The Seattle Torrent put on a show for their home crowd on Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Sceptres. This game was the highest scoring game of the 2025-26 PWHL season thus far with 10 total goals, and with the Torrent scoring six of those goals, they tied the Frost for most goals scored by a team this season. The game was an electric send-off as the Torrent play two on the road next and then break for the Olympics. “The theme of the night of these Olympians, they knew what the crowd was here tonight to send them off in a in a great fashion, and they stepped up. They got that ball rolling and kept it rolling, and the rest just jumped on the train and kept it going,” said Coach Steve O’Rourke after the game. “That's a testament to them, but then a testament to the players with them that did the same thing. Just grind and grind and grind and find a way to get it done and even the way we finished, I did like the way we finished. We kept pucks out of the middle at the end and really didn't give them anything at the end. So proud of the way we got to the finish line.” THE OLYMPIANS HIT THE SCOREBOARD Throughout the game, there was a celebration of the Olympians who will take to the world stage in Milan in just a few weeks. The Torrent have six players representing their countries in the Olympics. This includes Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Cayla Barnes, and Hannah Bilka for Team USA, Julia Gosling for Team Canada, and Aneta Tejralová for Team Czechia. Former bronze medal Olympian from Shoreline, WA, Kelly Stephens Tysland, dropped the ceremonial puck. Photo @ PWHL [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/b87050e0-0cb7-40bb-997e-e7626492440b.jpeg] Former bronze medal Olympian from Shoreline, WA, Kelly Stephens Tysland, dropped the ceremonial puck. Photo @ PWHL While Tejralová is currently dealing with a lower-body injury and didn’t play, the other Seattle Olympians hit the scoresheet in this barnburner of a game. Barnes had an assist, Carpenter had two assists, Knight and Gosling each had a goal, and Bilka had a goal and an assist. Head coach Steve O’Rourke has spoken previously about his even-keeled style of coaching whether the team is winning or losing. He also knows he has not only veteran players, but seasoned Olympians in players like Knight and Carpenter. The two came together to get the first goal of the night for the team when the Torrent were down two to zero. Coach O'Rourke discusses the Olympians' impact on the team and the game. The Olympians clearly help to lead the way both on and off the ice. It isn't about them dominating any game, it's about how they're able to elevate, support, encourage, and give opportunities to the players around them as well. The top four scorers currently on the Torrent are Gosling, Bilka, Knight, and Carpenter, respectively. While it might be expected that Olympians are the highest performers it doesn’t necessarily translate automatically with different teams, leagues, and configurations of lines. The Sceptres' Olympians also had a good night, despite their loss. Team Canada’s Emma Maltais had one assist, Daryl Watts had two assists, and Natalie Spooner and Blayre Turnbull each notched a goal. THE PWHL AS PREPARATION Because the PWHL didn’t exist in 2022 when the previous Winter Olympics took place, there were fewer opportunities to compete to get ready for the games. “We're lucky, in a sense, that we have this league now. I came in at a time where this league was already born, so I got lucky. Others weren't as lucky in the past, where training was a lot more difficult over the quad to get games in and get quality ice time, and to train for an Olympic Games,” Barnes said. For the first time, these Olympic athletes have the benefit of the PWHL as a way to find consistent games and repetitions. “Now we have the opportunity, day in and day out, to play against the best players in the world and play competitive hockey,” said Barnes. “That's something that's really special. I think it'll elevate the game at the Olympic Games as well. Everyone is on the same playing field, playing against the same players, night in, night out in the PWHL. What makes this league so special is that we get to train with the best all the time, so our preparation level goes up that much more.”
