Toronto Sceptres

Last updated

Toronto Sceptres
Toronto Sceptres.svg
City Toronto, Ontario
League PWHL
Founded2023 (2023)
Home arena Coca-Cola Coliseum
ColoursBlue, navy, gold and yellow
    
Owner(s) Mark Walter Group
General manager Gina Kingsbury
Head coach Troy Ryan
Captain Blayre Turnbull
Website toronto.thepwhl.com
Championships
Regular season titles1 (2023–24)
Walter Cups 0
Hockey current event.svg Current season

The Toronto Sceptres are a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They host games at Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto (the same building where American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies play their home games as well). Toronto topped the standings in the league's inaugural regular season.

Contents

History

Founding and inaugural season

On August 29, 2023, it was announced that Toronto would be home to one of the PWHL's first six franchises. [1] [2] This ensured the continuation of professional women's hockey in the city after the folding of the Toronto Six and the Premier Hockey Federation earlier that summer—the Six were that league's final champions. [3] The PWHL announced on September 1 that Gina Kingsbury, the former vice president of hockey operations at Hockey Canada and general manager of the Canadian women's national team, would be the PWHL Toronto's general manager. [4] [5] On September 15, Troy Ryan, the head coach of the Canadian women's national team, was announced as the team's first head coach. [6] [7]

Toronto's first three players—Canadian national team members Sarah Nurse, Renata Fast and Blayre Turnbull—were signed to three-year deals on September 5, 2023. [8] The team selected 15 players at the inaugural PWHL draft on September 18; the team's first pick, at second overall, was veteran Canadian national team defender Jocelyne Larocque. [9] Ahead of the start of the inaugural season, Turnbull was named team captain, with Fast and Larocque to serve as assistant captains. [10]

In November 2023, it was announced that the team's colours would be blue, black, and white. [11] The same month, it was announced that the Mattamy Athletic Centre in the old Maple Leaf Gardens would become the team's home. [12]

On January 1, 2024, Toronto hosted the first ever PWHL game at Mattamy, with visiting PWHL New York posting a 4–0 victory over Toronto. [13] The teams faced each other again on January 5, with Toronto securing its first win by a score of 3–2; Natalie Spooner scored the first goal in team history in the second period. [14] On February 16, Toronto hosted its first game at Scotiabank Arena against PWHL Montreal, a match dubbed by the league as "The Battle on Bay Street". [15] The game set a league and women’s hockey attendance record with a sellout crowd of 19,285, beating the previous record of 18,013 set at the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship. [16] Two months later, on April 20, Montreal hosted Toronto at the Bell Centre, selling out the arena and setting another new attendance record at 21,105 in a game known as "The Duel at the Top" because the two teams were vying for first place. [17] [18]

Toronto in action against PWHL Minnesota in 2024. 240110 Minnesota Toronto JohnMc007 (53469513119).jpg
Toronto in action against PWHL Minnesota in 2024.

Toronto became the first team to clinch a playoff spot, and clinched first overall on May 1. Spooner led the league in both goals and points. [19] On April 30, 2024, it was announced that PWHL Toronto would relocate from Mattamy Athletic Centre to Coca-Cola Coliseum to host its playoff games. [20] Toronto elected to play PWHL Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. [21] & hosted them for their inaugural playoff game on May 8; Toronto won 4–0 in front of a sold-out crowd. [22] Despite winning the first two games at home, Toronto went on to lose three straight and the series and were eliminated from playoff contention. [23]

After the season, Spooner was named the league's first winner of the Billie Jean King MVP award; she was also named the league's top forward. Kristen Campbell won top goaltender honours, while Troy Ryan was named coach of the year. [24]

On September 3, 2024, Coca-Cola Coliseum was officially announced as PWHL Toronto's primary venue for the 2024–25 PWHL season. [25]

Team identity

Inaugural season logo for PWHL Toronto. Toronto PWHL.jpg
Inaugural season logo for PWHL Toronto.
Uniform worn by PWHL Toronto in the league's inaugural season. PWHL-Uniform-TOR.png
Uniform worn by PWHL Toronto in the league's inaugural season.

Like all six charter PWHL franchises, Toronto operated without unique branding for the league's inaugural season—the team was known as PWHL Toronto and wore a league-wide jersey template that featured the city's name diagonally on the front. [26] The team did have its own colour scheme, featuring blue and black. In October 2023, the league registered a trademark for the name Toronto Torch. [27] However, when the league unveiled franchise names in September 2024, Toronto was named the Sceptres, referencing the city's regal history—Toronto was once known as the Queen City. [28] The Hockey News reported that other names in contention for Toronto included the Sentinels and the Tempest. [29]

In addition to the Sceptres moniker, the team's logo was unveiled as stylized "TS" initials, and yellow was added to the team's colour scheme. [28]

Players and personnel

Current roster

As of November 29, 2024 [30] [31]
No. Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplace
51 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Victoria Bach F L282023 Milton, Ontario
19 Flag of the United States.svg Lauren Bernard D L232024 Madison, Ohio
50 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kristen Campbell G L272023 Brandon, Manitoba
23 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Megan Carter   Injury icon 2.svg D L232024 Milton, Ontario
18 Flag of the United States.svg Jesse Compher F R252023 Northbrook, Illinois
22 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Maggie Connors F L242023 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
8 Flag of the United States.svg Izzy Daniel F R242024 Minneapolis, Minnesota
14 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Renata Fast  ( A ) D R302023 Hamilton, Ontario
6 Flag of the United States.svg Kali Flanagan D R292023 Burlington, Massachusetts
88 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Julia Gosling F L232024 London, Ontario
70 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Carly Jackson G L272023 Amherst, Nova Scotia
1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Raygan Kirk G L212024 Ste. Anne, Manitoba
3 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jocelyne Larocque  ( A ) D L362023 Ste. Anne, Manitoba
55 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Rylind MacKinnon D L242024 Cranbrook, British Columbia
27 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Emma Maltais F L252023 Burlington, Ontario
34 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Hannah Miller F L282023 North Vancouver, British Columbia
12 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Allie Munroe D L272023 Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
61 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Noemi Neubauerová F R242024 Prague, Czech Republic
20 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sarah Nurse F L292023 Hamilton, Ontario
24 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Natalie Spooner   Injury icon 2.svg F R342023 Scarborough, Ontario
40 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Blayre Turnbull  ( C ) F R312023 Stellarton, Nova Scotia
9 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Daryl Watts F L252024 Toronto, Ontario
67 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Emma Woods F R282024 Burford, Ontario
28 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kaitlin Willoughby F R292023 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Reserves

As of December 6, 2024 [30] [31] [32]
No. Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplace
17 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Samantha Cogan F L272023 Ottawa, Ontario
2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jessica Kondas D R242023 Calgary, Alberta

Team captains

General managers

Head coaches

First-round draft picks

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Spooner</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Natalie Marie Spooner is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and a member of the Canadian national women's team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brianne Jenner</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1991)

Brianne Alexandra Jenner is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain for the Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and a member of Canada women's national ice hockey team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauriane Rougeau</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Lauriane Rougeau is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Prior to retirement, she played for PWHL Toronto during the inaugural season of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She played college ice hockey at Cornell, where she is a former All-American selection. She was part of the Montreal Stars team that captured the inaugural Clarkson Cup in 2009. Competing in Ice hockey at the 2014 Winter Olympics, she was part of Canada's gold medal triumph. Having also earned a gold medal at the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship, she is among a rare group of Canadian female hockey players that have won the Clarkson Cup, IIHF World Gold and Winter Games gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Stacey</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Laura Rachel Stacey is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Montreal Victoire, and a member of Canada women's national ice hockey team. She previously played with the Markham Thunder and the Dartmouth Big Green and competed internationally with the Canadian under-18 and under-22 teams. She won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics and a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Place Bell</span> Arena in Laval, Quebec, Canada

Place Bell is a multi-purpose arena in Laval, Quebec, Canada. The complex includes a 10,000-seat main arena, which is the home of the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL), and two smaller community ice rinks, one of which has Olympic-size ice. The arena was also home to Les Canadiennes de Montréal for the final season of play in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). The arena hosted select games for Montréal Victoire of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) during the inaugural 2023–24 season, and became their permanent home for the 2024-25 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blayre Turnbull</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1993)

Blayre Turnbull is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and captain for the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She made her debut with the Canada women's national ice hockey team at the 2014 4 Nations Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Nurse</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1995)

Sarah Nurse is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and Canada women's national ice hockey team. She made her debut with the national team at the 2015 4 Nations Cup. Nurse represented Canada at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Maltais</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1999)

Emma Maltais is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and member of Canada women's national ice hockey team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Women's Hockey League</span> Womens ice hockey league in North America

The Professional Women's Hockey League is a professional women's ice hockey league in North America, wholly owned and operated by the Mark Walter Group. It consists of six franchises, three each from Canada and the United States, who play a regular season to earn one of four places in a postseason tournament that determines the winner of the Walter Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023–24 PWHL season</span> Sports season

The 2023–24 PWHL season was the first season of operation of the Professional Women's Hockey League, and began play on January 1, 2024. Six teams competed during the inaugural season, located in Montreal, Toronto, Newark, Boston, Ottawa, and Saint Paul. The season culminated in a two-round best-of-five playoff including the top four teams to determine the season champion. PWHL Toronto topped the regular season standings with 17 wins and 47 points. In the playoffs, PWHL Minnesota won the inaugural Walter Cup, defeating PWHL Boston in a 5-game series for the title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Charge</span> PWHL ice hockey team in Ottawa

The Ottawa Charge are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They play their home games at TD Place Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montreal Victoire</span> Womens professional ice hockey team in Montreal

The Montreal Victoire are a professional women's ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They play home games at Place Bell in Laval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Frost</span> PWHL ice hockey team in Minneapolis-St. Paul

The Minnesota Frost is a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The Frost host games at the Xcel Energy Center. In 2024, the Frost won the PWHL's inaugural Walter Cup championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Fleet</span> PWHL ice hockey team in Boston

The Boston Fleet are a professional ice hockey team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The Fleet host games at Tsongas Center.

The 2023–24 PWHL Minnesota season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played their home games at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The 2023–24 PWHL Montréal season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League. They played their home games at Verdun Auditorium in Montreal and Place Bell in the suburb of Laval. They also played one game at the Bell Centre on April 20.

The 2023–24 PWHL New York season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played their home games at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.

The 2023–24 PWHL Ottawa season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played their home games at TD Place Arena in Ottawa.

The 2023–24 PWHL Toronto season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played the majority of their home games at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, hosting one game at Scotiabank Arena and their playoff games at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Connors</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 2000)

Margaret Joan Connors is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She previously played college ice hockey for the Princeton Tigers.

References

  1. ↑ Wyshynski, Greg (August 29, 2023). "Six inaugural franchises revealed for new PWHL". ESPN . Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  2. ↑ Dachman, Jason (January 30, 2024). "Inside the Whirlwind Launch of the Professional Women's Hockey League's Broadcast Operations". sportsvideo.org. Sports Video Group. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  3. ↑ McGran, Kevin (September 20, 2023). "Toronto Six president excited for the future of women's hockey, but mourns a team left in the ashes". Toronto Star . Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ "PWHL names six general managers as teams begin roster construction". Sportsnet . CP. September 1, 2023. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  5. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (September 1, 2023). "Gina Kingsbury To Step Away From Role With Hockey Canada". The Hockey News . Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Ryan, MacLeod headline PWHL coaches". Sportsnet . The Canadian Press. September 15, 2023. Archived from the original on September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ Ngabo, Gilbert (September 15, 2023). "Team Canada coach Troy Ryan adds Toronto PWHL job". Toronto Star . Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Sarah Nurse, Blayre Turnbull and Renata Fast sign with Toronto's PWHL franchise". The Globe and Mail . CP. September 6, 2023. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  9. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (September 18, 2023). "Jocelyne Larocque Goes Second Overall To Toronto In PWHL Draft". The Hockey News . Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  10. ↑ Martin, Curtis (December 30, 2023). "Turnbull Named Toronto's Captain". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  11. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (November 23, 2023). "PWHL Releases Jersey Designs". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  12. ↑ Glennie, Drew-Anne (November 3, 2023). "MAC Confirmed as PWHL Toronto's Home Rink". ontherecordnews.ca. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  13. ↑ Donkin, Karissa (January 1, 2024). "New York shuts out Toronto in 1st PWHL game as Canada's Shelton leads the way". CBC Sports . Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Maltais' short-handed goal lifts Toronto over New York for 1st PWHL win". CBC Sports. AP. January 5, 2024. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Scotiabank Arena to host PWHL's 'Battle on Bay Street' between Toronto, Montreal". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. January 25, 2024. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  16. ↑ Ibrahim, Abdulhamid (February 16, 2024). "PWHL Toronto tops Montreal 3-0 in front of record-setting crowd at Scotiabank Arena". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  17. ↑ Rainbird, Daniel (April 20, 2024). "PWHL-leading Toronto clinches playoff berth, wins in OT before record crowd in Montreal". CBC Sports . Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  18. ↑ Rowe, Daniel J. (April 20, 2024). "Nurse OT winner breaks Montreal hearts as Toronto wins PWHL 'Duel at the Top'". CTV News . Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  19. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (May 6, 2024). "Spooner Wins PWHL Scoring Race, Hits 20 Goal Mark". The Hockey News . Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Toronto, Montreal shift to larger venues for best-of-5 PWHL semifinals". CBC Sports . The Canadian Press. April 30, 2024. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  21. ↑ Sadler, Emily (May 6, 2024). "Toronto chooses to face Minnesota in first round of PWHL playoffs". Sportsnet . Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  22. ↑ Brady, Rachel (May 8, 2024). "Toronto pounds Minnesota with 4-0 win in PWHL playoff opening". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  23. ↑ Ganter, Mike (May 19, 2024). "Not the ending they wanted, but PWHL Toronto's first year a success". Toronto Sun . Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  24. ↑ "PWHL Toronto forward Natalie Spooner named league's inaugural MVP". CBC Sports . The Canadian Press. June 11, 2024. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  25. ↑ "PWHL Toronto relocates to Coca-Cola Coliseum for 2024–2025". The Sports Network . September 3, 2024. Archived from the original on September 4, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  26. ↑ Morhardt, Meghann (December 21, 2023). "PWHL Toronto GM Says Nailing Down Team Name and Logo Are 'Low on Priority List'". The Messenger . Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024. When the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) starts its inaugural season on Jan. 1, the league's six teams won't have names and logos. For now, the players will be wearing simple jerseys that have the city name across the front.
  27. ↑ Salvian, Hailey (October 26, 2023). "Potential names for PWHL's original 6 franchises revealed" . The Athletic . Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  28. 1 2 Wawrow, John (September 9, 2024). "PWHL reveals names, logos for all 6 franchises ahead of second season". CBC Sports . The Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  29. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (September 9, 2024). "These Were The Final Four Names In Contention For Each Of The PWHL's Six Teams". The Hockey News . Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  30. 1 2 Sportsnet Staff (November 29, 2024). "PWHL teams unveil opening day rosters ahead of regular season opener". SportsNet.ca. Rogers Media . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  31. 1 2 "Toronto Sceptres Roster". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. November 29, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  32. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (December 6, 2024). "Ella Shelton Placed On LTIR With Lower Body Injury". TheHockeyNews.com. The Hockey News . Retrieved December 6, 2024. New York Sirens defender Ella Shelton has been placed on long term injured reserve following a lower body injury. Subsequently, the Sirens have signed defender Olivia Knowles.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.