Inside Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum, things come back to life.
It's been ten years since the rink acquired a major hockey tenant, and three decades since the NHL's Vancouver Canucks left the rink.
The Pacific Coliseum is now home to the Vancouver Goldeneyes of the PWHL and has been undergoing a transformation over the last few months. Vancouver is the first team to have its own arena, which is a big advantage for players who can have their own space and get extra ice time whenever they want.
A new logo at center ice, a brand new video board hanging from the rafters and a new gym for the players.
On Thursday, staff draped towels over every seat in preparation for the more than 15,000 people expected to walk through the doors. The sold-out crowd will set a new attendance record for the PWHL team's home arena.
Others were unpacking boxes of jerseys and sweaters for a new merchandise store near the entrance. Fans will be able to buy a jersey with their favorite player's name on it from day one, something that has always been an issue in women's professional sports.
It all starts Friday at 7:00 pm PT/10:00 pm ET when the GoldenEyes host the Seattle Torrent to kick off two new franchises and most likely the start of a new rivalry on the West Coast.
The PWHL's newest expansion team, the Vancouver Goldeneyes, are set to begin their first season in the league.
For Goldeneyes head coach Brian Idalski, this is a once-in-a-lifetime game.
“You only get one first chance to make that impression,” Idalski told reporters at the rink this week. “Close your eyes, smell the smells. It will remain a memory.”
While arena staff prepared the building for its debut, Idalski built the building his own way.
Its roster was built from the ground up, starting with the expansion draft process earlier this year. Under his guidance, players are simultaneously developing chemistry, systems and concepts, with a sense of newness that will wear off for a while.
“I like our core group,” Idalski said Wednesday. “I think now it's just about putting together combinations that will work and work, and working out some of our structures and the details of how we want to play. It'll take a little time, but [with] two days, we'll do it.
Building connections
Sarah Nurse was one of the first players to sign with the Goldeneyes after she was left unprotected by the Toronto Sceptres.
There is some closeness among this group: people who have played together here and there, and many who have played against each other. But it is impossible to replicate being together as one large group, which is what has happened over the past two weeks.
The nurse didn't know what to expect, but was impressed with how quickly the players got involved.
“There are a lot of players that I've played against in the past that I'm really glad we don't have to play now and I'm glad they're on my side,” she said. “It's been an adjustment for everyone. But I think it will make us stronger as the season goes on.”
Nurse was the standout player to sign with this team, but she has plenty of star power around her, from Walter Cup defenders Sophie Jacques and Claire Thompson to Canada's Emerance Maschmeyer in goal and Finland stalwart Michelle Karvinen, who established early chemistry on the line with Nurse.
The team made its first trade Thursday, sending forward Denise Krizova to Minnesota, a team that left her unprotected in the expansion draft. In return, the GoldenEyes received freshman forward Anna Szegedy, who played for Team China at the 2022 Olympics along with Vancouver's Hannah Miller. Idalski was their coach.
With a deep roster and plenty of young talent set to reach higher levels, Vancouver is expected to be among the top teams in the league in its inaugural season.
“Everything seems real”
Friday's sold-out game will include a special opening ceremony to celebrate the team's arrival in Vancouver, including an autograph session with Olympic gold medalist Megan Agosta, who lives in the area. The team is also expected to name its first captain before this game.
Hosts Carissa Donkin and The Athletic's Hailey Salvian unveiled the rosters of the Professional Women's Hockey League's two newest teams.
While some of the team's players, like Nurse, are new to Vancouver, the GoldenEyes also have a couple of hometown players in Miller (North Vancouver), Nina Jobst-Smith (North Vancouver) and Jennifer Gardiner (Surrey).
Growing up in North Vancouver, Miller would come to the rink as a little girl to watch Vancouver Giants games or monster truck shows with her father. She still has to pinch herself when she drives to Pacific Coliseum, knowing she will now have to practice and play here.
As she made the Coliseum her home these past few days, she appreciated all the little details that went into transforming the arena. The walls in the locker room are painted in Lacewing's colors. The players' faces are painted on the columns of the hall.
“Now that it's all put together, and coming here this morning and seeing the home opener towels on all the seats, it all feels real,” Miller said. “They did a great job.”
