Julia Gosling discusses the opportunity to play with many familiar faces in Toronto from Team Canada, and to "grow as a player" in the PWHL. The PWHL's first season has come to a close, giving time to look back at what we’ve learned about all six teams, including their team culture and identity. Here is a look back at what PWHL Toronto was able to develop in their first season. Key Staff: GM Gina Kingsbury, Coach Troy Ryan Team leaders: Blayre Turnbull, Jocelyne Larocque, Renata Fast, Natalie Spooner In Toronto, the team identity is easy at first glance: stocked with national team management and talent, this is the most Canada-heavy group in the PWHL. Familiarity among the players, especially the core leadership group, and coach Ryan, seemed like a good bet to give them a head start in team chemistry. However, when they stumbled out of the gate and lost four of their first five games [https://theeyeopener.com/2024/01/gabel-gives-pwhl-boston-3-2-win-toronto-home-ice-woes-continue/], the group unity was challenged. But they leaned on their veterans like Larocque, who said, “Maybe it’s good to go through adversity now…” According to defender Fast, however, “The confidence never wavered, so it was like we'd lose and we'd be disappointed but we'd be like, "It's coming, it's almost there – the tipping point's almost there,' like you could feel it and sense it, so it never felt like a switch was flipped, it was like progress each game and finally we got to that win streak." TRENDING UP When Team Canada’s Natalie Spooner began to emerge as the league’s leading scorer [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/natalie-spooner-is-officially-back-pwhl-toronto] and most dynamic offensive player, it added another bright spot to the emerging confidence of the Toronto team. She cruised to the goal scoring and points total lead and sparked the team with her energy and optimism. From the top down, the culture appears to be trusting each other and leaning on veterans. Coach Ryan spoke of the faith he has in the leadership group in communicating between the players and the coaches. “Our identity comes from the people in that locker room. When you have someone like Larocque and Fast and Turnbull, I never have to worry about if the right thing’s being said when we’re not in there as coaches. I don’t spend a lot of time in our dressing room because I have so much trust in them. They’re constantly trying to do what’s best for our program.” Their identity is maturity and poise, relying on their system and each other even through adversity. The assuredness and calm provided by GM Kingsbury and coach Ryan was evident as the group really settled in during March and racked up a city record-setting win streak of 11 games. Goaltender Kristen Campbell, who was unfortunately a part of the team’s early struggles, became the backbone of the team as she found her form, and eventually was named the league’s top netminder at the end of the season. Playing in the smallest arena in the league (Mattamy Athletic Centre, with a capacity around 2,800), Toronto’s fans were a stark contrast to the corporate ticketholders who pack the Maple Leafs games. And the energy in the building got more and more upbeat as the team gelled, found ways to win, and cemented their first-place finish. PLAYING TO THEIR IDENTITY Physical play was a huge part of what made Toronto’s success possible. They seemed to adapt and use it to their advantage more than almost every other team. They excelled at making plays after contact, killed penalties relentlessly, wore down opponents, and were (as every coach loves to say) “hard to play against.” Another example of their veteran approach was using players’ ice time wisely and relying on depth down the stretch to make sure their players were rested. Players like Jesse Compher and Victoria Bach were invaluable during late-season games. They went into the playoffs with all cylinders firing. Moving to the larger Coca-Cola Coliseum seemed to suit them as they defeated their (selected) semi-final opponent Minnesota in the first two games. But in game three, their confidence was dented slightly [https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pwhl/pwhl-toronto-minnesota-recap-may-13-1.7202887], and when Spooner suffered an apparent knee injury, the team’s veteran poise was tested. They came up lacking, with the offense drying up and went down in defeat to the eventual Walter Cup champion. Spooner’s confidence and reliability was such an important element of the team’s style of play that losing her at that crucial moment proved insurmountable. Even though the regular season success didn’t translate to a championship [https://www.theicegarden.com/2024-pwhl-toronto-season-recap/], Toronto’s identity as one of the strongest teams in the league seems assured. They continued their high standards at the draft where they had the sixth pick in every round, but managed to come away with forward Julia Gosling, Patty Kazmaier Award winner Izzy Daniel, and hometown defender Megan Carter. The addition of free agent scoring star Daryl Watts away from Ottawa (and Emma Woods from New York) shows that nothing less than the best is good enough for PWHL Toronto.
