Vancouver’s women’s professional hockey team has officially inked deals with their draft selections Nina Jobst-Smith, Brianna Brooks, and Madison Samoskevich, as revealed by the organization on Tuesday. Jobst-Smith, hailing from North Vancouver, British Columbia, was chosen in the third round as the 19th overall pick during the 2025 PWHL Draft. The 24-year-old defenseman, serving as captain for the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the 2024-25 season, amassed 18 points, including three goals and 15 assists, and was honored with All-WCHA Second Team recognition.
Brooks, a 23-year-old from Whitby, Ontario, was claimed in the fourth round as the 32nd overall pick from Penn State. She achieved a career-best of 32 points with the Nittany Lions and was named to the All-CHA Second Team in the 2023-24 campaign. Meanwhile, Samoskevich, selected in the fifth round at the 39th overall spot, accumulated 84 points, comprising 19 goals and 65 assists, over 168 games at Quinnipiac University. The 22-year-old from Sandy Hook, Connecticut, made a position shift from defense to forward in her final season at the NCAA level.
Jobst-Smith has secured a two-year contract, while Brooks and Samoskevich have signed on for one-year agreements. Notably, Vancouver and Seattle will be welcomed as expansion teams into the PWHL for the upcoming 2025-26 season.