How biggest PWHL trade can change fortunes for Toronto Sceptres, Ottawa Charge
Blockbuster deal changes look of back end for both teams
Two Canadian PWHL teams have pulled off a blockbuster trade that will change the look of their defensive units, swapping key pieces of their rosters as both teams fight to claim a playoff spot.
The Toronto Sceptres sent veteran defender Jocelyne Larocque and forward Victoria Bach to the Ottawa Charge, the league announced on Monday night. In return, the Charge sent puck-moving defender Savannah Harmon and power forward Hayley Scamurra to Toronto.
Going into Friday's game at Toronto's Coca-Cola Coliseum between the two teams, the Sceptres and Charge were tied in fourth place, with seven points each. Only the top four teams make the playoffs in the six-team league.
"I think people would automatically think that this is us trying to shake up our lineup [and] us being disappointed with the results that we've had so far this season," Sceptres GM Gina Kingsbury said. "To be honest with you, we're constantly looking at ways to be better."
All four players will be in the lineup Friday evening to suit up against their former teams.
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One of Canada's most decorated defenders
Ottawa gets one of the most decorated defenders in Team Canada history in Larocque, who has won two Olympic gold medals and four world championships. She was a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and won championships in the Canadian Women's Hockey League and Western Women's Hockey League.
Toronto selected Larocque with the second pick in the 2023 draft, and she was one of the team's assistant captains.
"Jocelyne is an incredible leader and carries herself in a way that shows the example for the rest of our team," Kingsbury said. "She's been a big, big part of building our franchise and our organization."
Much of her ice time in recent years, both with Toronto and Team Canada, have been spent alongside Renata Fast. Larocque brought more of a steady, stay-at-home presence for Fast to roam.
Her toughness and defensive mindset are two elements Ottawa Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld found his team was lacking in the first season of what has become a very physical league. Hirshfeld felt his team wasn't hard enough to play against, culminating in the team missing the playoffs last season.
Since then, Hirshfeld been trying to course correct to get tougher, starting with selecting Danielle Serdachny in the draft in June.
Beyond her toughness, Larocque's experience and leadership also appealed to Hirshfeld, who hopes she can mentor younger defenders like Ashton Bell and Stephanie Markowski.
Toronto gets more puck-moving ability
In Harmon, Toronto gets a "dynamic" defender who can eat time on the power play and take some of the load off Fast, who logs huge minutes for Toronto. Ottawa selected Harmon with the fifth pick in the 2023 draft.
Harmon will play alongside Fast in the first game, reuniting two players who were defensive partners at Clarkson University, and could help Toronto do a better job of breaking the puck out of the team's zone.
"She brings something that maybe we were missing a bit," Kingsbury said.
Swapping forwards
Up front, Bach has played mostly a bottom-six role in Toronto, which drafted her in the seventh round in 2023. She missed the first month of Toronto's first season while finishing teacher's college.
When she returned, Toronto had just begun what would become an 11-game win streak. Bach has one goal so far this season.
"We think she's someone who perhaps didn't get quite the opportunity she deserved in Toronto," Hirshfeld said.
The team consulted Bach's former Boston University coach, Brian Durocher, who works as a consultant for the Charge. She'll bring offensive creativity and strong skating to Ottawa.
To get Bach, they had to give up Scamurra, a tough-to-play against middle-six forward who is going to add even more grit to the Sceptres.
Scamurra scored the first goal in Ottawa franchise history last season, but hasn't registered a point yet this season. She should help Toronto be more defensively responsible. Going into Tuesday's game, the Sceptres had given up more goals than any other team in the league, both overall and on the penalty kill.
"She can play up and down the lineup," Kingsbury said. "She fits in in so many different scenarios."
For all four players, the concept of being traded without their consent is still relatively new.
But Kingsbury has emphasized to her team that players will come and go, and that she wouldn't make personal decisions, only choices that will benefit the team as a whole.
"This is a new landscape that we're all trying to navigate through and learning," the GM said. "I think there was some surprise on both sides of the equation."
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