Toronto

PWHL's Toronto Sceptres get name, logo ahead of new season

Toronto’s PWHL team has a new name, a new logo and a new home heading into the 2024-2025 season — and the league’s reigning MVP is hoping for big things as the newly crowned Sceptres prepare to hit the ice again.

Team also moving into Coca-Cola Coliseum for home games

A Professional Women's Hockey League player from Toronto, wearing a blue, black and white jersey, skates by her team’s bench to celebrate her goal against Ottawa on May 5, 2024.
Natalie Spooner had a PWHL-leading 20 goals and 27 points for Toronto last season, on the way to being named the league's MVP and top forward. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press/File)

Toronto's PWHL team has a new name, a new logo and a new home heading into the 2024-2025 season — and the league's reigning MVP is hoping for big things as the newly crowned Sceptres prepare to hit the ice again.

"To sell out arenas and set records day after day [last season] was crazy, and I think this season we're just looking to do the same," Sceptres forward and Billie Jean King MVP award-winner Natalie Spooner told CBC News Monday, as the team's new name was unveiled.

"We have the most amazing fans so for them to now be able to come out and support us and have a team name to rally behind, it's just even more exciting."

The Professional Women's Hockey League unveiled names and logos for all six of its teams Monday heading into its second season, after time constraints led to the PWHL spending its inaugural season referring to each team with a PWHL prefix.

The Sceptres, the PWHL said, "embody Toronto's regal history and commanding presence," and reflect the Ontario capital also being known to some as the Queen City.

WATCH | Toronto will be able to rally around team name, Spooner says:

PWHL Toronto reveals name, logo ahead of 2nd season

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Ahead of its second season, the Professional Women's Hockey League unveiled the nicknames and logos for each of its six franchises, including Toronto’s. CBC’s Ali Chiasson has the details.

"I'm sure in the stands we're going to see sceptres, we're going to see crowns, we're going to see royalty there — which I think we want in Toronto. We should be known for that," Spooner said.

"When I think of a sceptre I think of something that's so powerful and has so much strength, and royals carry it and it shows that. I think for our team we'll really be able to rally around that and use that as strength and power whether it's our stick or we're holding a sceptre."

Alongside the Sceptres, the league announced the other team names as the Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, Boston Fleet, New York Sirens and Minnesota Frost.

The Sceptres also announced this month that Coca-Cola Coliseum will serve as the team's primary home venue for regular-season games throughout the 2024-25 campaign. This comes after Toronto skated in front of sold-out crowds at Mattamy Athletic Centre last season, before playing three sold out games at Coca-Cola Coliseum during the playoffs that averaged more than 8,500 fans in attendance.

WATCH: What to expect in PWHL's 2nd season: 

What's in store for the PWHL's second year?

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The league's inaugural season is done and the PWHL's 2024 draft has wrapped up. Now teams are preparing for next season.

Spooner said she welcomes the team's move to a new home.

"The atmosphere in there is so cool," she said.

"To be able to be there permanently, to be able to get more fans in the building — I think it's a great spot for us."

She also said there's excitement for the team heading into next season with new draft picks and free agent signings on board — with a hope to erase the memories of being eliminated in last year's playoffs by eventual champion Minnesota. 

"Obviously not the ending we wanted last season, but looking to build on that," she said.

The team says information about season tickets will be released soon, with priority to 2024 season ticket holders and fans who have joined the team's waitlist or subscribed to its e-newsletter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Carter

Reporter

Adam Carter is a Newfoundlander who now calls Toronto home. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamCarterCBC or drop him an email at adam.carter@cbc.ca.

With files from The Associated Press