The reigning MVP PWHL Natalie Spoon will make your debut in the season for Toronto Sceptres on Tuesday after undergoing out -of -season knee surgery.
But his return coincides with another great loss for the Sceptres, after striker Sarah Nurse was injured playing for the Canada team in the rivalry series last week.
Spooner was injured last May in a collision on the boards during game 3 of the first playoffs series of the Walter Cup of the team against Minnesota, which won the championship.
The striker will make his debut against the same team on Tuesday, when the Sceptres receive the Frost in Coca-Cola Coliseum.
“I am excited to return with my teammates and I hope to compete again,” Sponer said in a statement.
“Obviously it was a long way to get to this point and it does not happen without many incredible people in my corner. I am very grateful for my surgical and medical team that has returned to full health.”
Spoon won the MVP of Billie Jean King and the best awards last season after leading all players at points (27) and goals (20). She was also appointed player of the year of the IIHF.
Even after staying half of the Sceptres games this season, Spoon is still tied with Marie-Philip Poulin de Montreal for the goal advantage of all time (20 goals).
“We have been patiently waiting for Natalie Spoon’s return,” said the general manager of Sceptres Gina Kingsbury.
“We are tremendously proud of the work that has invested in reaching this point. This has been a long trip, and has demonstrated throughout this process how the theite of an athlete is.”
Breastfeed “indefinitely”
To leave space for Sponer, the team transferred the Novata defender Lauren Bernard to the reserve list and launched the striker Sam Cogan from the group of reserve players.
Look | PWHL MIC’D WITH EMMA MALTAIS DE TORONTO:
Listen to the best moments about Canadian striker Emma Maltais while Toronto Sceptres defeat Ottawa 4-2.
While adding Sponer will provide a boost to the Sceptres, they will miss Nurse, who was transferred to the long -term injured reserve on Monday. It will be out of the alignment “indefinitely” after suffering an injury at the bottom of the body in the game of the rivalry series on Thursday against the United States.
The injury seems to have happened when the nurse crashed awkwardly with her teammate of Sceptres, Jesse Compher, who was playing for the United States.
The nurse has registered 12 points in 15 games, including five goals, for a team of Sceptres that has struggled to find its balance for much of the season.
The Sceptres are in the fourth place in the League of Six teams in Tuesday’s match against Minnesota, just one point behind the third place in New York.
The team entered the international break with a 4-2 key victory over Ottawa that allowed the peptres to pass the load and move from the last place to the room. But the team will have the challenge of maintaining that impulse after a nine -day break and the loss of nurse.
Look | Mic’d with nurse:
Listen to the best moments about Canadian striker Sarah Nurse while Toronto’s steepies defeat New York 4-2 sirens.
In addition to Spooner, the team has also added the German forward Laura Klug for the rest of the season.
Klug, who has just helped his country to win a place at the 2026 Olympic Games, attended the Sceptres training field in autumn.
“Laura had a great training field with us and left a great impression throughout our team,” Kingsbury said. “She will be added to our team inside and outside the ice.”
