When I asked Jesse Compher what she’d think if I wrote that she was my pick for Toronto’s breakout player this season, she didn’t flinch. She smiled, acknowledging the compliment — but her answer was classic Compher: focused, grounded, and very much locked in on the work ahead. “Yeah, I mean, thank you. That’s obviously a compliment,” she said. “I’m excited to get this season started… it’s been a long offseason. It’s a big year. I’m excited to sign back here for two more years.” In a league where confidence is currency, Compher’s version of it is quiet but deep-rooted — shaped by a grinding first pro season, a sharp year-two jump, and the relentless summer training that’s put her directly on the cusp of becoming one of the PWHL’s most complete two-way forwards. The 26-year-old Chicago native enters the 2025–26 season riding a steady, undeniable upward trajectory. Her rookie year in the PWHL was about apprenticeship: 24 games, 5 points, sheltered usage, heavy defensive responsibility, and a crash course in professional hockey. Last season, she became one of Toronto’s reliable regulars — 9 goals, 18 points in 30 games — and arguably one of the most improved forwards in the league. Now? She looks poised to take the full leap. FROM “FIGURING IT OUT” TO DRIVING PLAY Compher doesn’t sugarcoat how tough Year 1 felt. Coming straight from NCAA hockey into a brand-new league wasn’t seamless. “Year one… it was my first year pro. I was coming right out of college. It was a big jump for me,” she recalled. “I wish I had an answer that was like, ‘I figured it out and figured out how to score in this league.’ I wish I had that answer for everyone.” But the turning point, she says, wasn’t a single moment — it was accumulation: comfort, consistency, trust. “Recently I’m just playing with a bit more confidence. I was really happy with the way I trained this summer, with the group back in Chicago… and then playing this year a lot with Blayre (Turnbull) and with a bunch of different players. Just to play with the same players consistently, and playing in a lot more situations… I’m just having a lot of fun out there and liking the results.” Her Year 2 surge reflected that. Toronto’s coaching staff leaned on her more heavily, and she rewarded them with reliable two-way play and a shot that she relied on as the season moved along — a shot that teammates like goaltender Raygan Kirk have openly called “one of the best on the team.” TRAINING LIKE A PRO — WITH PROS If there’s one advantage Compher doesn’t take for granted, it’s her off-season environment. All summer, she trains with her brother, Detroit Red Wings forward J.T. Compher, and a group of NHL regulars who skate in Chicago: Patrick Kane, Christian Dvorak, Connor Murphy, and others. “I’m very lucky that the NHL group lets me skate with them,” she said. “They treat me like a professional athlete — not like a female athlete or just somebody’s little sister. They compete with me. They want me to get better. I’m very fortunate to be in that situation.” That level of daily competition shows up in her game. Her stride is stronger, she’s using her 5'10" frame with more assertiveness, and she has become noticeably more comfortable creating separation in the offensive zone. TORONTO’S TRUST — AND HER CHOICE TO STAY Compher hit free agency for the first time this summer, but the decision didn’t drag on. “At the end of the day, I knew I wanted to be back in Toronto,” she said. “I have a lot of trust in Gina and a lot of trust in Troy. And obviously the girls in the locker room played a big part in it… I love the city and this fan base.” Signing for two more years solidified her spot within a leadership core built around Blayre Turnbull, Renata Fast, and Allie Munroe — and gave Toronto a reliable, growing offensive piece in the middle of the lineup. A NEW LINE WITH UPSIDE Through training camp, Compher has been slotted on Toronto’s projected second line with Blayre Turnbull at center and Maggie Connors on the left — a trio with unusual chemistry and complementary skill sets. Turnbull drives the middle of the ice, Connors brings speed and finishing, and Compher… she’s the glue. The finisher. The sudden threat. The player who can read both sides of the ice and unlock lanes. THE U.S. NATIONAL TEAM FIRE — AND THE LONG ROAD BACK Her breakthrough wasn’t just about Toronto. The last two years have been defined by a fierce internal push to claw her way back onto Team USA after being left off multiple rosters — something she describes with striking honesty. “Being left off some rosters… it wasn’t easy. Probably some of the hardest days,” she admitted. “But I knew from the second I was left off that first worlds roster, after being on it for consecutive years, that I wanted to get back. I have one goal in mind — I want to be in 2026, I want to be in Milan.” She earned her way back for Worlds, regained her spot, and now enters this Olympic year balancing two massive ambitions: winning the Walter Cup and cementing her place on the 2026 U.S. Olympic roster. “The Olympics… it’s in the back of my mind every single day. But when I’m here in Toronto, my feet are in Toronto. When I’m with the national team, that’s where my feet are.” Her time with Team USA also provides a unique developmental boost: she learns daily beside the best. “I get to sit in the locker room every single time next to Hilary Knigh–how can I not be excited about that? She's one of my best friends and one of the best players in the world, so I get to learn from her every single time I'm there. It's just such an honor and such a fun way to learn more about the game. ” WHY THIS SEASON IS DIFFERENT Confidence is the word she returns to over and over. “Last year I walked into this locker room knowing about two girls… (the second) year, they were my best friends and my sisters. "Just having the confidence to be on the ice with them every day… competing with them and knowing I'm on the ice with the best girls in this league, every single day, players like Renata Fast, Blayre Turnbull, to be able to compete and have fun with them, and just enjoy playing hockey with them, I think that gives you a boost of confidence." Players improve fastest when they’re trusted, challenged, and surrounded by elite peers. Compher has all three of those elements in place now. Toronto believes they have a better, deeper roster. A returning Compher is one of the reasons why. THE BREAKOUT Everything about Jesse Compher points upward: usage, confidence, scoring touch, strength on the puck, national team stability, and comfort in her environment. If Toronto does what it thinks it can do this year — finally push deeper into the postseason — Compher will be one of the biggest reasons. And if she breaks out the way her arc suggests? Don’t call it a surprise. Call it the next logical step for a player who’s been building toward this season for two years.
