Defender Ashton Bell has been named the captain of the Vancouver Goldeneyes in the PWHL, becoming the first player to wear the captain’s C on her sweater for the team. The announcement was made by the team’s leadership group, including NSL champion and Vancouver Rise FC captain Shannon Woeller, just ahead of the start of the Goldeneyes’ inaugural season.
Bell, a 25-year-old from Deloraine, Manitoba, played a significant role in the Ottawa Charge’s journey to the Walter Cup final last season alongside veteran defender Jocelyne Larocque. She is an Olympic gold medalist with the Canadian national team and has achieved three-time world champion status.
Selected as the first pick in the expansion draft by Vancouver, Bell has signed on for a two-season commitment with the Goldeneyes. According to Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey, Bell’s exceptional leadership qualities were a key factor in her selection as the top pick.
Joining Bell in the leadership group are defender Claire Thompson and forward Sarah Nurse, who will serve as alternate captains. Both players were signed by Vancouver during the expansion draft signing period and share the distinction of being Olympic gold medalists with Team Canada.
Thompson, a 27-year-old from Toronto, made a return to professional hockey last season after a hiatus for medical school. In her debut PWHL season, she clinched the Walter Cup with the Minnesota Frost and was a finalist for the league’s defender of the year award.
Nurse, aged 30 and hailing from Hamilton, is a former Toronto Sceptres player who ranks fifth all-time in the PWHL for career points per game. She played a pivotal role in the establishment of the PWHL and was actively involved in negotiating the collective bargaining agreement with the league’s owners.
The Goldeneyes are set to face the Seattle Torrent on Friday night at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET in what is anticipated to be a sold-out game, likely to break attendance records at a PWHL home rink. The trio of Bell, Thompson, and Nurse are poised to lead the team through its first season, embodying the spirit of Goldeneyes hockey.