Latest news with #RenataFast
Toronto Sun
8 hours ago
- Business
- Toronto Sun
PWHL expansion teams will have plenty to choose from as they stock their rosters
Get the latest from Mike Ganter straight to your inbox Toronto Sceptres' Renata Fast (centre) lays a hit against the Minnesota Frost. The Canadian Press Have at it, PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The two newest clubs to join the PWHL have a veritable smorgasbord of talent ready to be picked over and made their own over the next six days, now that the existing six clubs have declared their three protected picks. GMs Meghan Turner and Cara Gardner Morey of PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver, respectively, both suggested finding leadership in the expansion draft process was going to be high on their list of desirables when it came to making their selections. Well, there's no shortage of that, starting with Boston Fleet captain and U.S. hockey legend Hilary Knight. Or if you want to stay Canadian there's the option of Brianne Jenner, the Ottawa Charge captain and a national team mainstay in her own right. Top-end forwards available include Sarah Nurse, the Toronto Sceptres forward who was one of the team's three foundational signings when the PWHL came into existence. The New York Sirens have left Alex Carpenter, another U.S. hockey legend, unprotected. Like Nurse, she too was one of her team's foundational signings. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There's a plethora of top-end defenders, starting in Montreal where another long-time national team member in Erin Ambrose was left unprotected. In fact, all of Montreal's vaunted D corps is there for the taking — at least until they, like all six existing teams, lose two players in the process, at which point each team will be able to protect a fourth player. Other top-notch defenders there for the taking including Minnesota's young duo of Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, as well as Ottawa's Ashton Bell, who is coming off a great second season in the league. As far as goaltending talent goes, there's going to be plenty to fill both Vancouver and Seattle's top two spots, should they choose to go that way. That list includes Minnesota's Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney (free agent), Toronto Kristen (Soupy) Campbell, Ottawa's Emerance Maschmeyer, New York's Corinne Schroeder, or even Boston's highly coveted backup Klara Peslarova. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The league put a premium on parity in this draft process and barring only some rather poor decision-making, both newcomers are being gift-wrapped the opportunity to come in at close to or even to the same level as the six existing teams. Should the new teams decide to start young and build that way, that route is there for them as well. Up for grabs just from last year's draft are the Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 picks — Ottawa's Danielle Serdachny, Minnesota's Thompson, Boston's Hannah Bilka, Montreal's Cayla Barnes and Toronto's Julia Gosling. In fact, the only 2024 first-round pick not available in this process is first-overall pick Sarah Fillier and, with her ties to the new GM in Vancouver (Fillier was Gardner Morey's captain at Princeton) coupled with some tough contract negotiations in New York, that means New York will have to negotiate another deal this off-season or risk losing her after the year. There's at least the potential for a deal there between Vancouver and New York. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As for surprises on the protected lists, there were a few, though in truth many of the bigger surprises were just confirmation of leaks that trickled out over the past few days. Leaving Knight and Bilka unprotected in Boston was a surprise given Knight is the team captain and still playing at an elite level, while Bilka has elite potential and is just starting out her pro career. The two-time defending champs in Minnesota stayed true to its leadership corps knowing they will probably lose at least one of their top goaltending tandem in Hensley and Rooney. In Montreal, there was very little surprise as it, like Minnesota, went with holding on to what they are built around and that is the duo of Poulin and Stacey, and the world-class goaltending of Desbiens. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It means they are likely going to have to scramble to rebuild a back line in front of Desbiens and say farewell to some coveted pieces, but that goes for all six teams. New York leaving Carpenter available was a surprise, but it allows them to maintain their more vocal leaders in Shelton and Zandee-Hart while ensuring their own once-in-generation talent in Sarah Fillier, a younger version of Carpenter, doesn't just leave them. Both Ottawa and Toronto had some very tough decisions of their own, exposing faces of their respective franchises in Jenner and Nurse. Those can't have been easy, but nothing about this process, other than knowing expansion means the league is thriving, has been easy for any of the six teams about to get picked over. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In the process, all six teams will lose a total of four players, giving each of the two incoming clubs a 12-player roster. Read More Following a five-day exclusive window in which Vancouver and Seattle can attempt to sign any of the unprotected players or those on expiring contracts, the two clubs will make selections in the expansion draft (Monday, June 9) until they have reached a total of 12 players each. The remainder of those two rosters will be filled out when they take part in the annual entry draft. The league has yet to announce where the two expansion teams will choose in the eight-team draft. The Protected Lists Boston Fleet: Aerin Frankel (G), Megan Keller (D), Alina Muller (F) Minnesota Frost: Kendall Coyne Schofield (F), Taylor Heise (F), Lee Stecklein (D) Montreal Victoire: Ann-Renee Desbiens (G), Marie-Philip Poulin (F), Laura Stacey (F) New York Sirens: Sarah Fillier (F), Ella Shelton (D), Micah Zandee-Hart (D) Ottawa Charge: Emily Clark (F), Gwyneth Philips (G), Ronja Savolainen (D) Toronto Sceptres: Renata Fast (D), Blayre Turnbull (F), Daryl Watts (F) Other Sports Canada Ontario Toronto & GTA Canada
CBC
27-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
PWHL's Renata Fast on her MVP nomination
Toronto Sceptre Renata Fast talks about her nomination for defender of the year and Professional Women's Hockey League's MVP. The 30-year-old from Burlington, Ont., led the league in ice-time this season and was a top-scoring defender.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast — up for PWHL top defender and MVP — didn't think she'd reach this level
For hockey player Renata Fast, the last two years of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) have been "more than we ever imagined," and an opportunity to grow as a player in ways she never thought possible. Fast, who's from Burlington, Ont., and lives there today, plays defence for the Toronto Sceptres. Though her team was eliminated from the playoffs on May 14, Fast distinguished herself in the league's second year, becoming a finalist for two awards. Alongside Minnesota Frost teammates Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, Fast is up for the PWHL's top defender distinction. And alongside Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Boston Fleet forward Hilary Knight, she's also in the running for league MVP. Speaking before the league announced her MVP candidacy, the 30-year-old told CBC Hamilton it was a "huge honour" to be named one of the defenders of the year. "It's always nice to have a little bit of individual acknowledgement," she said. "I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates for the compete that they've shown every day in practice to push me to be better, as well as my coaches. I think they've put a big investment in me as a person and a player to see how far my game can go." Fast had six goals and 16 assists in 30 games this season, tying Jaques for the scoring lead among defenders. She led the league in hits (63). With a total of 739 minutes and 45 seconds of play, she was on the ice more than any player in the league, averaging 24:39 per game. According to a PWHL news release, award winners will be announced June 25 at an event in Ottawa. The league's finals are still underway, with the defending champions Minnesota Frost playing the Ottawa Charge in a best-of-five series. "Obviously, we wanted to win that Walter Cup so it was a disappointing finish [for the Sceptres]," Fast said, but it was a "great" regular season with her team coming in second. "Every night's a battle," Fast said. "I think we learned a lot and we'll be ready to go for year three as well." Next year is set to be another big one for the league, which is rapidly growing in popularity, averaging 7,500 fans per game last season compared to last season's 5,500, according to the PWHL. This past season, teams had names and unique brands for the first time, games became viewable on more platforms with Prime Video streaming some, and PWHL teams became a big part of the latest instalment of the popular NHL video game franchise, with playable rosters that include Fast. The league is now expanding to add two teams in Vancouver and Seattle for next season. The six existing teams will each lose four players as part of a June expansion draft, meaning rosters will look quite different next season. The coming change has been the source of some consternation for players left wondering where they'll be next year. Fast said knowing her team is going to change made the end of this season harder. "It's great for the league. Obviously, it is a little bit disappointing to know that our core won't be together in the future." WATCH | The PWHL expansion draft explained: Fast is an Olympian and represented Canada nationally before the league's start in 2023. Still, Fast said, she didn't think she'd reach the skill level she has since. "I'm very thankful that it's a time in my career that I've been able to actually play in [the PWHL]," Fast said. Players in the league have said being able to compete professionally has opened up the opportunity for advancement in a way not possible before. In 2024, Hamilton's Kayla Vespa, who plays with the New York Sirens, told CBC Hamilton that before joining the PWHL, she was playing hockey in the evenings then working as an overnight snowplow driver — a demanding schedule. "I want to play hockey and I also wanted to obviously have a realistic living, paying job and whatnot. So I did both. Now with this league and the salaries, it's just been incredible," Vespa said at the time. Fast said having consistent training, high-end coaching and regular competition has allowed her to excel. She describes her style as "aggressive, in your face, shut-down defence." Fast is also fast, as evidenced by a breakaway goal she scored in overtime against the Frost back in February. Picking up a blocked shot in the Sceptre's zone, she raced past the opposing team's defenders, winning the game with three seconds to spare. WATCH | Renata Fast's late overtime winner lifts Sceptres over Frost on Feb. 11: "I think I can use my foot speed and and my edge work to my advantage, taking away time and space from opponents. … I know that's what's gotten me this far in my career," Fast said. Whereas her role on Team Canada was to shut down opposing teams' top players, Fast said there's an onus on her to play more offensively with the Sceptres. "It's been two years of learning the offensive side of my game, the risks that I can take knowing that I still need to be pretty stingy defensively. I felt that this year I managed that pretty well and had success on both ends of the ice." Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks are two defenders Fast enjoys watching to learn from, she said, and two of her long-time inspirations are Olympians Cheryl Pounder and Becky Kellar. The pair used to run hockey camps that Fast attended and now, she sees them regularly as they commentate on PWHL games. "I wouldn't have even known the opportunities that are out there in sport if it wasn't for that camp I went to," Fast said. In a "full circle moment," Fast now runs her own hockey camps for up-and-comers, teaching alongside teammate Emma Maltais, who's also from Burlington. As of publication, Fast's website says her 2025 camps sold out "in minutes" with limited spots remaining for goalies. "It's been incredible to be able to give back in the community that we're from and engage with a lot of the young girls that are playing," Fast said. "I think we've had some incredible bonds with some of those young girls and then to watch them develop over the last kind of couple years has been really neat."
CBC
26-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast — up for PWHL top defender and MVP — didn't think she'd reach this level
Social Sharing For hockey player Renata Fast, the last two years of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) have been "more than we ever imagined," and an opportunity to grow as a player in ways she never thought possible. Fast, who's from Burlington, Ont., and lives there today, plays defence for the Toronto Sceptres. Though her team was eliminated from the playoffs on May 14, Fast distinguished herself in the league's second year, becoming a finalist for two awards. Alongside Minnesota Frost teammates Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, Fast is up for the PWHL's top defender distinction. And alongside Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Boston Fleet forward Hilary Knight, she's also in the running for league MVP. Speaking before the league announced her MVP candidacy, the 30-year-old told CBC Hamilton it was a "huge honour" to be named one of the defenders of the year. "It's always nice to have a little bit of individual acknowledgement," she said. "I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates for the compete that they've shown every day in practice to push me to be better, as well as my coaches. I think they've put a big investment in me as a person and a player to see how far my game can go." Fast had six goals and 16 assists in 30 games this season, tying Jaques for the scoring lead among defenders. She led the league in hits (63). With a total of 739 minutes and 45 seconds of play, she was on the ice more than any player in the league, averaging 24:39 per game. According to a PWHL news release, award winners will be announced June 25 at an event in Ottawa. The league's finals are still underway, with the defending champions Minnesota Frost playing the Ottawa Charge in a best-of-five series. "Obviously, we wanted to win that Walter Cup so it was a disappointing finish [for the Sceptres]," Fast said, but it was a "great" regular season with her team coming in second. "Every night's a battle," Fast said. "I think we learned a lot and we'll be ready to go for year three as well." PWHL set to expand for next season Next year is set to be another big one for the league, which is rapidly growing in popularity, averaging 7,500 fans per game last season compared to last season's 5,500, according to the PWHL. This past season, teams had names and unique brands for the first time, games became viewable on more platforms with Prime Video streaming some, and PWHL teams became a big part of the latest instalment of the popular NHL video game franchise, with playable rosters that include Fast. The league is now expanding to add two teams in Vancouver and Seattle for next season. The six existing teams will each lose four players as part of a June expansion draft, meaning rosters will look quite different next season. The coming change has been the source of some consternation for players left wondering where they'll be next year. Fast said knowing her team is going to change made the end of this season harder. "It's great for the league. Obviously, it is a little bit disappointing to know that our core won't be together in the future." The PWHL expansion draft: Explained 4 days ago Duration 0:55 Fast is an Olympian and represented Canada nationally before the league's start in 2023. Still, Fast said, she didn't think she'd reach the skill level she has since. "I'm very thankful that it's a time in my career that I've been able to actually play in [the PWHL]," Fast said. Players in the league have said being able to compete professionally has opened up the opportunity for advancement in a way not possible before. In 2024, Hamilton's Kayla Vespa, who plays with the New York Sirens, told CBC Hamilton that before joining the PWHL, she was playing hockey in the evenings then working as an overnight snowplow driver — a demanding schedule. "I want to play hockey and I also wanted to obviously have a realistic living, paying job and whatnot. So I did both. Now with this league and the salaries, it's just been incredible," Vespa said at the time. Fast said having consistent training, high-end coaching and regular competition has allowed her to excel. She describes her style as "aggressive, in your face, shut-down defence." Fast is also fast, as evidenced by a breakaway goal she scored in overtime against the Frost back in February. Picking up a blocked shot in the Sceptre's zone, she raced past the opposing team's defenders, winning the game with three seconds to spare. Renata Fast's late overtime winner lifts Sceptres over Frost 3 months ago Duration 1:36 Sceptres defender Renata Fast scores with 3.7 seconds remaining in overtime and lifts Toronto to a 3-2 victory over Minnesota. Reigning PWHL MVP Natalie Spooner made her season debut for the Sceptres after having off-season knee surgery and picked up an assist. "I think I can use my foot speed and and my edge work to my advantage, taking away time and space from opponents. … I know that's what's gotten me this far in my career," Fast said. Whereas her role on Team Canada was to shut down opposing teams' top players, Fast said there's an onus on her to play more offensively with the Sceptres. "It's been two years of learning the offensive side of my game, the risks that I can take knowing that I still need to be pretty stingy defensively. I felt that this year I managed that pretty well and had success on both ends of the ice." Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks are two defenders Fast enjoys watching to learn from, she said, and two of her long-time inspirations are Olympians Cheryl Pounder and Becky Kellar. The pair used to run hockey camps that Fast attended and now, she sees them regularly as they commentate on PWHL games. "I wouldn't have even known the opportunities that are out there in sport if it wasn't for that camp I went to," Fast said. In a "full circle moment," Fast now runs her own hockey camps for up-and-comers, teaching alongside teammate Emma Maltais, who's also from Burlington. As of publication, Fast's website says her 2025 camps sold out "in minutes" with limited spots remaining for goalies. "It's been incredible to be able to give back in the community that we're from and engage with a lot of the young girls that are playing," Fast said. "I think we've had some incredible bonds with some of those young girls and then to watch them develop over the last kind of couple years has been really neat."
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who Should The Toronto Sceptres Protect In Expansion?
The PWHL has finally announced the rules for the upcoming expansion process this offseason, and they will change the look of the inaugural six teams for next season. For the Toronto Sceptres, there are many players who fans could argue need to be protected, but with only three slots available, they will inevitably lose quality players. Here are three players the Toronto Sceptres could protect ahead of the upcoming expansion process. Renata Fast was the one no-brainer pick to be protected from this roster. She is one of the top three defenders in the world, and you could argue the Sceptres' MVP for the 2024-25 campaign. Add her leadership role within the organization, and it makes this pick quite easy because she is simply invaluable to this team. Last season, Fast led the league in ice time, averaging 25 minutes a game while also scoring 22 points, a number that ties her for first among defenders. Within those 22 points are three game-winning goals, which ranked third among skaters, and many power play points, as she was a key cog in the Sceptres' league-best unit. Defence has been at a premium through the first two seasons of the PWHL, and to give up a two-time nominee for defender of the year seems unthinkable. The loss of recent draft pick Lauren Bernard and the likelihood of Toronto losing another defender in the expansion process will leave their organizational depth limited as is. With no clear candidate to step up and take on the minutes that Fast does, it would be foolish to think that her loss would not leave a seismic hole within the Sceptres' roster, especially after trading veteran defender Jocelyn Larocque during the season. There is no debate that when Sarah Nurse is at the top of her game, she is one of the best offensive players in the world. While she might not have shown the offensive prowess she displayed at the 2022 Olympics yet in PWHL, it's hard to leave her exposed, knowing what she can do offensively. To give her credit, despite a devastating injury during the Rivalry Series this year, she still managed to produce for the Sceptres, scoring 14 points in 21 games. Throughout her PWHL career, Nurse has averaged a point in 82.2% of her regular-season games. It would be devastating to lose a player with her offensive gift, given that this roster will most likely lose one or two of its top offensive talents in the process. The league's biggest fish in last year's free agency, Daryl Watts lived up to the hype in her first season as a member of the Toronto Sceptres. At the age of 26, it's hard to lose an impactful talent like her, who also possesses such a high ceiling when it comes to her potential as a player. In the 2024-25 season, she finished third in the league and first on the Sceptres in scoring with 27 points in 30 games. On top of this, Watts put the puck in the back of the net with ease, scoring 12 goals, two of which were game winners. While Watts' defensive game does still need some development at the pro level, it's hard to list that as a reason to leave her off the protected list, given how we have seen players both straight out of college and new to the league struggle to find consistent offensive production like she has. Honourable Mentions go to Blayre Turbull, Megan Carter and Julia Gosling as clear choices to be protected next when the Sceptres are given a fourth spot. Turnbull is a player Toronto could choose to protect initially. She is the ultimate 200-foot center and brings a lot to the organization off the ice as well. She hasn't quite found her offensive footing in the regular season, but when the lights are at their brightest, she has performed. Megan Carter is a rare breed of defender who, given a season or two, will develop into a top-flight defender in the PWHL. Natalie Spooner raved about her physicality and her big shot, which we didn't get a chance to see as much this season. On the other hand, Gosling found her stride offensively during her first PWHL playoffs, scoring three goals in the Sceptres' four-game series against the Frost. Gosling is a player with a lot of upside, despite not showing her full potential. If you look at how sophomore players like Jesse Compher and Maggie Connors have improved with the Sceptres, it's easy to see how she can develop into an offensive weapon in the PWHL.
