Vancouver’s women’s professional hockey team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) recently announced the signing of their drafted players Nina Jobst-Smith, Brianna Brooks, and Madison Samoskevich. Jobst-Smith, a defenseman from North Vancouver, B.C., was selected in the third round as the 19th overall pick during the 2025 PWHL Draft. The 24-year-old served as captain for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, tallying 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) in 37 games for the 2024-25 season and earning All-WCHA Second Team recognition.
Brooks, a 23-year-old forward from Whitby, Ont., was chosen in the fourth round at the 32nd spot from Penn State. She achieved a career-best of 32 points with the Nittany Lions and was honored with a spot on the All-CHA Second Team in 2023-24. Samoskevich, aged 22 and hailing from Sandy Hook, Conn., was a fifth-round pick (39th overall) after accumulating 84 points (19 goals, 65 assists) over 168 games at Quinnipiac University. Notably, she transitioned from playing defense to forward in her final NCAA season.
Jobst-Smith secured a two-year contract, while Brooks and Samoskevich inked one-year deals with the team. Furthermore, Vancouver and Seattle are set to become expansion teams in the PWHL for the upcoming 2025-26 season.