Sports
Claire Thompson Signs With PWHL Vancouver For Inaugural Season
PWHL Vancouver has officially locked in its first player. The team announced today that defender Claire Thompson has signed a one-year Standard Player Agreement for the 2025-26 season. Thompson, who just helped the Minnesota Frost win the Walter Cup and was a finalist for the league’s 2025 Defender of the Year award, brings both championship experience and star power to the new franchise.
“Claire is one of the best defenders in the world and a phenomenal leader who will help create a culture of excellence in Vancouver,” said General Manager Cara Gardner Morey. “Having had the privilege of coaching Claire at Princeton, I know how exceptional she is as a player and as a person and couldn’t be prouder to build our foundation with her contributions both on and off the ice.”
Thompson had a standout year with Minnesota, finishing third among all defenders with 18 points (4 goals, 14 assists) in 30 games. In just her fourth pro game, she tied a league record with a four-point night( one goal and three assists) on December 19. She followed that up with a strong postseason, recording six assists in eight playoff games.
Now 27, Thompson returns to pro hockey after taking a year to focus on medical school. She was the third overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft, and her resume includes a gold medal at the 2022 Olympics and medals at three IIHF Women’s World Championships (gold in 2021, silver in 2023 and 2025). She played her NCAA hockey at Princeton.
“I’m incredibly excited to join PWHL Vancouver and be a part of this new chapter of women’s ice hockey,” said Thompson. “The opportunity to help build something special from the ground up is truly meaningful. I can’t wait to connect with the fans and represent this city!”
Expansion teams have until Sunday, June 8 at 5 p.m. ET to sign up to five players during their exclusive signing window. The 2025 Expansion Draft presented by Upper Deck is set for Monday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET, with both Seattle and Vancouver selecting a minimum of seven players each to reach 12-player rosters.
Sports
The Harlem Globetrotters Bring Their 100 Year Tour to Vancouver
The Harlem Globetrotters are hitting a huge milestone and Vancouver is on the route. The legendary basketball crew will stop at Pacific Coliseum on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 as part of their 100 Year Tour, a global run marking a full century of jaw-dropping hoops and crowd-first fun.
This tour tips its cap to the past and keeps its foot on the gas. Early icons like Curly Neal, Meadowlark Lemon, Wilt Chamberlain, and Goose Tatum set the tone decades ago. The current roster carries that same spirit with stars like Hammer, Torch, Bulldog, Cheese, Jet, Wham, Thunder, and TNT bringing the noise. Expect monster dunks, slick trick shots, and nonstop interaction from warm-up to the final buzzer.
The Globetrotters will face their longtime rivals, the Washington Generals, in a game that mixes real athletic skill with comedy and chaos. It’s basketball, sure. It’s entertainment first.
To mark the centennial, the team is rolling out fresh touches. That includes limited-edition 100-year jerseys designed by fashion legend Jeff Hamilton, the debut of the Golden Basketball by Spalding®, upgraded Magic Pass pre-game access, and a commemorative souvenir ticket for fans who want proof they were there.
The current squad features elite male and female athletes who hold more than 60 Guinness World Records. Eighteen of those came in the past year alone. That stat says plenty.
The North American leg of the tour runs through spring 2026 before heading overseas. Vancouver gets one night. One chance. History, jokes, dunks, and chaos included.
Event details:
Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Tickets on sale now: https://ticketleader.evenue.net/events/HGT
Bring the kids, bring your inner kid. The Globetrotters still know how to put on a show.
Sports
Chan’s First PWHL Goal Lifts Vancouver Goldeneyes Past Ottawa Charge at the Coliseum
A few months back, Katie Chan was grinding through a season overseas. Last night, she was literally flying through the air at Pacific Coliseum and writing her name into Vancouver hockey history.
The Richmond native scored her first PWHL goal in front of a loud hometown crowd, helping the Vancouver Goldeneyes edge the Ottawa Charge 2–1 on December 16.
Midway through the first period, Hannah Miller ripped a shot from the circle that Ottawa goalie Gwyneth Philips kicked out. The rebound popped loose at the side of the net. Chan reacted fast, batting the puck out of mid-air and in. Game on. Vancouver led 1–0 just under eight minutes in.
The reaction hit her all at once. She later said the moment went blurry as the building erupted. First goal. First shot. At home. Hard to script it better.
Vancouver doubled the lead early in the second period, and once again it came from a local. Surrey’s Jenn Gardiner stripped the puck in the neutral zone, broke in alone, fought off a defender, and snapped a shot off the bar and down. Her second of the season made it 2–0.
Ottawa pushed back hard. Shots piled up and pressure followed, yet Kristen Campbell stood tall. The Goldeneyes goalie stopped 33 shots and locked down her first win in a Vancouver jersey. The biggest save came midway through the third on a short-handed breakaway. Rory Guilday got in clean. Campbell slid across and caught the shot off her shoulder.
Ottawa finally broke through late in the third. Anna Shokhina shoveled home a loose puck from the top of the crease with just under six minutes left. The Charge kept coming, throwing everything they had toward the net. Campbell held firm through the final horn.
The win pushed Vancouver to 3-3 on the season and made league history. The Goldeneyes became the first PWHL team to win their first three home games in an inaugural season.
Ottawa left Vancouver with its third straight loss. Head coach Carla MacLeod said the margin in this league stays thin. This one swung Vancouver’s way.
The Goldeneyes now turn their focus to Saturday, when Montreal visits Pacific Coliseum. Ottawa continues its road swing in Seattle.
For one night, the story stayed simple: a local kid scored, a goalie shut the door, and Vancouver fans went home happy.