The Rivalry Series didn't afford many Canadian players a favorable review, but one standout did earn positive attention and optimism – Emma Maltais
Emma Maltais’ progression has not come with the kind of dramatic inflection point that often characterizes a player’s rise. There has been no sudden surge in production or public declaration of arrival. Instead, her growth has been marked by something more incremental and, to coaches, more persuasive: a steady expansion of responsibility.
This season, that responsibility has taken a more defined shape. Maltais has transitioned to playing center full time with the Toronto Sceptres, a role that demands not only pace but a heightened level of detail through the middle of the ice. It is a challenge she welcomed.
“I’m excited to play center. I’m up for the challenge,” Maltais said. “I’ve always been able to play both positions growing up, but at the pro level there are so many more layers to the game.”
The move has coincided with a broader shift in her usage. Once viewed primarily as a reliable middle-six option, Maltais has increasingly found herself in situations that require more than energy and versatility. With Toronto losing several offensive players through expansion, she understood early that this season would demand more.
“Losing a bunch of key members of our team in the expansion process, I knew this year would be a year that I would have to step up into a potentially bigger role,” she said. “I was ready for that coming into the season.”
That readiness has translated beyond the PWHL. During the Rivalry Series, Maltais was elevated to Canada’s first line alongside Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey for the fourth game of the series. The results for Canada were lopsided, with the United States winning all four games, but the promotion itself was telling. In a program searching for solutions against a younger, faster American roster, Maltais has been one of the few Canadian forwards able to consistently match speed without sacrificing structure.
Much of that growth, Maltais said, has come from a clearer understanding of what is being asked of her. Having played under Troy Ryan with both Team Canada and the Sceptres, the messages have never been ambiguous.
“He’s always been very clear about what his expectations of my game are,” Maltais said. “The older I get, the more I realize how I can meet those expectations while still working on the things I want to work on.”
Ryan, who has watched Maltais develop since her time as a player at the U18 level, singled her out publicly after an early-season game, delivering his assessment in front of the team.
“I just told Emma, and I told them in front of the group,” Ryan said. “I’ve been around Emma since she was an underage at the U18 level, and that might be the best, most mature 60 minutes of hockey I’ve seen her play.
“She made a lot of small plays. She used her energy when she needed to, but used composure when she needed to. She was available on a lot of plays in the middle. I think she just played more of a complete game instead of a more one-dimensional game than sometimes players will play.”
That emphasis on composure reflects the internal shift Maltais feels has defined her season.
“This year, for me, I’ve just calmed down a bit,” she said. “I think my preparation in the summer helped my confidence. Feeling a little more calm out there probably relates to my composure.”
Maltais’ professional trajectory has unfolded quickly. After graduating from Ohio State, she was drafted directly to Toronto and entered the league as a true rookie. She made an immediate impact (four goals, 19 assists) and was a finalist for Rookie of the Year in her first season.
Last year, however, did not follow the same upward arc (nine points in 30 games), and her game at times lacked the clarity that had marked her early success.
The expansion process revealed how significantly the organization viewed her place moving forward. Toronto initially protected Blayre Turnbull, Daryl Watts and Renata Fast. After Sarah Nurse and Julia Gosling were taken, the Sceptres used their additional protection slot on Maltais.
“Knowing that, and still them deciding to do it, meant a lot to me,” she said. “It speaks volumes about their loyalty, and it makes me want to perform for them.”
As the league continues to skew younger through expansion, Maltais has also found herself transitioning into a leadership space sooner than she might have expected.
“Our league is getting younger, so my transition to being a veteran might be quicker than it would’ve been before,” she said.
For now, her progression remains understated. There are no declarations of arrival, no sense of a finished product. You now see a player whose role continues to expand because the details are following.
“For me it’s staying even keel — not getting too high, not getting too low,” Maltais said.
It is not a transformation built on flash, but on trust — earned quietly, and essential to team success, whether it's the Sceptres or the national team.