Vancouver’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team continued to add to its initial roster Thursday by signing goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer to a two-year contract and forward Sarah Nurse to a one-year deal.

Maschmeyer spent the last two seasons with the Ottawa Charge. She was one of the franchise’s three foundational signings in the PWHL’s inaugural season, but she sustained a season-ending lower-body injury in March.

Gwyneth Philips was excellent in relief as the Charge advanced to the Walter Cup final, and the 30-year-old Maschmeyer was left unprotected by Ottawa heading into the exclusive signing period and expansion draft to stock the rosters of the teams in Vancouver and Seattle that start play in 2026.

Maschmeyer from Bruderheim, Alta., had 15 wins with two shutouts, a goals-against-average of 2.42 and save percentage of .914 over two seasons in Ottawa.

0:55 PWHL announce Vancouver expansion team for 2025-2026 season

Nurse was one of the Toronto Sceptres first three signings. She had six goals and eight assists in 21 games last season, despite missing nearly two months with injury.

The 30-year-old from Hamilton added one assist in four playoff contests before the Sceptres were ousted from the semifinals by the Minnesota Frost, who went on to win the Walter Cup for the second year in a row.

Nurse — cousin of WNBA star Kia Nurse and Edmonton Oilers defender Darnell Nurse — is a two-time Olympian, winning gold for Canada at the 2022 Games in Beijing and bringing home silver from Pyeongchang in 2018.

The moves were another splash by Vancouver general manager Cara Gardner Morey, who opened the signing period Wednesday by luring defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques away from the Frost. Both players are finalists for the league’s defender of the year award.

“Joining Vancouver is an incredible opportunity, and I’m thrilled to be a part of such an exciting chapter of the league’s expansion,” Maschmeyer said in a release. “Vancouver has proven to be a vibrant hockey city and I’m thrilled to play in front of such passionate fans. I’m aligned with Cara’s vision and values and honoured to have the opportunity to help build this organization’s culture from the ground up.”

2:35 PWHL vice-president on why Vancouver was picked as expansion team

Both players were on Canada’s Olympic championship team at the 2022 Beijing Games. Nurse has also represented Canada at six women’s world championships, winning three gold medals, while Maschmeyer has played at three worlds.

“I am so honoured to be joining PWHL Vancouver, finally bringing professional women’s hockey to the West Coast,” Nurse said in a release. “I already got a taste of the passion last year during the Takeover Tour and can’t wait to experience that daily.”

The Charge also lost forward Danielle Serdachny to Seattle. As a result, they were able to add American forward Gabbie Hughes as a fourth protected player.

The Montreal Victoire also lost their first player to the expansion process, with Seattle signing defender Cayla Barnes to a three-year deal. Barnes, from Eastvale, Calif., tied for the Victoire lead in scoring among defenders and ranked fifth among all PWHL rookies with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 30 games.

Expansion teams have an exclusive window to sign a maximum of five players up until 5 p.m. ET Sunday.

The expansion draft is Monday. Seattle and Vancouver will select a minimum of seven players until each has reached a 12-player roster.

TORONTO – Even though it was their first career meeting, Alejandro Kirk knows the tendencies of Phillies closer Jordan Romano better than almost anyone.

Kirk took full advantage Wednesday night by driving in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with the winning run to give Toronto a 2-1 walkoff victory over Philadelphia at Rogers Centre.

After fouling off three pitches, the Toronto catcher belted a 97-m.p.h. fastball from his former battery mate off the wall in right-centre field to allow Guerrero to trot home.

“What an at-bat from Kirky there to really spoil some tough pitches,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “Jordy kind of turned it up from 95 to 98 there, fouled off a couple of sliders, a couple heaters, and then just a really good swing on a fastball.”

Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman (5-2), who signed with Toronto in the off-season after playing two seasons for Philadelphia, got the last out in the top of the ninth for the win.

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Guerrero reached on a single and stole second base on backup catcher Rafael Marchan, who entered the game after J.T. Realmuto took a foul ball to the groin area.

The Blue Jays (32-29) have won six of their last seven games and eight of their last nine at home.

“I think we both tried to do the best we could and I ended up a bit on the winning side,” Kirk said via interpreter Hector Lebron. “But it’s not easy to face a guy like Romano.”

It was Toronto’s fourth walkoff victory of the season. Romano, from Markham, Ont., spent six seasons with the Blue Jays before signing with the Phillies in the off-season.

“Jordy’s got a very unique fastball profile,” Schneider said. “It’s kind of low slot and it gets on you, so it’s tough to hit. So I’m sure that played into it.

“Again, it’s a guy we’re really familiar with and he’s had a ton of success. So (I) don’t want to say it’s easier for us because we know him.

“He’s got great (stuff), but I think it probably helped Kirk out there a little bit.”

The Phillies (37-24) have dropped five of their last six games.

Toronto starter Jose Berrios gave up a solo shot to Nick Castellanos in the second inning. It was his sixth home run of the season.

Philadelphia right-hander Mick Abel, making his first big-league road start, retired the first eight Blue Jays in order until Andres Gimenez stroked a single in the third inning.

Berrios, meanwhile, battled some control issues in the fifth, loading the bases with two walks and a single. Bryson Stott worked a full count before popping up and Trea Turner flew out to end the threat.

Gimenez singled again in the sixth and scored on a one-out triple by Bo Bichette. Abel was replaced by Orion Kerkering, who got Guerrero on a shallow fly and Barger on a strikeout.

Berrios allowed four hits, one earned run and had five strikeouts over six innings.

“Overall there wasn’t much room for error really on either side with the way the starters were going,” Schneider said.

Chad Green relieved Berrios and Brendon Little got five outs before Hoffman came on.

Announced attendance was 25,716 and the game took two hours 25 minutes to play. The teams will play the rubber game in the three-game series on Thursday afternoon.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.