Get your tickets early (or clear your schedule to watch) for these key games on the 2025-26 Toronto Sceptres' schedule: Sceptres at PWHL Vancouver, January 17 **Venue TBD** The Toronto-Vancouver rivalry doesn't need time to develop - it arrived fully formed this summer when the expansion Vancouver team systematically dismantled the Sceptres' foundation. Start with Hannah Miller, the North Vancouver native who had a breakout season in Toronto. For a stretch last year, Miller led the entire PWHL in scoring, establishing herself as one of the league's most valuable players. Vancouver waited strategically to sign her after the initial expansion signing period, meaning she didn't count against their maximum allowed signings before the expansion draft. Smart roster construction that cost Toronto an important piece. Then Sarah Nurse, one of Toronto's foundational three signings, chose Vancouver during that initial signing window. Nurse carries star power and leadership - exactly what expansion teams covet and what Toronto would have wanted to retain. They opted to protect Daryl Watts over Nurse, however. The final piece? Goaltender Kristen Campbell, traded to Vancouver on draft day after a poor finish to the season forced GM Gina Kingsbury's hand. Campbell joins Miller and Nurse on the West Coast, and Toronto had to retain salary just to move her for two draft picks. That's the kind of transaction that leaves a mark. The rest of the PWHL will watch Vancouver warily, wondering just how dominant this expansion roster can be. Toronto has more reason than anyone to want answers - preferably in the win column. *Bonus: It appears this matchup will be a Takeover Tour game or at a special site. Toronto Sceptres at Minnesota Frost, November 21 Some matchups carry weight because of history. Toronto and Minnesota have a built-in rivalry. And the Sceptres get to kick off the regular season against their nemesis. The Frost have eliminated Toronto from the playoffs two consecutive years, both definitive statements. This past season, Minnesota dispatched the higher-seeded Sceptres in four games. The previous year, when Toronto finished first and selected Minnesota as their opponent using the PWHL's unique choice format, the series required five games before the Frost advanced (and eventually won the Walter Cup for the second time). That first playoff meeting left physical scars. League MVP Natalie Spooner tore her ACL when Grace Zumwinkle hit her into the boards, an injury that affected Toronto's depth and Spooner's recovery timeline. Those moments don't disappear from memory. Minnesota lost significant talent to expansion and might not match last season's dominance. But the numbers lay out Toronto's struggles: just one regulation win and one overtime victory against Minnesota last season vs. two regulation losses and two extra-time defeats. The Frost consistently present matchup problems that Toronto hasn't solved. Toronto Sceptres at New York Sirens, December 21 Sometimes the storyline is straightforward - a star player facing her former team after a franchise-altering trade. Toronto acquired Ella Shelton from New York at the draft, surrendering their first-round pick (3rd overall) and fourth-round pick (37th overall). That's blockbuster-level asset commitment for a single player, but GM Gina Kingsbury believes Shelton is worth the gamble. New York used those picks on dynamic forward Casey O'Brien at #3 and Ohio State forward Maddi Wheeler at #37. The Sirens transformed immediate defensive excellence into future offensive potential - a bet on development over proven production. Toronto's calculation centers on balance. Pairing Shelton, one of the league's premier defenders, with Renata Fast creates an elite top defensive pairing that should improve matchup flexibility in the expanded eight-team PWHL. The Sceptres clearly believe defense-first construction offers the best path to playoff success. New York fans weren't thrilled watching Shelton depart, regardless of the return package. The first meeting between these teams will carry extra intensity – New York wanting to prove they won the trade, Toronto needing to demonstrate Shelton's impact justifies the price paid.
