Home Ice Advantage: Emma Woods’ Second Chapter in Toronto

Many players dream of playing for their childhood team and some get the chance. Others dream of playing in their hometown. But few get to win a championship for their hometown team, and even fewer get a second chance in a new league to try it again.

Emma Woods is getting that second chance. After signing a new two-year deal with the Toronto Sceptres, the former Toronto Six assistant captain is jumping at the chance to play professional hockey in her home city for a second club.

The self-proclaimed die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs NHL fan described Toronto as the best city to play hockey in and shared how her new deal gives her peace of mind. “In professional sports, you're up and you're moving around a lot. It's the nature of our profession,” Woods said. “But to be able to settle down here at home for at least the next few years, hopefully more. [It] allows me to build my life a bit, which for me is exciting.” Returning to Toronto not only brings familiarity in terms of hockey but gives her a chance to play in front of her friends and family, the support system that always travelled to see her play.

Woods played high school hockey and junior hockey in Ontario before moving on to play at Quinnipiac in Connecticut. And after stints in China and Sweden during the early part of her pro career, she returned home and signed with the Toronto Six of the then National Women’s Hockey League in the summer of 2020 ahead of the team’s inaugural season. She was an alternate captain for the three years the team existed. In 2023, the Toronto Six won the Isobel Cup, the first Canadian team in the renamed Professional Hockey Federation to do so. When the league folded months later, the PWHL was born leading to her being drafted by New York in the inaugural draft. 

Though the season didn’t turn out the way anyone in the organization had hoped – finishing last in the standings – Woods called her time playing with the franchise special and said the decision to leave didn’t have to do with the team’s play. She is eager to join her new team and likes what she has seen out of the Sceptres so far. “This team proved last year they could be a championship team; no doubt and I think the whole team is gonna pick up where they left off.” Woods said. “There’s a lot of other positives. It's a top organization, the people, the staff, we have an incredible thing going here and I'm grateful to be a part of it.”

Woods feels the new season is a chance to pick up where she left off with the Six. Though the team and league are different this time around she does have two former Six teammates with her on the Sceptres – fellow free agent signee Daryl Watts and goaltender Carly Jackson. Woods and Watts have even spent time training together during the offseason and Woods said those pre-established relationships help out in the locker room and with integrating into the culture the Sceptres have built. After bringing home the Isobel Cup in 2023, Woods is ready to bring the Walter Cup to Toronto and has her sights set on the championship. She said that even with other professional teams in Toronto, the Sceptres are ready to write their own legacy.  

But it’s not just hockey and being around her support system that means a lot to Woods, the hockey community in Toronto does too. It is important to Woods to continue to support the fans who supported her back in the PHF days. She feels pride in the community she helped build in the three years the Six were around and feels the support is still there for the Sceptres now. She also continues to give back to the hockey community and help its continued growth too. 

The Sceptres took part in a community event over the summer in collaboration with the Women’s Tennis Association. Some of the Sceptres players took part in a ball hockey event for the community. It was the first time Woods was able to get to know her new teammates and it gave her a great sense of joy because she could integrate herself with the fans too. “I think that's so important for the success of the team. The way you enjoy the season and your experiences, so I think that stuff is so important. We have tons of fans that come out and support [us] here in Toronto.”

And the fans do show up, the Sceptres have already sold out of season tickets and when they hosted those season ticket members for a team meet-and-greet they had over 2000 of them show up on short notice. Woods is grateful the fan base continues to support the team even before their second season kicks off. Taking part in these events also helps Woods with the camaraderie among her teammates especially since she didn’t know a lot of them when she signed. “[To] be a part of those events when they come up for me, I wanted to do that as early as I could because I haven't played with many of these girls, so I wanted to get to know them more on a personal level. which has been super nice.” She added building relationships with her new teammates throughout the summer has given her a leg up heading into training camp too.

Woods is looking forward to the upcoming season and to the foundation she will be able to set in Toronto in the next couple of years and she still has her eye set on the grand prize and feels this Sceptres team can win a championship. “I think we have the group to do it and I think we just gotta use each other and bring everyone's strength together.”

“My main goal is to bring the Walter Cup to Toronto.”