The Toronto Sceptres missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They remained in the race until the final day of the season. Statistically, the Sceptres struggled in nearly every category.

Toronto stayed in the race as long as they did via more regulation wins than any other non-playoff team, and more than the fourth place Ottawa Charge. Overall however, the Sceptres finished with six fewer wins than the Charge.

Goal Scoring Abysmal

Toronto averaged only 1.7 goals per game this season. Their 51 goals were 20 less than fourth place Ottawa, and 37 goals less than the league's offensive leader,

Daryl Watts who had 19 points in 30 games was the lone Sceptres player to finish in the top 20 in league scoring, and was the only player to hit double digits in goals this season for Toronto.

Toronto finished near the bottom of the PWHL in both expected goals and net expected goals. Net expected goals predicted three of four playoff teams this season with the exception of the league's leader by a wide margin in the marker, the New York Sirens.

Toronto's offensive struggles started with the possession game. Toronto was the worst team in the PWHL in the face-off circle this season, and unfortunately for the Sceptres, the biggest area of weakness for them came on defensive zone face-offs where the team only won 43% of draws. Similarly, Toronto won 49% of their puck battles this season, one of only three teams on the negative side of the marker.

Preseason Trade

When Gina Kingsbury pulled the trigger on PWHL Draft day to acquire Ella Shelton in exchange for the third overall pick, and a fourth round pick, the question was...why? Shelton is an incredible defender, regarded as one of the best in the league, but the Sceptres' defensive depth was already substantive with Renata Fast, Savannah Harmon, Kali Flanagan, and Allie Munroe as a solid top four. What they didn't have was scoring. Casey O'Brien, who New York picked third overall, was the 2025 Patty Kazmaier winner and NCAA leading scorer. She went on to scored 22 points in 28 games, three more than Toronto's leading scorer, Daryl Watts.

It was impossible to predict how this trade would have played out, but Toronto's blueline looked like they lost the chemistry they had, and their scoring struggled. The missed opportunity to select O'Brien, and then taking a defender with their second or third pick, which could have landed them Nina Jobst-Smith or Riley Brengman, or even targeting another in free agency for depth, hurt.

Powerless Power Play

The Toronto Sceptres had the second worst powerplay in the league at only 10.8%, a mere 0.1% ahead of Vancouver, who had the worst powerplay.

In 2024-25, Toronto had the best power play in the league at an impressive 25.8% Certainly the losses of Sarah Nurse and Hannah Miller to Vancouver hurt, but there were controllable factors that played a part. Toronto was the least accurate passing team in the PWHL this season connecting on only 81% of their pass attempts. In terms of where those passes were directed, Toronto also made significantly the fewest passes to the slot of any team in the league this season. It speaks of a team often kept to the periphery. The result was Toronto recording the fewest power play shots this season, and a 10.8% success rate.