With one game remaining before the PWHL pauses for the Olympic break, the Toronto Sceptres find themselves in an unfamiliar position. By points percentage, they sit last in the standings, coming off a difficult West Coast trip and an uneven first half that has tested the team physically and mentally. For captain Blayre Turnbull, the challenge of this season has been managing two realities at once: the grind of the PWHL schedule and the emotional weight of an Olympic year running in parallel. “Managing the Olympic season as well as the PWHL season has been challenging,” Turnbull said. “But it’s been super fun to be able to play in the regular season with Toronto while trying to manage the emotions and the stress that comes with preparing for an Olympics. It’s been in the back of everyone’s mind — every game we play, every practice we have.” That dual focus — staying present while preparing to peak in February — has affected much of Toronto’s first half. And from behind the bench, head coach Troy Ryan has seen how that tension can complicate a team’s response when results slip. “We’re not necessarily in a great spot right now,” Ryan said. “We have to work to get ourselves out of the situation.” Troy Ryan on the Sceptres before the Olympic break Those short-term growing pains have required steady leadership in the room. Turnbull said navigating difficult stretches has been less about speeches and more about understanding what different players need. “Any time our team has gone through a skid where we haven’t played good hockey, it’s been challenging to navigate as leaders,” she said. “It’s about understanding what the team needs, what certain players need, to make sure we feel good heading into every game.” That message, Turnbull said, has centered on simplicity. “Our team is at our best when we play a really strong, simple game. Right now, it’s about maintaining confidence and reminding everyone not to try to do too much.” Ryan echoed that idea, noting that each player reads that message differently. “There’s no way an offensive-minded player sees it the exact same way a defensive-minded player does,” he said. “Sometimes a coach has to be the one to bring that group together. You want players to have as much individuality as possible, but there are times when people have to sacrifice a little bit of that individuality for the betterment of the team.” Despite the standings, Turnbull sees progress within the group. She pointed to the chemistry between Renata Fast and Ella Shelton on the blue line, recent improvement on the power play, and individual performances by Maggie Connors and Claire Dalton that have stood out. Ryan also singled out his captain’s play as emblematic of what the staff is asking for, both on and off the ice. “Blayre has been everything you could ask her to be as a captain,” Ryan said. “She’s an incredible player, an incredible person, an incredible leader. She has no problem challenging me or having tough conversations, and she’s constantly thinking about what’s best for the team.” Ryan, too, said the foundation hasn’t disappeared, even if execution has wavered. “The mindset is still there,” he said. “That competitive side is still there. We’ve had good starts — it’s about maintaining them and making better decisions with the puck.” Looking ahead, Ryan acknowledged the scale of the task in front of the Sceptres. He said that meaningful progress will require a sustained run after the Olympic break, suggesting that playing at roughly a ten-wins-in-fifteen pace would put the team back into the playoff conversation. The break itself, Ryan said, is an opportunity — but not automatically a solution. “It’s another break in the year that can either go good or go bad,” he said. “We learned a lot from the first year. We’ll lean more toward the approach we had in year two. I’m confident in the staff we have back here, and I’m confident in the group of players we have.” For Turnbull, the objective for the second half is straightforward. “There’s no question that we have no choice but to put together a better second half,” she said. “The worst thing that can happen is when people try to do things by themselves or outside the game plan. Right now, we have to stay committed and stick together.” With the Olympic pause about to divide the season in two, the Sceptres aren’t pretending the first half went according to plan. But they aren’t looking backwards, nor have they lost belief in what the team can do after the break. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow C Benwell on X @gamedayhky [https://x.com/gamedayhky] on YouTube @gamedayhockey and on Instagram @gamedayhky [https://www.instagram.com/gamedayhky/]
