The Toronto Sceptres' failure to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in three years is a bitter pill for lifelong hockey people like general manager Gina Kingsbury and head coach Troy Ryan. The team's leadership is still nursing wounds after falling short in the final games of the season.
Kingsbury and Ryan spent Monday conducting exit interviews with players, breaking down a season that started poorly, improved significantly after the Olympic break, but ultimately came up short in the push for a playoff berth.
Offensive Struggles and Injuries
Like every professional sports team, Toronto dealt with injuries, but no one pointed to that as the reason for missing the playoffs. Statistically, the key letdown was the team's average of just 1.7 goals per game this season.
Expansion and Contract Uncertainty
Looking ahead, there are plenty of opportunities for change, some forced by league expansion. Between two and four new teams are expected to join before next season. The league has cautioned that the expansion process may differ from last year.
The amateur draft, rich with franchise-altering talent, also remains uncertain. Toronto, finishing fifth, could pick anywhere from fourth to eighth in the first round, depending on where new teams are slotted.
Kingsbury on Expansion Preparation
Having been through expansion once, Kingsbury noted: "I don't know if you can be better prepared because we are still trying to figure out what the rules will be. I think you can be just maybe mentally better prepared. Now you've been through it, you felt the pain of seeing athletes leave your market."
Expiring Contracts
The vast majority of the league's foundational players received three-year deals when the PWHL debuted, and most are now expiring. In Toronto, key players like Blayre Turnbull, Renata Fast, Daryl Watts, and Emma Maltais are on expiring contracts.
"We have a substantial number of players on expiring contracts," Kingsbury said. "The league will address how that will be managed to ensure balanced groups throughout the league and for expansion clubs." A signing freeze is currently in place, preventing teams from extending their own free agents.
Re-signing Key Players
Kingsbury indicated that exit interviews were positive: "For the most part, I would say 99% were very positive and a group that wants to stay in Toronto and appreciate the environment they have been in."
Biggest Factor in Missing Playoffs
Kingsbury identified inconsistency as the main issue: "I don't think we ever truly, fully connected to the style of play we needed. We saw it in spurts, even within a game for chunks of 10 minutes. But that was never consistent. Typically that happens when players are not fully buying in or understanding the style we need to play."
Off-Ice Success
Despite on-ice struggles, the Sceptres have been strong off the ice. Since moving to Coca-Cola Coliseum last season, every home game has drawn at least 7,500 spectators. The annual game at Scotiabank Arena has attracted over 17,000 fans each of the three seasons.
Over 39 home games since the PWHL began, the Sceptres have averaged 7,492 fans, second in the league behind Montreal. League-wide attendance in 2025-26 was up 28% over the previous season and 71% over the inaugural season. Online merchandise sales increased more than 50% season over season, with a 190% increase following the 2026 Olympics.
