PWHL Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey acted decisively during the Expansion Draft, and that bodes well for the future

What would you do if you won the choice to pick first, or second and third, in a two-team snake draft? PWHL Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey was faced with this exact decision on Monday, June 9 heading into the league’s first-ever Expansion Draft.

While this would be a tough call for many fans and sports execs, Gardner Morey didn’t hesitate, choosing to take the top pick. Why? So she could draft her top-ranked player, Ashton Bell. “[We decided that] If we know who we want number one, let's take the number one pick and start off strong and know that we're getting the person we want to join our team. And so that's what we did,” Gardner Morey said in a post-draft media session.

Bell is a 25-year-old defender, formerly of the Ottawa Charge, who boasts considerable international experience with Team Canada. Gardner-Morey expanded on her love for Bell’s game in an appearance earlier this week on Jocks in Jills.

The Bell pick was indicative of an overall strategy of “building from the net out.” Indeed, Vancouver had already made a splash during the early signing window, inking star goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer to handle the net, along with the elite defensive tandem of Claire Thompson and 2023 Patty Kazmaier winner Sophie Jaques. Lest anyone be worried about who’s going to score for Vancouver, the team also landed high-profile forwards Sarah Nurse and Jenn Gardiner.

In Monday’s expansion draft, Gardner Morey built on the foundation of Bell plus those signings by drafting a versatile, well-balanced slate of forwards—Brooke McQuigge, Abby Boreen, Izzy Daniel, Gabby Rosenthal and Denisa Křížová—plus defender Sydney Bard.

Daniel, the 2024 ECAC Player of the Year and Patty Kazmaier finalist, adds speed and scoring touch, while Boreen—who is pursuing a Doctorate of Pharmacy while playing!— brings grit and two-way reliability.

Gardner Morey, who was joined in her draft “war room” by Alexander Gimenez, who she described as “great with the numbers” and her new Head of Scouting, Kathy Pippy, shared her vision for how the pieces would fit together.

“A lot of great skating, puck-carrying defenders,” she explained. “I think you're going to see a lot of interchangeable positions where you might not know who's forward and who's the D on the ice at certain times, and just again, some gritty, hardworking players who can also put the puck in the net.”

The GM, who was hired by Vancouver after a long stint as the head coach at Princeton University, expressed satisfaction with the team’s early core, highlighting the blend of established leaders like Nurse and Maschmeyer with young, hungry players eager to make their mark.

Bell, the team’s first-ever draft pick, echoed this sentiment, saying on her Instagram, “I’m excited to have been selected by @pwhl__vancouver in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft! I look forward to building something special with our new team and bringing PWHL hockey out West. The growth of women’s hockey, fueled by our fans, sponsors, and communities, is truly remarkable, and we’re only just getting started. Thanks for your support. I’m excited to see all of you next season!”

With enthusiasm like this in a town that has long loved its women’s hockey, Vancouver’s expansion draft haul combined with its exclusive signings give the club a promising mix of skill, character and potential. Gardner-Morey’s confidence in her selections and her clear vision for the team’s identity have set an optimistic tone as the city readies for its first taste of PWHL action.

As the expansion draft closes the first chapter of roster building, the next will begin quickly, with the PWHL Draft and another signing window just around the corner.

Gardner Morey was clear about the next objective for her club. “Next step will be a couple more top-6 forwards,” she said. “We’ll see who wants to be part of this amazing team.”

Assuming Gardner-Morey handles the next stages with the same decisiveness she showed in selecting Bell first overall, the rest of the league should be on notice: Vancouver is coming fast.