“I never thought I’d leave Toronto—playing pro hockey on home ice was a dream”

From the moment the PWHL was announced, I knew I wanted to play for Toronto. This is my home. I grew up in Hamilton idolizing the professional sports teams here. When I heard Toronto was going to have a team, I wanted to do everything in my power to be part of it. Moving here in 2018 was a pinch-me moment. To this day, whenever I walk by the CN Tower, I think, I can’t believe I live here. That’s why it’s bittersweet to say I’m leaving.

Ever since my move to Vancouver’s PWHL team was announced on Wednesday, I’ve received nothing but support from so many former and new teammates, fans, and family. It’s been a whirlwind, but one of true love and encouragement.

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When news broke that the Sceptres hadn’t chosen me for protection, it hurt, and I was disappointed and scared. But I understood that, in Toronto, we had a strong team with many players worthy of being protected, and that those decisions were extremely difficult for our management. I had to wrap my head around the possibility of not playing professional hockey in Toronto with the team, organization and fans I’d come to love so much.

On Wednesday, I woke up not knowing what to expect. My agent had meetings with both Seattle and Vancouver early that morning, and Cara Gardner Morey, the general manager for Vancouver’s team, asked to speak with me. That afternoon, we had a call, and she laid out her expectations and vision. She had clearly done her homework on me, but she wanted to know me beyond my reputation. We talked about the player I’m striving to be, beyond the one I am right now. She and I both know I have untapped potential. I found myself feeling seen by her, which was refreshing.

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When it wrapped up, I was like, You know what? If this is the opportunity, let’s make the move. Afterward, I went out to dinner at Maxime’s, a new restaurant with a nice patio that had just opened up. That’s when the news broke. I didn’t mind. I figured, I’m just going to enjoy myself.

The last time I spoke with Toronto Life, in the fall of 2024, I said I didn’t want to be traded, and I meant it. Back then, the PWHL was in a start-up phase. But now it’s in a growth phase, and that means things need to change, as scary as that can be. I feel like I’ve given my heart and soul to this city, my teammates and our fans, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have been a Toronto Sceptre. This is one of the meccas of hockey, and to have played here has been truly special.

I’ve met fans everywhere: in arenas, on the streets and even in the airport. They’ve had as much of an impact on me as I’ve had on them. All of the jerseys with my name on them in the stands, all the signs saying, “I’m your biggest fan”—they all mean so much to me. I’ve never seen fans like this in women’s hockey.

Fans knew when to humble me too. The Sceptres had a rough start in our early days, and we didn’t win many games at first. I remember someone walked by me one day, stopped and said, “Tough start to the season, eh?” And then he just kept walking. Then, during the RBC Open, after the playoffs in 2024, somebody came up to me and said, “I can’t believe you guys blew that lead!” It just shows how invested Toronto fans are in hockey and how much our fan base had grown. For a city like this one, it’s only the beginning.

I’m most proud of the impact I’ve had on this community. I’ve taken part in so many different initiatives, like my Nursey Nights, which allowed us to bring roughly 200 under-represented youth to hockey games. To meet them and introduce them to professional hockey was so special.

I’ll never forget the incredible times I had with my fellow Sceptres. We built a culture of communication and honesty, and from the road trips to the locker rooms, we created memories together every day. I remember during the Battle on Bay Street, when we played New York at Scotiabank Arena, my ears ringing from how loud it was in there—I could barely hear our coach on the bench. Seeing all the signs and feeling that energy with my teammates was truly magic.

When I told my family the news, they all said the same thing: “We’re so proud of you, but we’re going to miss taking the GO train to games.” That’s how close to home this has been for me. Even when I was injured last year, my family didn’t miss a single Sceptres game. They were like, “We don’t care if you’re not playing. We’re still coming.” They’ve probably bought the most merch out of anybody. To be able to play professional hockey with my family in the stands every night has been the privilege of a lifetime. And to come back and play in a different jersey is going to be crazy. One of the messages I received this week was from someone saying, “My Sarah Nurse jersey is now obsolete!” I’m like, No—it’s vintage!

I’ve only ever lived outside of Ontario once, to go to university in Wisconsin, so I’ve always had the comfort of being close to my family and a familiar place. Still, I’ve been jealous of other players who have made big moves. I haven’t spent a ton of time in Vancouver, but I know it’s milder than Toronto, which sounds nice. My teammates have been sending me links to hiking boots and rain jackets. We’ll see about that—I’m not the most outdoorsy person, but I’m excited to bring the game-day looks to Vancouver.

I know I’ll miss Toronto’s energy. It has so much culture, diversity and zest for life. I’ve loved the food—going to Lambo’s, Kasa Moto and Sugo. It’s possible to make Toronto as big or as small as one likes, and I’ve been able to make it small enough to feel like home. I know that, whenever I have the opportunity, whenever my career is over, I’ll be back.

To my Toronto teammates: we built this thing from the ground up together. We started with absolutely nothing—we didn’t have a locker room, let alone an arena. This organization has become incredible, and I’m so happy to have left my mark on it. It really does mean so much to me. I’m beyond grateful for all the incredible times we had together. I couldn’t have been more blessed to be a Toronto Sceptre alongside you.

And to my fans: thank you. I have so much gratitude to have played in front of such incredible people every single night—people who have shown up for me for years. I haven’t been able to respond to all of you, but I’ve seen so many messages of support from young girls and boys, supporters of our league, and women who never got the opportunity to play hockey growing up. We have fans from all walks of life. So thank you, everyone.

I never thought I would leave Toronto. To me, this has always been home, and when we set out to start a league, it’s the place I wanted to play forever. I’m just as shocked as anyone, but this decision was ultimately what made the most sense for my career on the ice. Despite the shock, I couldn’t be more excited to make a new place my home. I’ll miss all of my Sceptres fans—but I hope they’ll keep a little piece of their hearts for me in Vancouver.