VANCOUVER — Alison Izzi was just a week into her new role as general manager of the Vancouver Goldeneyes when she ticked an important task off her to-do list — sign a generational talent. Getting a deal done with American defender Caroline “KK” Harvey was a big move, and there are many more moves to be made as Izzi prepares for the Professional Women’s Hockey League team’s second season. “We’ve got obviously training camps to look forward to, and a really exciting home opener against Seattle to prepare for,” she said Tuesday. “So getting the fans and the players and our team and staff ready for a really exciting opening night is definitely top of mind.” Izzi is embracing both the challenges and opportunities ahead. An attorney from Rhode Island, she started her career in ticketing and events with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League and went on to serve as the league’s vice-president of hockey operations/governance. Izzi then moved over to the NHL’s legal department where she focused on hockey operations and player safety before getting a call from Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s executive vice-president of hockey operations, about the Goldeneyes’ vacant GM job. “I’ve been following the PWHL since its first season, and have obviously had a lot of experience in hockey on the men’s side,” Izzi said. ”So being able to kind of take that experience and knowledge and bring it into the women’s area and contribute to the women’s game is really special for me, and a big reason why I wanted to take the role.” One unusual aspect about the role is that Izzi will be working alongside her predecessor. After crafting the roster for the Goldeneyes’ inaugural season, Cara Gardner Morey stepped down as general manager at the end of July to take over as the team’s head coach. “I think it’s a really unique opportunity,” Izzi said. ”Obviously, having been in the position, Cara has been great in terms of helping me transition into the role. I think she’s really strong as a coach, and I really like working with her. “I think we complement each other’s strengths really well, hers in coaching and hockey development, and me obviously in law and hockey operations. And I think we’ll play off of that really well.” The Goldeneyes are looking to take strides in their second season after narrowly missing the playoffs last spring. Vancouver’s strong finish earned the team the right to select first overall in June’s PWHL draft where the team picked Harvey. The 23-year-old blueliner put up 18 goals and 64 points for Wisconsin last season, won her third NCAA championship and claimed the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in American women’s college hockey. She also shone at the 2026 Olympics, tallying two goals and nine points over seven games as the United States edged Canada 2-1 in overtime to win gold. “(Harvey’s) obviously a really driven player,” Izzi said. ”Great speed, great dynamic, which will only bolster all the talent that we already have.” Gardner Morey was able to keep much of Vancouver’s roster intact through the PWHL’s expansion process, signing and protecting forwards Jenn Gardiner and Izzy Daniel, reacquiring Abby Boreen from PWHL Las Vegas, and inking Katie Chan, Mannon McMahon and Gabby Rosenthal to new deals. The Goldeneyes did lose star defender Claire Thompson, but not to expansion. The 28-year-old Canadian opted to retire from hockey last week and return to medical school where she’ll pursue her goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. “Claire was obviously a fantastic player, and she was part of our leadership group in the inaugural season and helped build that culture,” Izzi said. ”So we’re going to be looking for players to continue to fill that depth and continue to drive that culture forward.” The Goldeneyes currently have 19 players under contract, including starting goalie Emerance Maschmeyer. Last week, the netminder declined an invitation to Hockey Canada’s training camp in Quebec City ahead of the 2026 women’s world championships, set to be held in Denmark from Nov. 6-16. Canada’s general manager Danièle Sauvageau declined to comment on why Maschmeyer — who was part of Canada’s silver-medal winning squad at the 2026 Olympics — would not be joining. Asked whether Maschmeyer would be at Goldeneyes’ training camp in mid-November, Izzi was noncommital. “Right now, we’re in conversations with her,” said the newly minted GM. ”And we’re all moving full steam ahead with nothing else to say on that at this time.” This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published Oct. 5, 2026.
