BEFORE THE GOLDENEYES TAKE THE ICE….

There’s a moment — right before something big begins — when you can feel the room holding its breath.

Vancouver is in that moment now.

Tonight, the Vancouver Goldeneyes skate out for their first game in front of a sold-out 15,000-seat Pacific Coliseum…and it’s wild to think how much heart, hustle, and grit from a group of powerhouse women got us here.

A year ago to the day, a few of us were simply trying to get a big turnout for the Takeover Tour in Vancouver. We shared the belief that if we rallied people, they’d show up.

And they did.

That night at Rogers Arena — 19,000 fans, little girls in jerseys, women crying as players took the ice — the vision stopped feeling like a dream. You could suddenly see it: our dream of Games over Galas, sold-out arenas, community in the stands, and girls growing up with possibilities their moms never had.

By March, at our Breakfast with Champions panel on “Bringing the pro leagues to Canada,” Kanan Bhatt-Shah shared PWHL’s vision — and in the audience were the women already laying the groundwork: Karen Massicotte, Shauna Wilton, Michelle Collens, and Kayla Seib from the PNE and Vancouver Sport Hosting.

Vancouver didn’t have a team yet. It was still a whispered hope. But they were moving fast, rolling out the blue carpet, pitching the league, and when Amy Scheer visited Vancouver, she knew our city wasn’t playing around.

By April, a nine-year-old Vancouver Angel stood on a rooftop and announced, “We got a team!”

From there, everything accelerated.

Tania Richards came in to lead business operations.
Cara Morey became GM.

From our first meeting, it was clear: this wasn’t just a team launch. It was women building something meaningful for the entire city — a love letter to women’s sports and a bold step toward making Vancouver the place for women’s sports in Canada.

Draft Night in June proved it again: another packed room, cheering for our newly formed roster, investing in our new team. And all summer, those players showed up — at events, meeting fans, making kids feel seen. They became part of Vancouver’s fabric long before stepping onto home ice.

And now, tonight, we get to see it all come to life.

The Vancouver Goldeneyes logo at centre ice.
Player images wrapped around the columns.
A women’s team as the primary tenant.
A proud community ready to fill the stands.

This is what it looks like when women refuse to wait for permission.
When a city is powered by “show up” energy.
When brilliant, passionate women drag a dream into reality with both hands.

To Kayla, Shelley, Karen, and Shauna.
To Michelle Collens, who dreamed louder than most people dare to.
To Kanan, Mandy, and Amy.
To Tania and Cara.
To everyone who said, “yes — let’s make this happen.”
Look at what you built.

Look at what you unlocked for this city.
Look at what you made possible for the next generation.
Tonight, the Goldeneyes take the ice — and we have nothing but gratitude.

Let’s go, Vancouver. It’s our time.

Photo: Nancy Shields Creative, @nochancenance