Cara Gardner Morey trades GM role for Goldeneyes coaching job

Cara Gardner Morey is giving up her general manager duties with the Vancouver Goldeneyes to become the team's head coach, the PWHL announced on July 30. The 48-year-old replaces Brian Idalski, who was fired in June after Vancouver finished sixth in the eight-team league with a 9-3-4-14 record and missed the playoffs.

Gardner Morey spent the past year building the franchise from scratch as its first GM, overseeing an expansion draft and the league's 2026 expansion player distribution process, and owning the first overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft, which she used to select American defender Caroline Harvey. The league will lead the search for Vancouver's next general manager.

"Over the course of the offseason, I spent a lot of time reflecting and discussing what was best for our team and for me personally," Gardner Morey said in the team's release. "Through that process, I realized how much I missed being behind the bench. While I continue to be incredibly proud of what we built in Vancouver during our inaugural season, coaching is where I know I can make the biggest impact."

Before joining the Goldeneyes, Gardner Morey spent 14 seasons with Princeton Women's Ice Hockey, serving as head coach from 2017 to 2025. She finished as the second-winningest coach in program history, leading the Tigers to their first ECAC Tournament championship, an Ivy League title, and multiple NCAA quarterfinal appearances.

Vancouver averaged 11,235 fans for its 13 home games at Pacific Coliseum last season, second-best in the league behind Seattle's 12,875. The Goldeneyes won their final four games of the inaugural campaign and return several Olympians, including forward Sarah Nurse, forward Jenn Gardiner, defender Sophie Jaques, and goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer, who all represented Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.

"Cara played an instrumental role in establishing the Goldeneyes during their inaugural season, helping shape the team's identity and lay a strong foundation for the future," said Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations, according to the league. "She has a proven track record of developing athletes and creating high-performing teams."