Montréal Victoire Trade Anna Kjellbin to Toronto Sceptres for Kaitlin Willoughby
Montréal traded Anna Kjellbin for Kaitlin Willoughby in the PWHL's only deadline-day move.
On the day of the 2025 PWHL trade deadline, the Montréal Victoire and Toronto Sceptres completed the only trade of the day, with Montréal acquiring forward Kaitlin Willoughby in exchange for Sceptres defender Anna Kjellbin. The trade marks a strategic shift for both teams as they look to address key roster needs heading into the latter half of the second PWHL season.
Kaitlin Willoughby: A Skilled Addition to Montréal’s Offense
Willoughby, a 5’6” forward from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, brings speed and experience to the Victoire. Before joining the PWHL, she was a member of the PWHPA from 2019 to 2023, where she played for Team adidas and Team Scotiabank. Notably, she won the Secret Cup with Team Scotiabank in 2021-22 and played for the Calgary Inferno during the 2018-19 CWHL season, contributing six points in 27 regular-season games.
Kaitlin Willoughby's (@willowtree92) beauty of a breakaway puts team Johnston up 3-2.
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) September 21, 2019
Watch live: https://t.co/K2U4BKKInC#DreamGapTour #ForTheGame @PWHPA pic.twitter.com/p0OKus6wbV
Her international experience includes representing Canada at the Winter Universiade in 2017 and 2019, earning two silver medals. She was named captain of the 2019 team. At the University of Saskatchewan, Willoughby had an impressive USports career, including a career-high 26-point season in 2014-15. In her final season, she was named to the Sports Championship Tournament All-Star Team.
While Willoughby has yet to register a point in the 2024-25 PWHL season through 20 games with the Sceptres, Montréal is banking on her ability to contribute offensively and bring an energetic presence to their forward lines.
Anna Kjellbin’s Defensive Strength Bolsters Toronto’s Blue Line
On the other side of the trade, Toronto acquires a steady defensive presence in Anna Kjellbin. The 5’7” Swedish blueliner was drafted 35th overall by Montréal in the inaugural PWHL Draft and has since been a key part of the Victoire’s defensive structure.
Kjellbin’s international résumé includes representing Sweden at the 2022 Olympics and five IIHF Women’s World Championships (2016, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024). She began her professional career with Linköping HC in 2010, winning the Riksserien (now SDHL) championship in 2014 and 2015 before joining HV71, where she helped them finish first in the 2019-20 regular season.
Anna Kjellbin has never stopped pushing for more visibility in women's hockey, and the @trekronorse captain will get to continue to do so with @pwhl_montreal pic.twitter.com/mjJOiMh0hc
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 11, 2024
In the current PWHL season, Kjellbin has recorded one assist in 18 games while maintaining a physical and responsible defensive style. She will provide Toronto with much-needed depth on the blue line as they push for playoff contention.
For Montréal, the acquisition of Willoughby is an effort to inject more offensive flexibility into their lineup. While her scoring numbers this season have been low, her past performances in the PWHPA and USports suggest she has the capability to contribute when given the right opportunity.
Toronto, meanwhile, shores up their defense with Kjellbin, who adds international experience and defensive stability. With the Sceptres looking to improve their defensive zone play, her presence should provide an immediate impact.
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