logo
Sceptres look to continue battling for Walter Cup after another early playoff exit

Sceptres look to continue battling for Walter Cup after another early playoff exit

TORONTO – Toronto Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan says being unhappy with the result shouldn't mean being unhappy with where the team is headed.
The Sceptres fell 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday to lose its best-of-five semifinal against the defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost in four games.
It's the second consecutive year Toronto has fallen to Minnesota in the semifinals despite being the higher seed entering the playoffs.
Toronto finished second in the PWHL standings behind Montreal and clinched a playoff berth a week before its regular-season finale.
The Sceptres faced their share of injury troubles, especially with last season's MVP Natalie Spooner out of the lineup until Feb. 11 after knee surgery. They also lost top rookie defender Megan Carter before season's start until Jan. 25, and star forward Sarah Nurse missed almost two months before returning late March.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
Ryan was content with his team's effort in Game 4 loss after two tough losses and acknowledged the difficulty of winning in the PWHL.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Get to know Sarah Nurse, one of the PWHL stars joining Vancouver's new team this fall
Get to know Sarah Nurse, one of the PWHL stars joining Vancouver's new team this fall

CBC

time2 hours ago

  • CBC

Get to know Sarah Nurse, one of the PWHL stars joining Vancouver's new team this fall

Vancouver's inaugural Professional Women's Hockey League team has already signed some big names: this week, the team signed Surrey's Jenn Gardiner, all-star defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, goalie Emerance Maschmeyer and all-around hockey legend Sarah Nurse. Nurse has two Olympic medals under her belt: a silver in 2018 and a gold from the 2020 Tokyo Games. She's been with the Toronto Sceptres since the PWHL launched in 2023, as one of the team's first three signings. During the inaugural season, she tied for second in league scoring with 23 points in 24 games and was voted a Second Team All-Star. Vancouverites saw her play this past season at the sold-out PWHL game at Rogers Arena in January, where the Montreal Victoire beat the Sceptres 4-2. This week, she signed a one-year contract with PWHL Vancouver. "It's like a whirlwind," she said. "I am so excited to be able to play professional hockey in Vancouver. I think it's really the opportunity of a lifetime, and being here in January, I saw the passion, I saw the zest, I saw the excitement for women's hockey. If the fans could show up for a Toronto and Montreal team, I can't even imagine how amazing it's gonna be for their own hometown team." Nurse joined Amy Bell on CBC's On The Coast for an interview following the announcement. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Did this move to Vancouver come as a surprise for you? A little bit. With the expansion draft and the rules and how everything was going to shake out, I knew it was a possibility that I would be left unprotected by Toronto. I knew that if I went to an expansion team, Vancouver was my target. After talking to Cara Gardner Morey from Vancouver, I couldn't be more excited because I just know that it's the right fit for me. What has playing for the Sceptres been like? I think from day one, when this league started, I was blown away by the support everywhere. Toronto embraced us with everything that they have. We were the first professional women's sports team in Toronto. Now, we've been joined by the NSL soccer team and also the WNBA team that's coming. There's so many hockey fans, there's so many young hockey players who are coming up within the Greater Toronto Area. They're absolutely incredible, and I'm so grateful for their support. How important was it for a new Vancouver team to sign a high-profile name like yours? I was obviously very honoured to be in consideration to be brought to Vancouver. I take a lot of pride in what I do off of the ice and my impact in the community on the fans and the supporters. But I think, ultimately, my biggest goal is to make a splash and make an impact on the ice. I want to be the best possible player that I can be for this organization and really put my best foot forward because I know that I have a lot of skills and abilities that I think are going to be great on this team. What kind of role do you think you're going to be able to play with this new team? I have very high expectations of myself. I definitely want to be a leader on and off of the ice. I think with the other girls and Sophie and Claire, they're pretty locked down on the back end. They're two very, very world-class defencemen. And then Emerance in net, an absolute brick wall. I think she's been probably the best goalie in the PWHL for the last two years. Jenn Gardiner, who's young, new, fresh talent who has so much potential, and it's going to be great to see her blossom and grow. You battled a long-term injury this past season. How are you feeling as you get prepared to hit the ice in Vancouver this fall? I'm feeling so optimistic. I'm excited to have some time to actually fully rehab my knee and be able to be the absolute best that I can be when November comes. I'm excited to put in the work. I think I'm going to get on the ice next week, which I'm actually itching to do, especially with the news and signing in Vancouver. I want the season to start now. Off the ice, your contributions are just as huge. You hosted Nursey Nights in Toronto to provide community groups tickets to the Sceptre games. You helped found the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association and are also a part of the PWHL players' union. And you're an advocate against racism in hockey. What do you hope to continue here in Vancouver? All of the above. I really have a passion for making this sport as inclusive as possible and making sure that our sport represents the fabric of our nation. I think that we are such a diverse, multicultural society, and I think that our experiences should really reflect that in our game. I'm so encouraged to come to Vancouver and continue the work. I'm excited to bring Nursey Nights to Vancouver. We've been able, we brought 200 girls over this last year into Toronto Sceptres games, and so I'm looking to do something very similar in Vancouver. I think there's so many great community initiatives that our team can be a part of, and that's something that's a passion for all of us. Your cousin, Darnell Nurse, plays for the Edmonton Oilers, who are currently battling it out for the Stanley Cup. How exciting is it to see him and the Oilers in the finals again? I could not be more proud of that boy. He has gone through so much, that team has gone through so much and honestly, they are absolutely rolling right now. So I'm very hopeful and I know they're going to have a different result than they had last year. They've been on the stage. They know how big it is, and they've been absolutely rolling. So I'm so proud of him.

Maple Leafs hire former Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde as assistant
Maple Leafs hire former Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde as assistant

CTV News

time4 hours ago

  • CTV News

Maple Leafs hire former Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde as assistant

Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde, standing, watches during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez) TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired former Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde as an assistant on Craig Berube's staff, the NHL team announced Friday. The 52-year-old from Brasher Falls, N.Y., had a 89-86-23 record leading the Red Wings bench from the start of the 2022-23 season until he was fired midway through the 2024-25 campaign. He previously spent four seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant coach, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. Lalonde was an assistant coach with the United States at the 2023 and 2024 world championships. Before joining the NHL, he held head-coaching roles with the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the ECHL's Toledo Walleye and the United States Hockey League's Green Bay Gamblers. Mike Van Ryn and Marc Savard are Toronto's other assistants. Associate coach Lane Lambert left the Maple Leafs a week ago to take over as Seattle's head coach. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.

Alexander, defence lead Alouettes past Argonauts 28-10 to open CFL season
Alexander, defence lead Alouettes past Argonauts 28-10 to open CFL season

Winnipeg Free Press

time12 hours ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

Alexander, defence lead Alouettes past Argonauts 28-10 to open CFL season

MONTREAL – Davis Alexander threw for one touchdown and 205 yards as the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Toronto Argonauts 28-10 to open their Canadian Football League season on Friday. Montreal (1-0) earned its revenge after the visiting Argonauts defeated the Alouettes 30-28 in last year's East Division final en route to their 19th Grey Cup title. Alexander — in his first game since the Alouettes traded '23 Grey Cup MVP Cody Fajardo — rushed for 50 yards on four attempts to improve to 5-0 as a starter in the CFL. The 26-year-old quarterback also threw one interception on a warm, hazy night as prairie wildfire smoke drifted into Quebec on Friday. Tyson Philpot caught one touchdown pass, Issac Adeyemi-Berglund returned a fumble into the end zone, and Caleb Evans rushed for a major before 21,480 at Molson Stadium. The Alouettes' defence held the Argos to just 34 rushing yards, and Alexandre Gagné tied a CFL single-game record with seven special teams tackles. Veteran QB Nick Arbuckle, last year's unexpected Grey Cup MVP, threw for one touchdown, two interceptions and 273 yards on 20-for-32 completions for Toronto (0-1). The Argonauts lineup featured 13 different starters compared to last year's championship game. Toronto also started a second consecutive season without starting QB Chad Kelly, who broke his tibia and fibula late in last year's East final. Montreal kicker Jose Maltos went 2-for-3 with a rouge. Toronto's Lirim Hajrullahu went 1-for-1 on a 45-yard field goal. Montreal took a 15-3 lead heading into halftime when Adeyemi-Berglund returned a fumble 17 yards into the end zone after Shawn Oakman laid out Arbuckle with 32 seconds left in the second quarter. The play stood after review — instead of being ruled an incomplete pass — despite the fact Arbuckle released the ball before Oakman's hit. The league ruled that Arbuckle did not have a throwing motion before the ball left his hands. Things only got worse for the Argos as James Letcher Jr. returned a kickoff 67 yards to open the second half. Alexander then ran 12 yards and completed three passes to set up Evans' one-yard QB sneak into the end zone as the Alouettes took a 22-3 lead 4:29 into the half. Derek Slywka intercepted Alexander's deep pass with five minutes remaining in the third quarter for his first pick in the CFL. Alexander appeared to injure himself late in the third quarter when a Toronto defensive lineman fell on his legs. He rolled round on the field, holding his left knee in pain, but ultimately stood up on his own and returned to play on the next drive. Toronto finally scored a touchdown with 10:47 remaining when D'Verick Daniels fought his way into the end zone after catching a pass for 11 yards. Arbuckle's 47-yard bomb deep to David Ungerer III set up the score to cut Montreal's lead to 22-10. The Alouettes went ahead 25-10 after Alexander led a drive to Toronto's 23, leading to a Maltos field goal from 31 yards out. Tyrice Beverette, a nominee for defensive player of the year last season, intercepted Arbuckle's throw with 2:33 left to all but seal the result. Montreal opened the scoring eight minutes in with a rouge after Maltos missed a field goal from 38 yards out following a botched snap. Alexander aired out a pass into the end zone for Philpot, but the ball fell just out of his reach. Alexander and Philpot made good on their next attempt. The two connected for Montreal's first touchdown of the season on a 26-yard pass deep into the end zone with 2:01 remaining in the first quarter to take an 8-0 lead. The Argos, meanwhile, struggled to generate momentum on offence. Toronto reached the Montreal 28 six minutes into the second quarter, but Arbuckle threw an interception picked off by defensive back Lorenzo Burns. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Arbuckle made a couple big completions, including a 35-yard throw to Coxie, to reach the Montreal 39 on the ensuing drive. Toronto, however, settled for a field goal after two incompletions. UP NEXT Alouettes: Visit the Ottawa Redblacks next Friday. Argonauts: Host the Calgary Stampeders on June 14. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store