Long time Canadian national team member, and Olympic and World Championship gold medalist Jennifer Wakefield is close to signing with the PHF's Toronto Six.
Long time Canadian national team member, and Olympic and World Championship gold medalist Jennifer Wakefield is close to signing with the PHF's Toronto Six.
In an offseason where big names have dominated the headlines of PHF signings, it appears another is nearing the finish line.
According to sources, Olympic and World Championship gold medalist Jennifer Wakefield is close to signing with the PHF's Toronto Six. Wakefield has been in negotiations with the team for weeks while considering her options to potentially return to Sweden where she has played for the past nine seasons. Considered one of the best players in the world, Wakefield's return to North America is another step for the PHF in the league's quest to attract the top talent globally.
Wakefield, 33, was a member of Team Canada for two Olympic Games, winning gold in 2014. She also represented Canada at six World Championships, winning one gold and five silver medals, including being named a tournament All-Star in 2013. She last represented Canada at the 2018 Olympics winning silver.
Wakefield is a six-foot power forward, who is also a face-off specialist recording the best face-off percentage four times in the SDHL.
Last season playing with MoDo, Wakefield scored 23 goals and 37 points in 28 games.
In 2021-2022, Wakefield played men's hockey in Sweden in the Division 3 league, scoring 32 points in 28 games.
Prior to Sweden, Wakefield spent one season with the Toronto Furies of the CWHL and was a Patty Kazmaier finalist while playing for Boston University. In her senior season, Wakefield captained a Boston Terriers team that also included Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin, and Metropolitan Riveters defender Kaleigh Fratkin, along with current Boston University coach and former Team Canada member Tara Watchorn.
While the contract is not finalized, it's believed the two sides are very close, and Wakefield will soon be making her return to Canada. Wakefield, originally from Scarborough, Ontario, is also the co-owner of Fierce Edge Athletics, a training facility in Oshawa, Ontario, that provides off-ice training, on-ice skill development, and showcase opportunities to hockey players. Fierce Edge has helped many advance to USports and NCAA hockey.
Wakefield would join other veteran stars coming from Europe to play professionally in the PHF this season including Finland's Susanni Tapani and Noora Räty who both signed with the Metropolitan Riveters this offseason. The Riveters were also rumored to be interested in Wakefield, but ultimately, the decision came down to playing for her hometown team in Toronto, or returning to MoDo of the SDHL for another season.
In the coming days, that decision will become more clear, and at the moment, all signs point to Wakefield becoming a new star in the PHF with the Toronto Six.