Vancouver signs D Sophie Jaques to three-year contract

PWHL Vancouver signed Sophie Jaques to a three-year contract.

The deal announced Wednesday with the defender runs through 2027-28 and is the second signing for the expansion club.

The 24-year-old Canadian was a finalist for PWHL Defender of the Year honors in 2025 and won the league's first two Walter Cup championships with the Minnesota Frost in 2024 and 2025.

"Vancouver fans are going to quickly fall in love with everything that Sophie brings to her game," general manager Cara Gardner Morey said. "Sophie is a proven winner, and that experience will be instrumental in shaping our foundation from the blue line. She is a dynamic defender with world-class speed and skill, and a player I believe is only scratching the surface of her potential."

Jaques ranked second among league defenders in 2025 with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 25 games. She tied for second among all players with seven points (two goals, five assists) in eight playoff games.

The Toronto native won a national championship at Ohio State in 2022 and won a silver medal with Canada this year at the IIHF Women's World Championship.

"I'm incredibly honored to sign with PWHL Vancouver and to help lay the foundation for something truly special in this city," Jaques said. "Being part of this historic moment means so much, and I can't wait to get started and represent Vancouver with pride in this vibrant and hockey-loving community. I want to thank the Minnesota Frost for the opportunity the past two seasons, and I am so proud of the work we did to win two championships. I am looking forward to meeting all the fans in Vancouver and to being a part of spreading the PWHL out West!"

Former Frost teammate, defender Claire Thompson, signed with Vancouver earlier this week.

Expansion teams Vancouver and Seattle have an exclusive window to sign a maximum of five players before the deadline Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. The expansion draft is on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

--Field Level Media