Former stars return as Sarah Nurse leads Goldeneyes against Sceptres in a charged home game at Scotiabank Arena's Battle on Bay Street.
The Toronto Sceptres will return to Scotiabank Arena on Saturday for the third annual Battle on Bay Street, but this time the spotlight falls on a familiar face wearing visiting colors.
Former Sceptres' forward Sarah Nurse is expected to make her return to Toronto when the Sceptres host the Vancouver Goldeneyes at 3 p.m. ET. After skating in Vancouver’s home opener, Nurse missed the next 11 games while on long-term injured reserve. She was activated on Thursday, making her eligible to appear in one of the PWHL’s marquee showcase games.
Nurse spent the league’s first two seasons with Toronto before joining Vancouver during the exclusive signing window and being named an alternate captain. Her return to Scotiabank Arena carries added significance: earlier this season, Nurse scored the first goal in Goldeneyes' franchise history in Vancouver’s inaugural game, before being sidelined. Saturday’s matchup marks her first opportunity to play in Toronto since that milestone.
“The game at Scotiabank Arena is easily one of the most exciting games of the year,” said Sceptres' alternate captain Renata Fast.
“The energy there the last two seasons has been incredible — you feel it through your whole body. Playing in front of 19,000 passionate fans at home is an experience you can’t really put into words. I know this game is circled on all of our calendars.”
The Battle on Bay Street has quickly become one of the league’s defining events. Toronto’s first appearance at Scotiabank Arena on Feb. 16, 2024 produced a 3–0 win over the Montréal Victoire in front of 19,285 fans, the largest crowd (at that point) in women’s hockey history. One year later, the Sceptres followed with a 4–2 victory over the New York Sirens before 19,102, with Nurse scoring the go-ahead power-play goal in that game.
This season’s Battle on Bay Street will be Toronto’s final home game before the league pauses for the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, where Nurse and several players from both clubs are expected to represent their countries on the international stage.
Nurse’s return comes with Vancouver currently eighth in the standings, while Toronto enters the matchup sixth, making Saturday’s game a key opportunity for both teams heading into the Olympic break.
In addition to Nurse, the game also marks the return of former Sceptres Hannah Miller, Kristen Campbell, and Izzy Daniel, as Toronto and Vancouver meet for the first time in regular-season play.