On Remembrance Day, the Toronto Sceptres (PWHL) took to the ice at their training facility at Ford Performance Centre just prior to the team’s first media availability of the 2025-26 campaign.
Among the biggest questions to be answered over the next several days and weeks are: who will be the team’s starting goaltender; can Natalie Spooner return to form; what kind of impact can defender Ella Shelton make; and, where will the team’s secondary scoring come from?
Roster changes and the PWHL landscape
Netminders Kristen “Soupy” Campbell and Carly “CJ” Jackson have moved on to Vancouver and Seattle, respectively. Their departures left the door open for Raygan Kirk to grab the starter’s job. Also, Elaine Chuli signed as a free agent after two years in Montreal.
“I’m very confident in Kirk,” general manager Gina Kingsbury said to reporters. “I think she’s shown that she has the ability to be able to take the net as a number one. And we’ve always been very impressed with Elaine Chuli in Montreal, and her ability. I think she played us probably more than Ann-Renee Debsiens has, in the past season, and did really well against us. And just a high competitor that’s great on and off the ice.
I love the dynamic of the two there. We’re not relying solely on one goalie. “
Spooner, 35, won both the Billie Jean King MVP Award and Forward of the Year Award in the PWHL’s inaugural season, 2024. But she suffered a devastating knee injury in that year’s playoffs and underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL. After compiling a remarkable 20 goals and 7 assists in 24 regular season games that year, she was limited to just 14 games in 2024-25 during which she registered three goals, two assists.
“I’m feeling like I have a step again, which is nice,” Spooner said. “I think last season I felt a little bit like I was in quicksand out there, just holding on. So, yeah it’s nice to have the summer to train and get that peppiness back.” Spooner’s off-season regimen continued even as she travelled last summer on an African safari.
Biggest new addition: Ella Shelton
By far the Sceptres’ most significant off-season acquisition was defender Ella Shelton, obtained in a draft day trade from the New York Sirens. With Shelton complemented by a blue line that includes reigning defender of the year Renata Fast, plus Savannah Harmon, Kali Flanagan, Allie Munroe and Anna Kjellbin, the Sceptres have a defensive corps that ranks among the best in the league, rivalled perhaps only by Vancouver.
“I think we have a really special defence corps this year,” Flanagan said. “I think it’s exciting. I think I heard Renata Fast say that we’re really tight, and we’re all really close.” Her partner, Munroe, concurred. “I think we’re super deep this year, and we can create a lot of offense starting from the back end, and hopefully keep pucks out of the net too.
Coach Troy Ryan echoed his proteges’ sentiments. “I think you have to build from the back end,” he said. “When you’re that strong in the back end, it just changes the way you may approach the game, offensively, defensively. Shelton brings a different dynamic, leadership wise, the quality person she is. It’s probably the best situation for a coach. You’re bringing in a physical, strong, great leader, a great teammate, a good offensive player, a good defensive player, and a good human.
I think Gina had minutes to decide on that trade. Sometimes on draft day, when opportunities present themselves, you’ve got to act pretty quickly.”
PWHL expansion hurt Toronto forward corps
With the expansion process severely depleting the rosters of each of the six foundational teams, Kingsbury could only watch as Toronto’s forward unit was ransacked. Four of the Sceptres’ top ten scorers from last year: Sarah Nurse, Hannah Miller, Julia Gosling and Izzy Daniel will be suiting up for either the Goldeneyes or the Torrent this season.
“There’s no denying we lost a lot of offense, and we lost some big pieces,” Kingsbury said. “I wouldn’t be expecting (2025 first round draft pick) Emma Gentry and Kiara Zanon and fill those shoes. I think we’re going to have to find a way to collectively be able to offset the kind of offense that we left on the table. And it’s not a knock on them, it’s just not fair for us to be expecting them to replace Sarah Nurse and Hannah Miller.”
The Sceptres open the season on the road in Minnesota on November 21, where they will face the two-time defending Walter Cup champions, the Frost.
