VANCOUVER (March 30, 2026) – The Vancouver Goldeneyes announced today that defender Sini Karjalainen has been signed to a Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Reserve Player contract ahead of Tuesday’s PWHL roster freeze.
The 27-year-old from Posio, Finland is a two-time Olympian, most recently suiting up with Goldeneyes forward Michelle Karvinen at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. She has represented Finland internationally for over a decade, captaining the country’s U18 team in 2017 and winning World Championship bronze in 2021 and Olympic bronze in 2022.
Karjalainen spent the past three seasons in the SDHL, including the last two seasons with Skellefteå AIK. She had her most productive offensive campaign in 2025-26 with 13 points in 36 games. Before turning pro, she spent five NCAA seasons at the University of Vermont, captaining the Catamounts in her final season (2022-23) and earning a Hockey East First Team All-Star nod.
In a corresponding roster move, the Goldeneyes have released rookie forward Brianna Brooks from her Reserve Player contract.
The Goldeneyes continue a five-game road trip in Montréal on Wednesday, playing the Victoire at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET before stops in Minnesota and Edmonton. Vancouver returns to Pacific Coliseum on Tuesday, Apr. 14 against the Seattle Torrent. Click here for more information and for tickets.