Season: | 2023–24 |
Year: | 2024 |
Team: | PWHL Toronto |
League: | PWHL |
Record: | 13–4–0–7 (1st) |
Homerecord: | 8–1–0–3 |
Roadrecord: | 5–3–0–4 |
Goalsfor: | 69 |
Goalsagainst: | 50 |
Generalmanager: | Gina Kingsbury[1] |
Goalsleader: | Natalie Spooner (20)[2] |
Assistsleader: | Emma Maltais (15) |
Pointsleader: | Natalie Spooner (27) |
Pimleader: | Jesse Compher (23) |
Plusminusleader: | Natalie Spooner (+11) |
Winsleader: | Kristen Campbell (16)[3] |
Gaaleader: | Erica Howe (1.89) |
Next Season: | 2024–25 |
The 2023–24 PWHL Toronto season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played the majority of their home games at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, hosting one game at Scotiabank Arena and their playoff games at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Toronto topped the regular season standings, becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot on April 22, 2024.[4] On May 1, the team clinched first overall.[5] Natalie Spooner led the team and the league in goals, with 20, and points, with 27.[6] By virtue of finishing first, Toronto had the option to select its semifinal opponent, and Toronto chose PWHL Minnesota.[7] Despite winning the first two games of the series, Toronto would lose three straight and be eliminated from Walter Cup contention.[8] After the season, Spooner was named the winner of the league's inaugural Billie Jean King MVP Award as most valuable player; she was also named the league's top forward, while Kristen Campbell was named the top goaltender and Troy Ryan the coach of the year.[9]
On September 1, 2023, PWHL Toronto hired Gina Kingsbury as its first general manager.[10] [11] Troy Ryan was named as Toronto's first head coach on September 15, and Rachel Flanagan was hired as assistant coach on October 6.[12] [13] On November 28, it was revealed that Toronto would play their home games at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.[14]
On September 6, Toronto announced the signings of their first three players, Canadian national team members Sarah Nurse, Renata Fast, and Blayre Turnbull.[15] On December 29, Turnbull was named captain, with Fast and second overall draft pick Jocelyne Larocque named assistant captains.[16]
Toronto hosted the first ever PWHL game at a sold-out Mattamy Athletic Centre on January 1, 2024. PWHL New York won the game by a score of 4–0.[17] Toronto won its first game in a re-match against New York on January 5, winning by a score of 3–2.[18]
On January 25, it was announced that Toronto would host its February 16 match against PWHL Montreal at Scotiabank Arena, in a game dubbed by the league as "The Battle on Bay Street".[19] The game set a league and women’s hockey attendance record with a sellout crowd of 19,285, beating the previous record of 18,013 set at the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship.[20]
Despite losing four of its first five games and sitting last overall two weeks into the season, Toronto became the first team to clinch a playoff spot on April 22 after an 11-game win streak. The team went on to clinch first overall in the league standings.
The regular season schedule was published on November 30, 2023.[21]
|- style="background:#fcc;"| 1 || January 1 || PWHL New York || 0–4 || || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,537 || 0–0–0–1 || 0 || [22] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 2 || January 5 || @ PWHL New York || 3–2 || || Campbell || Total Mortgage Arena || 2,152 || 1–0–0–1 || 3 || [23] |- style="background:#fcc;"| 3 || January 10 || @ PWHL Minnesota || 1–3 || || Campbell || Xcel Energy Center || 4,707 || 1–0–0–2 || 3 || [24] |- style="background:#fcc;"| 4 || January 13 || PWHL Ottawa || 1–5 || || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,417 || 1–0–0–3 || 3 || [25] |- style="background:#fcc;"| 5 || January 17 || PWHL Boston || 2–3 || || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,491 || 1–0–0–4 || 3 || [26] |- style="background:#ccf;"| 6 || January 20 || @ PWHL Montreal || 4–3 || SO || Campbell || Verdun Auditorium || 3,232 || 1–1–0–4 || 5 || [27] |- style="background:#fcc;"| 7 || January 23 || @ PWHL Ottawa || 1–3 || || Howe || TD Place Arena || 6,316 || 1–1–0–5 || 5 || [28] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 8 || January 26 || PWHL New York || 2-0 || || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,506 || 2–1-0-5 || 8 || [29] |-|- style="background:#cfc;"| 9 || February 3 || PWHL Minnesota || 4-1 || || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,470 || 3–1-0-5 || 11 || [30] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 10 || February 14 || @ PWHL Boston || 5-3 || || Campbell || Tsongas Center || 1,791 || 4-1-0-5 || 14 || [31] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 11 || February 16 || PWHL Montreal || 3-0 || || Campbell || Scotiabank Arena || 19,285 || 5-1-0-5 || 17 ||[32] |- style="background:#ccf;"| 12 || February 23 || PWHL New York || 2–1 || SO || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,494 || 5–2–0–5 || 19 || [33] |- style="background:#ccf;"| 13 || February 27 || @ PWHL Minnesota || 4–3 || OT || Campbell || 3M Arena at Mariucci || 2,718 || 5–3–0–5 || 21 || [34] |-|- style="background:#cfc;"| 14 || March 2 || @ PWHL Ottawa || 5–2 || || Campbell || TD Place Arena || 8,447 || 6–3–0–5 || 24 || [35] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 15 || March 6 || PWHL Boston || 3–1 || || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,479 || 7–3–0–5 || 27 || [36] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 16 || March 8 || PWHL Montreal || 3–0 || || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,554 || 8–3–0–5 || 30 || [37] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 17 || March 17 || @ PWHL Montreal || 2–1 || || Campbell || PPG Paints Arena || 8,850 || 9–3–0–5 || 33 || [38] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 18 || March 20 || PWHL Boston || 2–1 || || Howe || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,525 || 10–3–0–5 || 36 || [39] |- style="background:#fcc;"| 19 || March 23 || @ PWHL Ottawa || 3–5 || || Campbell || TD Place Arena || 8,448 || 10–3–0–6 || 36 || [40] |-|- style="background:#fcc;"| 20 || April 18 || @ PWHL Boston || 1–2 || || Campbell || Tsongas Center || 4,084 || 10–3–0–7 || 36 || [41] |- style="background:#ccf;"| 21 || April 20 || @ PWHL Montreal || 3–2 || OT || Campbell || Bell Centre || 21,105 || 10–4–0–7 || 38 || [42] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 22 || April 28 || @ PWHL New York || 6–2 || || Campbell || UBS Arena || 1,668 || 11–4–0–7 || 41 || [43] |-|- style="background:#cfc;"| 23 || May 1 || PWHL Minnesota || 4–1 || || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,571 || 12–4–0–7 || 44 || [44] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 24 || May 5 || PWHL Ottawa || 5–2 || || Campbell || Mattamy Athletic Centre || 2,620 || 13–4–0–7 || 47 || [45] |- style="text-align:center;"|
On May 6, 2024, Toronto elected to play PWHL Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. Toronto announced that it would play its post-season home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum, which offers more seating than Mattamay Athletic Centre.[46]
Toronto won the first two games of the series, both at home, without allowing a single goal against.[47] However, leading scorer Natalie Spooner was injured in Game 3, and she would not return for the rest of the series.[48] Toronto failed to score a goal in back-to-back losses in Minnesota, including a double-overtime defeat in Game 4.[49] Minnesota completed its comeback in Game 5, securing a 4–1 victory and eliminating Toronto from the playoffs.
|- style="background:#cfc;"| 1 || May 8 || Minnesota || 4–0 || || Campbell || Coca-Cola Coliseum || 8,473 || 1–0 || [50] |- style="background:#cfc;"| 2 || May 10 || Minnesota || 2–0 || || Campbell || Coca-Cola Coliseum || 8,581 || 2–0 || [51] |- style="background:#fcc;"| 3 || May 13 || @ Minnesota || 0–2 || || Campbell || Xcel Energy Center || 3,344 || 2–1 || [52] |- style="background:#fcc;"| 4 || May 15 || @ Minnesota || 0–1 || 2OT || Campbell || Xcel Energy Center || 2,766 || 2–2 || [53] |- style="background:#fcc;"| 5 || May 17 || Minnesota || 1–4 || || Campbell || Coca-Cola Coliseum || 8,501 || 2–3 || [54]
Player | data-sort-type="number" | ! | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24 | 20 | 7 | 27 | 101 | 4 | |||
24 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 67 | 14 | |||
24 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 44 | 16 | |||
23 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 39 | 8 | |||
24 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 49 | 12 | |||
23 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 42 | 6 | |||
24 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 63 | 16 | |||
24 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 36 | 12 | |||
23 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 33 | 10 | |||
24 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 35 | 6 | |||
24 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 29 | 2 | |||
24 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 12 | |||
16 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 25 | 2 | |||
24 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 31 | 23 | |||
23 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 6 | |||
24 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 4 | |||
20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | |||
23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | |||
24 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 4 | |||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Player | data-sort-type="number" | ! | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0 | |||
5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 4 | |||
5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 | |||
3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | |||
5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |||
5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | |||
5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | |||
5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | |||
5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | |||
5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |||
5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |||
5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | |||
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
+ colspan="16" style="background:#fff; border-top:#1A75BD 5px solid; border-bottom:#000 5px solid;" | Regular season | |||||||||||||
Player | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
22 | 1293:57 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 43 | 1.99 | 587 | 0.927 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
3 | 158:24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1.89 | 63 | 0.921 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
+ colspan="16" style="background:#fff; border-top:#1A75BD 5px solid; border-bottom:#000 5px solid;" | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
Player | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 321:03 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0.93 | 131 | 0.962 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player | Milestone | Reached |
---|---|---|
1st career PWHL game | January 1, 2024 | |
Lauriane Rougeau | ||
Kali Flanagan | ||
Olivia Knowles | ||
Alexa Vasko | ||
Allie Munroe | ||
Renata Fast | ||
Samantha Cogan | ||
Jesse Compher | ||
Rebecca Leslie | ||
Sarah Nurse | ||
Maggie Connors | ||
Natalie Spooner | ||
Emma Maltais | ||
Kaitlin Willoughby | ||
Hannah Miller | ||
Blayre Turnbull | ||
Brittany Howard | ||
Maude Poulin-Labelle | ||
1st career PWHL game | ||
1st career PWHL loss | ||
Natalie Spooner | 1st goal in franchise history | January 5, 2024 |
1st career PWHL goal | ||
1st career PWHL power-play goal | ||
Alexa Vasko | 1st career PWHL goal | |
Emma Maltais | 1st career PWHL goal | |
1st career PWHL short-handed goal | ||
Sarah Nurse | 1st assist in franchise history | |
1st career PWHL assist | ||
Renata Fast | 1st career PWHL assist | |
Rebecca Leslie | ||
Brittany Howard | ||
Jesse Compher | ||
Jocelyne Larocque | ||
Kristen Campbell | 1st career PWHL win | |
Sarah Nurse | 1st career PWHL goal | January 10, 2024 |
Allie Munroe | 1st career PWHL assist | January 13, 2024 |
Emma Maltais | ||
Hannah Miller | 1st career PWHL goal | January 17, 2024 |
Jocelyne Larocque | 1st career PWHL goal | January 20, 2024 |
Maggie Connors | 1st career PWHL goal | |
1st career PWHL assist | ||
Rebecca Leslie | 5th career PWHL assist | |
Kristen Campbell | 1st career shoot-out win | |
Brittany Howard | 1st career PWHL goal | January 23, 2024 |
Blayre Turnbull | 1st career PWHL assist | |
Hannah Miller | 1st career PWHL assist | January 26, 2024 |
Natalie Spooner | 5th career PWHL goal | |
Kristen Campbell | 1st career PWHL shutout | |
Renata Fast | 1st career PWHL goal | February 3, 2024 |
Blayre Turnbull | ||
Natalie Spooner | 1st career PWHL assist | |
Natalie Spooner | 1st career PWHL hat-trick | February 14, 2024 |
10th career PWHL goal | ||
Kali Flanagan | 1st career PWHL goal | |
Lauriane Rougeau | 1st career PWHL assist | |
Kristen Campbell | ||
Emma Maltais | 5th career PWHL assist | |
1st career PWHL game | ||
Jesse Compher | 1st career PWHL goal | February 16, 2024 |
Victoria Bach | ||
Jocelyne Larocque | 5th career PWHL assist | February 23, 2024 |
Victoria Bach | 1st career PWHL assist | February 27, 2024 |
Samantha Cogan | 1st career PWHL goal | March 2, 2024 |
Sarah Nurse | 5th career PWHL assist | |
Renata Fast | ||
Allie Munroe | 1st career PWHL goal | March 6, 2024 |
Hannah Miller | 5th career PWHL goal | March 8, 2024 |
Rebecca Leslie | 1st career PWHL goal | |
Blayre Turnbull | 5th career PWHL assist | |
Olivia Knowles | 1st career PWHL assist | |
Natalie Spooner | 5th career PWHL assist | March 17, 2024 |
Kali Flanagan | 1st career PWHL assist | |
Sarah Nurse | 10th career PWHL assist | March 20, 2024 |
Natalie Spooner | 15th career PWHL goal | March 23, 2024 |
Sarah Nurse | ||
5th career PWHL goal | ||
Emma Maltais | 10th career PWHL assist | April 18, 2024 |
Allie Munroe | 5th career PWHL assist | April 20, 2024 |
Sarah Nurse | 1st career PWHL hat-trick | April 28, 2024 |
10th career PWHL goal | ||
Hannah Miller | 5th career PWHL assist | |
Brittany Howard | ||
Emma Maltais | 15th career PWHL assist | May 1, 2024 |
Renata Fast | 10th career PWHL assist | |
Natalie Spooner | 20th career PWHL goal | May 5, 2024 |
Kaitlin Willoughby | 1st career PWHL assist |
Billie Jean King MVP Award | Natalie Spooner | |
Forward of the Year | Natalie Spooner | |
Goaltender of the Year | Kristen Campbell | |
Coach of the Year | Troy Ryan | |
Points Leader | Natalie Spooner – 27 | |
Goals Leader | Natalie Spooner – 20 |
Date | Player | Position | Term | Previous Team | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 6, 2023 | F | 3 years | Team Adidas | [55] [56] | ||
September 6, 2023 | D | 3 years | Team Adidas | |||
September 6, 2023 | F | 3 years | Team Scotiabank | |||
October 31, 2023 | F | 2 years | ||||
November 2, 2023 | F | 1 year | Team Sonnet | |||
November 3, 2023 | F | 3 years | ||||
November 7, 2023 | F | 2 years | ||||
November 8, 2023 | D | 3 years | Team Adidas | |||
November 8, 2023 | G | 3 years | Team Scotiabank | |||
November 9, 2023 | F | 1 year | ||||
November 9, 2023 | D | 1 year | ||||
November 10, 2023 | D | 2 years | ||||
November 10, 2023 | G | 1 year | Team Sonnet | |||
November 14, 2023 | F | 2 years | Team Scotiabank | |||
November 15, 2023 | F | 1 year | ||||
November 29, 2023 | F | 1 year | Team Sonnet |
See also: List of PWHL Toronto draft picks. Below are the PWHL Toronto's selections at the 2023 PWHL draft held on September 18, 2023.[57]
Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | Position | Previous team | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | Defence | Team Adidas (PWHPA) | |||
2 | 11 | Forward | Ohio State Buckeyes (WCHA) | |||
3 | 14 | Goaltender | Team Scotiabank (PWHPA) | |||
4 | 23 | Forward | Team Scotiabank (PWHPA) | |||
5 | 26 | Forward | Wisconsin Badgers (WHCA) | |||
6 | 35 | Defence | Boston Pride (PHF) | |||
7 | 38 | Forward | Team Scotiabank (PWHPA) | |||
8 | 47 | Forward | Toronto Six (PHF) | |||
9 | 50 | Defence | Connecticut Whale (PHF) | |||
10 | 59 | Defence | Team Harvey's (PWHPA) | |||
11 | 62 | Forward | Princeton Tigers (ECAC) | |||
12 | 71 | Forward | Team Sonnet (PWHPA) | |||
13 | 74 | Forward | Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star (ZhHL) | |||
14 | 83 | Forward | Team Sonnet (PWHPA) | |||
15 | 86 | Defence | Minnesota Whitecaps (PHF) |