Secret Showcase headlines busy weekend for PWHPA
A Dream Gap Tour stop, an outdoor skills competition, and more
Hockey fans in Toronto have a lot of options to see the PWHPA this weekend as the organization kicks off 2020 with its largest weekend to date.
Secret Women’s Hockey Showcase
The biggest event is its Secret Women’s Hockey Showcase. The six-team, six-game Dream Gap Tour stop will feature 120 players, the most they’ve had in one place thus far. It is the first time 13 players will suit up for the PWHPA in a Dream Gap Tour game. Among those are Ann-Renee Desbiens, Erica Howe, Halli Krzyzaniak, Kelsey Koelzer, and Melissa Samoskevich, most of whom have played in PWHPA Live! game but never in the tour.
Fans who were at the first Toronto stop in 2019 will see some familiar line ups. Team Daoust is largely Team Poulin. Team Spooner is mostly Team Knox while Team Larocque looks mostly like Team Jenner. The biggest name shift is Team Bellamy which was Team Johnston.
Rosters
| Team Larocque | Team Kessel | Team Bellamy | Team Daoust | Team Spooner | Team Coyne |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erica Howe | Katie Burt | Annie Belanger | Genevieve Lacasse | Amanda Makela | Ann-Renee Desbiens |
| Shae Tiley | Lauren Dahm | Marlène Boissonnault | Marie-Soleil Deschenes | Elaine Chuli | Amanda Cariddi |
| Jocelyne Larocque | Olivia Zafuto | Kacey Bellamy | Lauriane Rougeau | Laura Fortino | Lee Stecklein |
| Blake Bolden | Jacquie Greco | Brigette Lacquette | Erin Ambrose | Renata Fast | Savannah Harmon |
| Kelsey Koelzer | Kali Flanagan | Meaghan Mikkelson | Josiane Pozzebon | Michelle Saunders | Reagan Rust |
| Ella Matteucci | Megan Keller | Katelyn Gosling | Catherine Daoust | Mellissa Channell | Lisa Chesson |
| Alexis Woloschuk | Emily Matheson | Halli Krzyzaniak | Marie-Joelle Allard | Julia Fedeski | Carrie Atkinson |
| Rachel Ade | Alyssa Gagliardi | Emma Martin | Melanie Desrochers | Emma Greco | Melissa Samoskevich |
| Brianne Jenner | Gigi Marvin | Brianna Decker | Melodie Daoust | Natalie Spooner | Kelly Pannek |
| Jamie Lee Rattray | Haley Skarupa | Rebecca Johnston | Hilary Knight | Sarah Nurse | Kendall Coyne Schofield |
| Victoria Bach | Amanda Kessel | Blayre Turnbull | Marie-Philip Poulin | Anissa Gamble | Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson |
| Laura Stacey | Annika Zalewski | Rebecca Leslie | Jill Saulnier | Loren Gabel | Monique Lamoureux-Morando |
| Mackenzie MacNeil | Hayley Scamurra | Hanna Bunton | Emily Clark | Brittany Howard | Danielle Cameranesi |
| Jess Jones | Emily Janiga | Laura Dostaler | Ann-Sophie Bettez | Shiann Darkangelo | Hannah Brandt |
| Becca King | Catherine Quirion | Kaitlin Willoughby | Tracy-Ann Lavigne | Taylor Woods | Annie Pankowski |
| Jenna McParland | Lauren Williams | Katelyn Rae | Maude Gelinas | Mackenzie MacNeil | Chelsey Goldberg |
| Shannon Stewart | Nicole Gianninno | Cheyanne Newman | Karell Emard | Carolyne Prevost | Megan Turner |
| Nicole Brown | Cassidy Vinkle | Erica Kromm | Sarah Lefort | Sydney Kidd | Kaitlin Spurling |
| Kelly Gribbons | Shannon Hickey | Jessie Eldridge | Genevieve Bannon | Jessica Platt | Courtney Turner |
| Kristen Richards | Alexa Gruschow | Kim Deschenes | Jenna Dingeldein | Bailey Larson |
Also similar to the first stop is the schedule. Unlike the two other 2019 Dream Gap Tour stops, this weekend will again be a series of games rather than a tournament style.
On Saturday, all six teams will play at Herbert H. Carnegie Centennial Centre in North York. This is your best chance to see all of the players in the same place at the same time. All three games will be streamed on the PWHPA’s YouTube.
Team Larocque vs Team Kessel - 12:30 p.m.
Team Bellamy vs Team Daoust - 3:30 p.m.
Team Spooner vs Team Coyne - 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, the organization is a little more split up as they are taking part in the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour stop in Vaughan. The first and last game on this day will be streamed on the PWHPA’s YouTube, but not the game in Vaughan.
Team Kessel vs Team Bellamy - 9:30 a.m. in North York
Team Coyne vs Team Larocque - 10:30 a.m. at Al Palladini Community Center in Vaughan
Team Daoust vs Team Spooner - 4:30 p.m. at Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto
Skills Competition with Maple Leafs
UPDATE on Friday afternoon: Due to inclement weather, the outdoor skills competition was moved to Sunday at 9 a.m.
🔷 OUTDOOR PRACTICE UPDATE 🔷
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 10, 2020
Due to inclement weather, tomorrow’s @PWHPA Skills Competition is postponed until Sunday. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/G0ixtXMJJi
Before the Dream Gap Tour starts Saturday morning, 20 PWHPA are competition outdoors in Nathan Philips Square as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs outdoor weekend. The event starts at 10 a.m. and admission is free.
The next even at the outdoor weekend starts at 11:30 a.m. (the mascot games), so fans should have time to make it to North York for the first game.
Attending players
| Brianna Decker | Renata Fast |
|---|---|
| Rebecca Johnston | Sarah Nurse |
| Hanna Bunton | Brittany Howard |
| Meaghan Mikkelson | Natalie Spooner |
| Annie Belanger | Elaine Chuli |
| Hilary Knight | Kendall Coyne Schofield |
| Marie-Philip Poulin | Lee Stecklein |
| Jill Saulnier | Reagan Rust |
| Karell Emard | Hannah Brandt |
| Marie-Soleil Deschenes | Ann-Renee Desbiens |
While details on skills competition haven’t been released, with Kendall Coyne Schofield in attendance a Fastest Skater event is sure to be on the docket. A shooting accuracy competition would certainly be fun as would hardest shot. With no goaltenders on the roster, a breakaway contest might be tough but still possible.
Closing the Gap
Off the ice, Friday night, the NHLPA is presenting a night of panel discussion. Hosted by Tara Sloan, there is a female athletes panel, an industry leader panel, and a PWHPA player panel which will feature Coyne Schofield, Nurse, and Jenner.
The fundraising night is being marketed as a great way to meet and mingle with “PWHPA players, supporters, and sponsors.”
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