Teessa Bonhomme, former player of the Canadian Women’s National team, speaks about the PWHL expanding to Vancouver during a press event in Vancouver, BC, on Wednesday April 23, 2025. The new team will begin play in the 2025-26 season. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam

By The Canadian Press

Vancouver signs three draft picks ahead of its first-ever PWHL season

Oct 28, 2025 | 12:33 PM

VANCOUVER — Vancouver’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team has signed draft picks Nina Jobst-Smith, Brianna Brooks and Madison Samoskevich to one-year contracts, the club announced Tuesday.

Jobst-Smith, from North Vancouver, B.C., was selected in the third round, 19th overall, at the 2025 PWHL Draft.

The 24-year-old defender had 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) in 37 games as captain for the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2024-25, also earning All-WCHA Second Team honours.

The 23-year-old Brooks, from Whitby, Ont., was selected in the fourth round pick (32nd overall) out of Penn State. The forward had a career-high 32 points with the Nittany Lions and was named to the All-CHA Second Team in 2023-24.

Samoskevich, selected in the fifth round (39th overall), registered 84 points (19 goals, 65 assists) through 168 career games with Quinnipiac University. The 22-year-old from Sandy Hook, Conn., switched from defence to forward in her final NCAA season.

Vancouver and Seattle will join the PWHL as expansion teams for the 2025-26 season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2025.

The Canadian Press