VANCOUVER (June 10, 2026) – The Vancouver Goldeneyes today announced that forwards Jenn Gardiner and Izzy Daniel have been re-signed to Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreements. Daniel has been signed for two years through the 2027-28 season and Gardiner for three years through the 2028-29 season, with the signings representing two of the team’s three protections as part of Phase 3 of the PWHL’s Expansion Player Distribution Process ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Surrey, BC’s Gardiner was one of Vancouver’s first five foundational players, finishing her sophomore PWHL season second on the Goldeneyes in points (19) and tied with Sophie Jaques and Sarah Nurse for the team’s lead in goals (9). Gardiner set a PWHL record with a four-goal performance against Seattle on April 18, 2026, the most goals ever scored by one player in a game. She joined the Goldeneyes following an impressive debut season with the Montréal Victoire where the second-round pick was a finalist for the 2025 PWHL Rookie of the Year award, finishing second among all rookies with 18 points.
The first player to advance through the British Columbia Elite Hockey League to Canada’s Women’s National Team, Gardiner made her Olympic debut in Milan in February, scoring her first Olympic goal in a 5-0 win over Finland before bringing home a silver medal for her country. She played in her first IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2025, finishing second in tournament scoring with 10 points (and first in goals with six), helping Canada earn silver. Prior to the PWHL, the 24-year-old had a decorated five-year career at Ohio State University, where she won two NCAA National Championships with the Buckeyes.
Selected by Vancouver in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft, Daniel put up seven goals, including three game-winning goals, and 10 points in the Goldeneyes’ inaugural season, improving upon her rookie performance the year prior with Toronto (2G, 7PTS). She joined the PWHL as a third-round pick in the 2024 draft.
The 25-year-old from Minneapolis, Minnesota was the first player from Cornell University to win the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, with 59 points (21G, 38A) in 2023-24, her senior season. The Big Red captain averaged 1.74 points-per-game, which was tops among all ECAC Hockey skaters, and was named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and Ivy League Player of the Year. She made her Team USA debut in the final two games of the 2024-25 Rivalry Series after earning an invitation to the 2024 USA Hockey evaluation camp.
In Phase 1 of the Expansion Player Distribution Process, the Goldeneyes used their three protections to secure Jaques on the blue line (signed through 2027-28), goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer (signed through 2026-27), and re-signed and protected Nurse with a new two-year contract through 2027-28.
During Phase 3, existing PWHL teams may protect three players under contract for the 2026-27 season, and/or players on expiring contracts signed during this phase. At the end of this phase, each existing team’s total protected list will consist of six players, and expansion teams will have up to eight total players, each signing a maximum of three players on expiring contracts during this phase. The Phase 3 signing period continues until Friday, June 12 at 3 p.m. ET, followed by a 5 p.m. ET deadline for existing teams to submit their protection lists.
A complete list of player signings and transactions is available on the official PWHL Transactions Page. To see the full overview of the status of PWHL player contracts, visit the PWHL Contract Guide here.
ABOUT VANCOUVER GOLDENEYES
The Vancouver Goldeneyes is part of the 12-team Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and was announced in April 2025 as one of the league’s first two expansion clubs. The Vancouver Goldeneyes play its home games at the Pacific Coliseum, located on the property of the PNE. The PWHL was founded in 2023 and began its inaugural season in January 2024, featuring the best women’s hockey players in the world. Since launch, the league has broken multiple attendance records, including setting the global record for attendance at a women’s hockey game.
For the latest news and information on the Vancouver Goldeneyes, visit thepwhl.com/Vancouver, opens in a new tab or follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Follow the league at @thepwhlofficial on all platforms.