start the league’s expansion signing period on Wednesday.

The Frost teammates were among the league’s top-scoring defensemen. Thompson, Jaques and Toronto’s Renata Fast were the finalists for the defender of the year honor, and the Minnesota pair represented Canada at the world championships in April.

Seattle, the other expansion team, has remained quiet so far in the five-day signing period, during which both franchises are allowed to add up to five players who were either left unprotected by their current teams or eligible to become unrestricted free agents.

Vancouver and Seattle will then take part in an expansion draft on Monday to fill their rosters.

Thompson was Minnesota’s first-round pick in the PWHL draft last year. She will be reunited with her coach at Princeton, Cara Gardner Morey, who left the Tigers last month to become Vancouver’s general manager.

“Having had the privilege of coaching Claire at Princeton, I know how exceptional she is as a player and as a person and couldn’t be prouder to build our foundation with her contributions both on and off the ice,” Gardner Morey said.

Thompson’s 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) were tied with Toronto’s Jennifer Gardiner for the PWHL lead among rookies.

She was a rookie at 27 after forgoing turning pro in 2024 to focus on her medical studies at NYU. Still undecided on when she’ll return to medical school, Thompson signed a one-year contract with Vancouver while preparing to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics in February.

Jaques, who signed a three-year contract, had seven goals and 22 points in 25 games to finish tied with Fast for the league lead among defensemen. She completed her first full season with the Frost after being involved in the PWHL’s first trade, a three-player deal that sent Susanna Tapani and Abby Cook to Boston in February 2024.

“I’m incredibly honored to sign with PWHL Vancouver and to help lay the foundation for something truly special in this city,” Jaques said. “I want to thank the Minnesota Frost for the opportunity the past two seasons, and I am so proud of the work we did to win two championships.”

After losing two players, the Frost added forward Britta Curl Salemme to their protected list, which already included captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, forward Taylor Heise and defenseman Lee Stecklein.

The league’s six existing teams will lose four players each during the expansion process.

Nurse to join Thompson in Vancouver

Vancouver is also expected to add forward Sarah Nurse to their roster, according to Hailey Salvian of The Athletic.

Nurse recorded six goals and 14 points in 21 games with the Toronto Sceptres last season and added an assist in four playoff games before Toronto was knocked out in the first round by the Frost.

The 30-year-old forward registered 11 goals and 23 points in 24 games with Toronto during the 2024 campaign, leading them to the league's best record.

Nurse represents Canada on the international stage and helped her country win gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics and silver at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

She was also named the best forward at the 2022 tournament after setting a record for the most points (18) and assists (13) in a single tournament.

Nurse also represented Canada five times at the World Championship, winning gold in 2021, 2022, and 2024, silver in 2023, and bronze in 2019.

PWHL Seattle roster comes into focus

The Seattle PWHL expansion franchise also made news on Wednesday, officially announcing the signing of star forward Hilary Knight away from the Boston Fleet. 

Seattle is reportedly also signing Ottawa Charge forward Danielle Serdachny to a contract, according to Hailey Salvian of The Athletic.

Knight played the last two seasons with the Fleet, tying for the league lead in points with New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier. Knight is also a finalist for the 2025 Forward of the Year and Billie Jean King MVP awards. She had 15 goals and 14 assists for 29 points in 30 games during the regular season.

“Signing Hilary Knight was an absolute no-brainer - she’s the heartbeat of any team she joins,” said PWHL Seattle general manager Meghan Turner in a news release. “Her proven leadership and drive, the way she elevates everyone around her, those are qualities you can’t teach. Hilary’s not just a game-changer on the ice, she’s the kind of person who defines a culture, and we’re incredibly proud to have her as the first-ever player to join PWHL Seattle.”

Serdachny scored two goals and six assists over 30 games during her rookie PWHL season in 2024-25. 

The 24-year-old native of Edmonton, who was selected by Ottawa second overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft, helped Canada capture gold at the 2024 Women's World Hockey Championship. She also owns two silver medals from the women's worlds in 2023 and 2025.

Serdachny spent five years at Colgate University before turning pro, recording 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) over 40 games in 2023-24 and 71 points (25 goals and 46 assists) over 40 games in 2022-23.