The Toronto Sceptres’ forward makes her long-awaited return to the lineup after a nine-month absence following knee surgery. What should we expect to see?

Ever since Natalie Spooner returned to full practice with the Sceptres last month, the speculation heightened that she was going to make her return from LTIR. When Spooner went with the team on their recent road trip to Minnesota and Montreal, fans wondered if they’d see her in either of those games.

But the more likely scenario has taken place: she continued practicing and skating during the international break to give an extra cushion of time and further workouts to be ready.

Spooner makes her season debut against the Minnesota Frost at Coca-Cola Coliseum tonight, and the team needs her now more than ever. With the announcement that Sarah Nurse was placed on LTIR, Spooner’s scoring and offensive instincts will be vital to the team’s continued upward swing.

They have already made strides from last place, sitting now in fourth after their last four games all gave them at least one point (including two regulation wins for six total points in the standings). Megan Carter’s return to the lineup has been a huge part in the upturn, but Spooner’s will obviously be even more meaningful.

The Sceptres had been using seven defenders with Carter’s return but will likely switch to 13 forwards and six defenders to give Spooner a little extra room for adjustment. Newly signed forward Laura Kluge has made the flight to Canada but is out with an illness, leaving the Sceptres with 12 forwards and six defense. (Lauren Bernard was moved to reserve).

What can we expect to see, besides her strong skating, hard net-front battles, and fights for rebounds? All of those have been evident in her practices and scrimmages with the Sceptres, and her shot and quick hands look to be in fine form. Don’t forget, Spooner averaged 0.83 goals per game last year.

With the Sceptres getting a lot of shots early in the season without a lot of results, coach Troy Ryan noticed that Spooner might have been able to make a difference on rebounds.

“With us being able to put 40-plus shots on goal, it's hard not to think of the the pucks that Spooner would collect in that position at net front when we’re getting that many at the net.”

One of the elements that Spooner brings, according to the coach, is that knack for breaking through with an early goal.

“As we at times struggle to score a goal, your group just needs an early one sometimes, and that's what Spooner does. So it's not that her presence is going to change the whole dynamics of some things, it just may give you enough at times to get the life back.

“Now if you can just add that early goal or that power play net-front goal, with Spooner, the rest kind of looks good,” is how Ryan described it.

Off the ice is another area where Spooner is a difference-maker.

“This group has a lot of energy, but it's not necessarily as loud [as last year’s team],” said Ryan.

“They're relatively reserved, quiet at times. It’s tough to be quiet around Spooner, she just brings such a good energy. The one thing I think I don't think you'd find many players in hockey that just treat everybody the exact same too; she's kind, she's caring, she's energetic.”