Latest news with #Sceptres
Toronto Sun
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Toronto Sceptres draft night trade brings Ella Shelton back to plenty of familiarity
Native of Ingersoll will be much closer to her family farm. Get the latest from Mike Ganter straight to your inbox New York Sirens' Ella Shelton reaches for the puck during a PWHL game. The Canadian Press The newest veteran defender on the Toronto Sceptres looked down at the colours and crest on the jersey she was wearing and wondered aloud how long it was going to take to get used to them. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But the colours are going to be the only uncomfortable thing for Ella Shelton as she makes the move from the New York Sirens to the Sceptres. Shelton, 27, was acquired on draft night for the Sceptres third-overall pick and their third-rounder, 27th overall. It brings the Ingersoll native back to some familiar company in national team GM Gina Kingsbury, head coach Troy Ryan and players like Renata Fast, Blayre Turnbull, Emma Maltais and Natalie Spooner, who Shelton has shared plenty of days and nights with during the international portion of her career. Three world championship gold medals and an Olympic gold medal are just some of the spoils from playing with that group. On top of that familiarity, she's now just a two-hour drive from the family farm, is back living in the same city with one of her brothers and has an extensive family support system throughout the area from Toronto all the way back to the family home in Ingersoll. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Shelton learned of the deal just before Cassie Campbell took to the stage at the brand new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on the outskirts of Ottawa early on draft night and drew gasps from the crowd with the news that Shelton had just become a member of the Sceptres. The gasps may have also been about New York earning the right to claim the top two forwards in the draft after adding Patty Kazmaier winner Casey O'Brien with the third pick after selecting the imposing Kristyna Kaltounkova with the night's first pick. All Shelton needed to see was the joy in the faces of the veteran Sceptres in the crowd as the cameras panned to them to know she was going to be very happy with the deal. 'I think it's really exciting to be back home,' Shelton said Friday while surrounded by microphones and cameras in the Sceptres locker room. 'I wouldn't trade my two years in New York for anything. I think they have done a lot for me there, too, but I'm excited for a new opportunity and a new space and see what I can do for Toronto.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In joining Toronto, Shelton becomes a teammate of the player she most models her game after in Fast, the newly minted PWHL defender of the year. 'I can't say enough good things about Renata Fast,' Shelton said. 'She is one that took me under her wing when I graduated from college. She was one I could reach out to and ask any question and I didn't feel out of place. And then just seeing her work ethic over the past couple of years has just been tremendous and very motivational for myself. 'Her game is so fast and so physical on the ice and I think she has such a huge impact on the ice as well as in the locker room, I'd love to try and mimic my game around what she does and try to do that things she is doing,' Shelton added. That said, Shelton brings her own impressive resume from New York. No defender in the league has scored more goals or amassed more points over the two years the league has been up and running than Shelton. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But very much like Fast's progression, the offence is relatively new to her game. 'When I think of my college days, I was a very defensive defender,' Shelton said. 'I still produced, but Clarkson's biggest thing was defence and being really solid in that because once you have that, it is so easy to go and play in the offensive zone. I think knowing now that I have that solidified and being able to still work on it, it's something in my offensive game that I really want to continue to grow. 'People love to see goals being scored. People love to see creative things being done so for me to continue to find different ways to produce would be awesome especially in the offensive zone. Just using my strengths – my speed, my feet and my size — and doing all that while on being on the blue line can be a challenge but I'm up for the challenge.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More The bigger challenge may be avoiding those calls from her dad asking her to come home to the farm and help with the planting or, heaven forbid, the rock-picking duties that are an annual part of the farm calendar. 'My dad will be 'Well, you're just down the street now, you can just come join us.'' Shelton said. 'But I love going back home and being on the farm. It will be nice to pop down the street and go and help drive a tractor if they need that or maybe I'll just drive one for fun.' Shelton is thrilled to be back in a hockey situation where her family is so close. 'Every time I've come to Toronto (as a member of the Sirens) it was fun to see familiar faces up in the stands and now I get to do that on a consistent basis,' she said. 'I'm really excited about this locker room too. Being really familiar with a lot of players and the staff itself, it feels really homey.' It won't be long at all before that royal blue and that golden Sceptre on her chest feels every bit as familiar as her former jersey. mganter@ Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Music Toronto Raptors Toronto Raptors
National Post
25-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
A banner day at PWHL entry draft resets Toronto Sceptres roster
There is a pillow calling Gina Kingsbury's name following today's PWHL Awards ceremony and she can't wait to accept the invitation. Article content Like all the various decision-makers in the PWHL, the Sceptres GM has been burning the midnight oil for weeks now as the league went through the business of adding two expansion teams into the league on equal footing while still doing the work necessary to prepare for a six-round entry draft. Article content Article content Kingsbury and her staff arrived in Ottawa needing to fill some big holes in their lineup, solve an overcrowded goaltending situation and basically get the organization back on solid footing after enduring the roller-coaster ride that was the expansion process. Article content Kingsbury should sleep well in the coming days because it appears she has addressed all of those needs. Article content It began with a move that will likely not get the attention it deserves given how divided the attention of the league's followers was on draft night with all the new faces coming into the league. Article content Article content While teams were stockpiling potential in the young college stars or in some cases veteran international talents, Kingsbury and the Sceptres dealt away their first pick, third overall, to acquire 27-year-old defender Ella Shelton from New York. Article content Shelton has long been a favourite of both Kingsbury and Sceptres coach Troy Ryan, who have seen her talent up close for years as a member of the Canadian national team. Article content Article content But the Ingersoll native, who always has seemed like a natural fit in Toronto, wound up in New York in the inaugural draft and thrived in the Big Apple even as the Sirens themselves struggled to find consistency. Article content Article content Shelton easily is among the top five defenders in the league and joins another in that group in Toronto with Renata Fast, giving Ryan and his coaching staff a pair of defenders capable of doing whatever the team needs most at any given moment in a game. Article content In a league that is morphing more and more to a win-now mode given the roster upheaval expansion brings — and don't kid yourself, more is coming, next year if not the one after that — getting a league-proven star at the very top of her game is good business. Article content 'Bringing Ella to Toronto is something we are really excited about,' Kingsbury began in her post-draft interview. 'We have always wanted Ella Shelton in Toronto. I think anyone would want Ella Shelton in their lineup. Article content 'Once we saw (Sirens GM Pascal Daoust) was having more and more signings on the defensive side, we thought he would be more willing to let go one of his (more accomplished) defenders,' Kingsbury said. 'So, we started to have conversations about what that would look like and eventually came to an agreement.'
National Post
23-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Sceptres sign ex-Montreal forward Clair DeGeorge to 1-year contract
The Toronto Sceptres have signed forward Clair DeGeorge on a one-year contract, the Professional Women's Hockey League team announced Monday. Article content The 26-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, had two assists in 26 games with the Montreal Victoire last season. Article content Article content DeGeorge helped the Minnesota Frost win the Walter Cup in the PWHL's inaugural 2024 season. Article content She had one assist in 23 regular-season games and appeared in all 10 of the team's playoff games. Article content DeGeorge is the eighth player to sign with the Sceptres this off-season, along with goaltender Elaine Chuli and forward Claire Dalton, who both played with her last season in Montreal. Article content The move comes a day before the PWHL's 2025 entry draft in Ottawa. Article content 'We are excited to welcome Clair to our organization,' Sceptres general manager Gina Kingsbury, said in a release. 'Clair is a 200-foot centre that is defensively responsible with some offensive upside. She will bring PWHL experience to our lineup, including being a Walter Cup champion.' Article content
Hamilton Spectator
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
PWHL's Toronto Sceptres sign forward Clair DeGeorge to one-year contract
TORONTO - The Toronto Sceptres have signed forward Clair DeGeorge on a one-year contract, the Professional Women's Hockey League team announced Monday. The 26-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, had two assists in 26 games with the Montréal Victoire last season. DeGeorge helped the Minnesota Frost win the Walter Cup in the PWHL's inaugural 2024 season. She had one assist in 23 regular-season games and appeared in all 10 of the team's playoff games. DeGeorge is the eighth player to sign with the Sceptres this off-season, along with goaltender Elaine Chuli and forward Claire Dalton, who both played with her last season in Montreal. The move comes a day before the PWHL's 2025 entry draft in Ottawa. 'We are excited to welcome Clair to our organization,' Sceptres general manager Gina Kingsbury, said in a release. 'Clair is a 200-foot centre that is defensively responsible with some offensive upside. She will bring PWHL experience to our lineup, including being a Walter Cup Champion.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
PWHL's Toronto Sceptres sign forward Clair DeGeorge to one-year contract
TORONTO – The Toronto Sceptres have signed forward Clair DeGeorge on a one-year contract, the Professional Women's Hockey League team announced Monday. The 26-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, had two assists in 26 games with the Montréal Victoire last season. DeGeorge helped the Minnesota Frost win the Walter Cup in the PWHL's inaugural 2024 season. She had one assist in 23 regular-season games and appeared in all 10 of the team's playoff games. DeGeorge is the eighth player to sign with the Sceptres this off-season, along with goaltender Elaine Chuli and forward Claire Dalton, who both played with her last season in Montreal. The move comes a day before the PWHL's 2025 entry draft in Ottawa. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'We are excited to welcome Clair to our organization,' Sceptres general manager Gina Kingsbury, said in a release. 'Clair is a 200-foot centre that is defensively responsible with some offensive upside. She will bring PWHL experience to our lineup, including being a Walter Cup Champion.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2025.
