The Toronto Sceptres opened a March Break fan day with a blue-versus-white showcase before the Maple Leafs followed with a similar format, in an event built largely around younger fans and on-ice interaction.
With a crowd that included a lot of families, the day was structured more as a showcase than a traditional competition.
Both teams followed the same format — player introductions, a short three-on-three game, and a skills component to finish.
The Sceptres went first, splitting into blue and white teams for a 10-minute three-on-three. Rookie Emma Gentry scored twice for the blue team, with Natalie Spooner adding another. Blayre Turnbull, Sarah Hjalmarsson, and Claire Dalton scored for the white squad.
The deciding moment came in the accuracy shooting competition. Spooner hit all four targets in 13 seconds, earning an extra point for the blue team.
“It was fun,” Blayre Turnbull said. “Good for us to get out early, get a little practice in, and then playing three-on-three is something we don’t get to do too often. So lots of fun for all the kids out there.
"Emma Gentry scored a couple of nice goals. So it was fun for us to kind of let the defense slide a little and let people go in on some breakaways and show off their skills."
The Maple Leafs followed with their own blue-versus-white game, and added their totals to the Sceptres'.
The Leafs' skills portion included a shootout-style breakaway competition and a Simon Says game that brought several kids onto the ice alongside players. Goaltender Joseph Woll was the last player remaining in that event.
Throughout the day, there were moments of crossover between the two teams.
“It was great,” Maple Leafs defenceman Troy Stecher said. “Just to share the ice with them was a great opportunity — not only for us, but for the kids to see it, the boys and girls, just trying to grow the game of hockey and understand the importance of the PWHL.”
Stecher added that events like this could become more common.
“It's a great league, really good talented players that continue to get better, and hopefully a lot more days like this in the future.”
Forward Max Domi said he would like to see the format evolve even further.
“I was kind of hoping they would play with us, get a little intermix going,” Domi said. “That’d be fun. So maybe next year.”
Longtime broadcaster Joe Bowen moved between benches during both sessions, conducting informal interviews. At one point, he handed the microphone to Claire Dalton for a brief play-by-play sequence during the Sceptres portion, while Steven Lorentz took a turn during the Leafs' session.
The event also included a dog race featuring several Maple Leafs players, with defenceman Troy Stecher's nine-year old Bernese Mountain Dog Phoebe finishing with the fastest time.
The most consistent focus throughout the day was fan interaction. Kids were brought onto the ice to participate directly, including a segment where they drew numbered pucks that matched them with a player, who then presented them with a stick.
“I think it’s pretty special,” Renata Fast said. “When we were younger, an experience like that would have been incredible — to watch your idols and see both the men’s and women’s teams in the same rink back-to-back.”
That interaction stood out on both sides.
“It’s always nice to interact with the fans,” Fast added. “They’re the ones that bring the energy every night. I think it was pretty unique to be at Scotiabank Arena here today and to see the mix of fanbases — that was pretty special. And any moments that we can give them to show them how much we appreciate them, I think it's important."
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