Victoire top pick Cayla Barnes still being evaluated for lower-body injury
Charge focused on making playoffs in 2nd PWHL season; Sceptres' vets taking charge
Montreal Victoire don't yet have a timeline for the return of injured first-round draft pick Cayla Barnes.
Victoire general manager Daniele Sauvageau said after Montreal's first on-ice session at training camp on Thursday that the team is still evaluating Barnes's injury, but signs are encouraging.
Barnes did not skate, while forward Catherine Dubois (medical reasons) was also absent at Verdun Auditorium. Defenders Amanda Boulier and Dominika Laskova and forward Kennedy Marchment wore non-contact jerseys.
Barnes, selected fifth overall at this year's draft, sustained a lower-body injury in Game 1 of the Canada-U.S. Rivalry Series on Nov. 6 in San Jose.
The 25-year-old defender from Eastvale, Calif., collided with Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin -- also the Victoire's captain – and fell hard into the boards feet first.
Barnes had 11 goals and 25 assists in 39 games with the Ohio State Buckeyes last season, winning an NCAA championship. Internationally, she won Olympic gold with the U.S. in 2018 and silver in 2022.
Victoire open their season against the Ottawa Charge on Nov. 30 at Place Bell in Laval, Que.
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Goalie depth among Ottawa priorities
Ottawa Charge have some tough decisions ahead, and general manager Mike Hirshfeld is prepared to make them.
The team gathered Tuesday the first day of training camp in preparation for the Professional Women's Hockey League's second season.
While there were many familiar faces, there are a number of new additions who will be vying for a roster spot. Ottawa has 29 players in camp, 19 of whom were part of last year's inaugural team.
Rosters are set at 23, with teams allowed to carry three reserve players, meaning three will need to be released at some point during the process.
"It's going to be really tough, but that's what we wanted to create," Hirshfeld said. "We wanted to have tough decisions, and there's going to be some players who are disappointed, and I'm fully prepared for that and to be the one who breaks the news, but that's a good situation."
Ottawa finished last season with nine wins (one in overtime) and 15 losses (six in OT) to finish fifth in the six-team league and narrowly miss the playoffs. Evaluating what was missing from the roster was a driving factor in off-season decisions.
Hirshfeld identified three priorities and is confident they were all addressed.
Emerance Maschmeyer was the backbone of Ottawa's goaltending last season, taking on the load by starting all but one of the team's 24 games. However, with the league schedule increasing to 30 games this season, Hirshfeld recognized the need for more depth in net.
Camp will feature a competitive mix of four goalies, led by Maschmeyer. Joining her are Allie Lehmann, from Switzerland, and two recent NCAA graduates -- Gwyneth Philips from Northeastern and Logan Angers from Quinnipiac. Each bringing their own strengths.
Maschmeyer, who became a new mom with partner Genevieve Lacasse over the summer with the birth of her son, Beckham, understands the need for additional depth but thrives on competition.
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"I know that whatever goalie is in net, we're going to be taken care of," said Maschmeyer. "That's a really great feeling knowing that if I'm not in net we're going to be just fine, but, yeah, I'm going to battle every day to get all the ice that I can grab."
The second priority was to add some depth on defence. a problem last season after losing Zoe Boyd to injury.
Ottawa is confident that the arrival of Finland's Ronja Savolainen -- known for her physical, relentless play – alongside third-round draft pick Stephanie Markowski will bring toughness and depth to its defensive lineup.
"I'm super excited to wear the same jersey as Ronja," said forward Emily Clark. "I have no doubt she's going to have an impact right away."
Clark, who has faced Savolainen numerous times in international play, described her new teammate as "a pain in the butt to play against" and is happy they'll finally be on the same side.
The final piece was to add some grit and size to the Charge's lineup -- an area Hirshfeld said was lacking last season.
"We knew it would be (physical and competitive), but you had to see it to really understand it," Hirshfeld said. "We felt like we didn't compete hard enough, particularly on the defensive end, so size and grit and toughness and compete level was really important for us."
The pieces are in place and now it will be up to returning head coach Carla MacLeod and the players to put everything together.
MacLeod is a proponent of communication being a driving factor to a team's success. While training camp may have officially got underway Tuesday, the Charge have been working together for weeks.
They were scheduled to have their on-ice session Thursday.
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7 rookies on Sceptres' camp roster
Toronto Sceptres captain Blayre Turnbull expects the team's veterans to help rookies navigate through expectations and pressure of playing in the PWHL.
The Sceptres have seven first-year players on their training camp roster, with four of them signed and the others trying to earn roster spots in camp. The team has two pre-season scrimmages Nov. 20 and Nov. 22 before opening the season Nov. 30.
"I think it's a huge responsibility on all the veterans on the team and the leaders on the team to make sure that our new players feel their best," Turnbull said. "The biggest thing for me is, if you want to make sure your team is ready for gameplay, you have to practice the same way that you play.
Turnbull recalled her first step out of the University of Wisconsin, a move to Calgary to train with the best players from Team Canada with a goal to make the national team someday. She said the biggest lesson was "learning from people around me on what it takes to get to the next level."
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While Turnbull believes there will be an adjustment period for the rookies, namely the physicality and pace of the PWHL, she says they have time to get acclimated.
Forwards Julia Gosling and Izzy Daniel, as well as defender Megan Carter, were Toronto's top three picks in June's draft, joining a Sceptres team with high expectations. Toronto is coming off an inaugural season where it finished atop the regular-season standings before falling in the semifinals.
There is a pressure to it, especially coming in from a strong draft class, Turnbull says.
"There are many people from this draft class that will be on Olympic rosters for the next Olympics," she said. "I think the expectations that has been put on them to perform right away, as soon as they step foot on the ice in the PWHL, the expectations are high.
For Gosling, being close to home, having been centralized for the 2022 Olympics and a familiarity with teammates from Team Canada along with head coach Troy Ryan and general manager Gina Kingsbury helps with the transition.
Carter, who was placed on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury on Wednesday, said she doesn't feel too much pressure.
"The team environment is so positive and welcoming," Carter said. "Everyone wants me to get better, everyone wants everyone to get better and work collectively to achieve our goals. It's not a high-pressure environment.
With files from Lisa Wallace & Abdulhamid Ibrahim, Canadian Press
