Goldeneyes activate Sarah Nurse from long-term injured reserve

At long last, one of the top players in the game is set return to action.

On Thursday, the Vancouver Goldeneyes announced that forward Sarah Nurse has been activated from long-term injured reserve. In response, the team placed forward Darcie Lappan on its reserve list.

The Goldeneyes also revealed that Nurse will be making her return to the lineup this Saturday, when Nurse goes up against her former team, the Toronto Sceptres, for the first time in the Battle on Bay Street.

The Hamilton, Ont. native has been absent since Vancouver’s first-ever game on Nov. 21. She was hurt in the team’s 4-3 victory over the expansion Seattle Torrent, a game that Nurse also scored in. It was later announced that she suffered an upper-body injury in the game, leading to her placement on LTIR a couple of weeks later.

The news of Nurse’s return is also a positive sight for Team Canada. She was named to the Olympic roster, despite still being out of action, with no public timeline for her return. Nurse will have plenty of time to find her legs before the team ships off to Italy in the coming weeks, as the Goldeneyes have four games before breaking for the Winter Games.

The 31-year-old was one of the first five players signed by the new team in British Columbia. She brought significant appeal and star power to the Goldeneyes, leading many to believe the squad could be one of the best teams in the PWHL right off the bat. However, with Nurse out of action, the team has struggled, especially away from home. Vancouver is 1-0-0-6 away from Pacific Coliseum, losing to the Ottawa Charge and Montreal Victoire last week.

Lappan appeared in 12 games with Vancouver, posting an assist in an overtime loss against the Minnesota Frost on Dec. 27.

The Goldeneyes (3-1-1-7) are last in the PWHL, six points back of the last playoff spot. Puck drop at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday is set for 12 p.m. ET.