PWHL Vancouver signs former Charge goaltender Maschmeyer to two-year contract.

By Canadian Press on June 5, 2025.

VANCOUVER — 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.

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.

It’s another splash by Vancouver general manager Cara Gardner Morey, who opened the signing period by luring defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques away from the two-time defending champion Minnesota 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.”

Maschmeyer represented Canada at three world championships and was on the roster of the Olympic championship team at the 2022 Beijing Games.

The Charge also lost forward Danielle Serdachny to Seattle.

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.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.

The Canadian Press