Toronto Sceptres Training Camp Roster Breakdown

On October 11th the Toronto Sceptres released their training camp roster for their second season. PWHL training camps are set to open on November 12th. 

In the team’s press release, Sceptres General Manager Gina Kingsbury was quoted saying, “We have a great group of competitive athletes coming in to earn a spot on our Scepters’ roster and we look forward to building a successful team.” 

The Sceptres are set to play a preseason scrimmage against the Minnesota Frost on Wednesday, November 20, and against the New York Sirens on Friday, November 22, both at Ford Performance Centre in Toronto.

Forwards

Signed: Victoria Bach, Jesse Compher, Maggie Connors, Izzy Daniel, Julia Gosling, Emma Maltais, Hannah Miller, Sarah Nurse, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull, Daryl Watts, and Emma Woods. 

The Sceptres are coming off of an extremely successful first season. After a devastating injury to league MVP Natalie Spooner in the first round of the playoffs, their Walter Cup journey fell short. I could spend a solid 10 minutes writing about the excellence of Sarah Nurse, Emma Maltais, Jess Compher, and Hannah Miller. The returning forwards for Toronto are some of the best in the game, but for the sake of time, let’s chat about the additions. 

Gina Kingsbury made a splash during free agency bringing in Daryl Watts and Emma Woods. Daryl Watts, a former Patty Kaz winner, was a huge bright spot for Ottawa last season, scoring 10 goals and 7 assists in 24 games played. Emma Woods joins the Sceptres after a tough season in New York. On the league’s worst team, the winger only had 5 points in 24 games. When you look at Emma Woods’ Elite Prospects page, you’ll notice last year’s stat line sticks out like a sore thumb. The Burford, Ontario native will be playing with a chip on her shoulder as she returns home this season and will be a player to watch to make an impact even if she’s in the Sceptres’ bottom six. 

I personally thought Toronto had a sneaky good 2024 Draft. Julia Gosling will become a massive piece in the Sceptres top six. Look for her to get some net front power-play time during camp. Okay, who in the WORLD let Toronto steal Izzy Daniel in the third round?! Do me a quick favour, take a look at Izzy Daniel’s Elite Prospects page. Yes, do it. Okay, do you see that stat line last season? Yeah, that’s not a typo. Izzy Daniel is an incredibly talented hockey player. She became the first player from Cornell to win the Patty Kaz. Getting Izzy Daniel on an already talented forward core will be a treat to watch. 

Unsigned Draft Picks: Noemi Neubauerová (2024 Draft), Anneke Linser (2024 Draft). 

As of the time I write this article, both Noemi Neubauerová and Anneke Linser are unsigned heading into Sceptres training camp. Noemi Neubauerová could be another steal for Toronto from the 2024 Draft - I could see her earning a contract either ahead of training camp, or in the midst of camp. Anneke Linser spent last season in Sweden, where she had 31 points in 34 games. When given the chance, she can make things happen offensively. I can see her also possibly earning a contract or a reserve spot for Toronto this season. 

Camp Invites: Sam Cogan, Laura Kluge.

Sam Cogan is a return player for the Sceptres and comes into camp on an invite basis. She played all but one regular season game for Toronto in season one. The amount of talent might prevent Cogan from signing a contract ahead of the season, but she is a player to watch and might end up on the team’s reserve list. Laura Kluge is a name that intrigues me. The German forward has played in the DFEL since 2021. She’s put up consistent points and could be a sneaky player to turn heads in camp.

Defenders

Signed: Megan Carter, Renata Fast, Kali Flanagan, Jocelyne Larocque, Allie Munroe. 

The defence was Toronto’s biggest flaw last season. This offseason Gina Kingsbury and co used the draft to rebuild the blue line for the Sceptres. Renata Fast and Jocelyne Larocque were the backbones of this team’s defence, which, honestly, was a big part of why I think they struggled defensively at times. I hate to pull the age card here, but Jocelyne Larocque is heading into this season 36 years young. I have no doubt she can handle the load of playing 20+ minutes night in and night out but the question becomes: does she have to? 

Toronto’s biggest offseason addition might end up being Megan Carter. Toronto selected the former Northeastern University defender with their second round selection and are getting an incredible top four defender right out of the gate. Carter moves the puck well, has size, and is incredibly calm. I can see her getting penalty kill time and possibly some time on the second power play unit as well. The main reason I love this addition for Toronto so much is because she will come in and take some pressure off of Laroque and Fast. 

Unsigned Draft Picks: Lauren Bernard (2024 Draft 4-24)

As of this article, Toronto only has five defenders signed. Which is obviously, not enough to start the season with. Look for Lauren Bernard to come for a contract during camp. The fourth round draft pick came from The Ohio State University where she flew a bit under the radar. Bernard will do anything asked of her and more. She can block shots, kill penalties, move the puck, and has an incredibly high hockey IQ. 

Camp Invites: Jessica Kondas, Olivia Knowles, Rylind Mackinnon. 

As I mentioned already, Toronto needs to sign at least another defender before the beginning of the season. With three camp invites I’d put money on either of these players earning a contract in camp. Jessica Kondas spent time as a Toronto reserve player last season and heads into camp with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. Olivia Knowles bounced around on Toronto’s reserve roster and main roster with most of her time spent as a reserve. Similar to Kondas, she will be looking to come into camp hungry for a roster spot. We are at the point of this article where I get to talk about a USPORTS player. Rylind Mackinnon is a former University of British Columbia defender and a name a lot of people don’t know much about. Mackinnon earned herself a Hockey Canada camp invite earlier this year. She’s a gritty defender who can put up points and use her size to her advantage. If I had to guess what camp invite could surprise people the most out of Toronto, it would be Rylind Mackinnon. 

Goalies

Signed: Kristen Campbell, Carly Jackson, Raygan Kirk. 

All three of Toronto’s camp goalies are signed for the upcoming season. Kristen Campbell put the entire PWHL world on notice last season as one of the best goalies in the league and even won PWHL Goalie of the Year. Soupy made waves in the NCAA but when she left college she spent a lot of time as a backup or a third goalie, especially with Team Canada. In the regular season Campbell had an impressive .927 SV% and then in the playoffs had a .962 SV% in 5 games. Carly Jackson was the third goalie behind now retired, Erica Howe and is looking to go into camp to fight for that number two spot. Raygan Kirk is a draft pick for Toronto and similar to Carly, will be using training camp as an opportunity to earn her spot behind Campbell. Kirk spent time with Ohio State and RMU during her college years.

Overall, Toronto’s training camp roster includes 17 forwards, 9 defenders, and 3 goalies. 18 of those players are returning from last year’s team. Rosters for the PWHL season must be finalized by November 27th and can include a maximum of 23 active players plus 3 players signed to reserve player contracts.