Goldeneyes fire Brian Idalski after one season

Another coaching vacancy has arisen in women’s hockey.

On Monday, Vancouver Goldeneyes general manager Cara Gardner Morey announced that Brian Idalski has been removed as head coach after just one season on the job.

In a statement, Gardner Morey thanked Idalski for his efforts during the team’s inaugural campaign, but felt like a change behind the bench was necessary.

“As we conclude our inaugural season and evaluate the future direction of the organization,” Gardner Morey said. “We have made the decision to make a change at the head coaching position…a role that offered unique challenges and opportunities. [Idalski’s] leadership and experience helped establish the foundation of our organization during its inaugural year.”

Idalski joined the Goldeneyes after building a competitive women’s program at St. Cloud State. Among the three hirings made last summer – Steve O’Rourke (Seattle Torrent) and Kris Sparre (Boston Fleet) – Idalski seemed to be the most qualified to run a women’s team.

With Idalski’s dismissal and O’Rourke’s departure last month, both coaches who joined expansion teams are out of work.

Heading into the 2025-26 campaign, Idalski seemed to have a formidable roster. With the likes of Sarah Nurse, Sophie Jaques and Emerance Maschmeyer, many believed the Goldeneyes had a chance to hang near the top of the PWHL standings. However, the team struggled early and often and was stuck at the bottom of the table.

Idalski mentioned that one of the hardest parts in working through the season was dealing with the miserable travel schedule, noting that the team was getting beaten up mentally and physically. On the road, Vancouver lost its first eight road games, going 2-0-1-9 in true road games.

Nevertheless, the Goldeneyes became the second team to be eliminated from Walter Cup playoff contention. However, thanks to a couple of wins late in the year, the team secured the first-overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft.