Secret Showcase headlines busy weekend for PWHPA

A Dream Gap Tour stop, an outdoor skills competition, and more

Hockey fans in Toronto have a lot of options to see the PWHPA this weekend as the organization kicks off 2020 with its largest weekend to date.

Secret Women’s Hockey Showcase

The biggest event is its Secret Women’s Hockey Showcase. The six-team, six-game Dream Gap Tour stop will feature 120 players, the most they’ve had in one place thus far. It is the first time 13 players will suit up for the PWHPA in a Dream Gap Tour game. Among those are Ann-Renee Desbiens, Erica Howe, Halli Krzyzaniak, Kelsey Koelzer, and Melissa Samoskevich, most of whom have played in PWHPA Live! game but never in the tour.

Fans who were at the first Toronto stop in 2019 will see some familiar line ups. Team Daoust is largely Team Poulin. Team Spooner is mostly Team Knox while Team Larocque looks mostly like Team Jenner. The biggest name shift is Team Bellamy which was Team Johnston.

Rosters

Team LarocqueTeam KesselTeam BellamyTeam DaoustTeam SpoonerTeam Coyne
Erica HoweKatie BurtAnnie BelangerGenevieve LacasseAmanda MakelaAnn-Renee Desbiens
Shae TileyLauren DahmMarlène BoissonnaultMarie-Soleil DeschenesElaine ChuliAmanda Cariddi
Jocelyne LarocqueOlivia ZafutoKacey BellamyLauriane RougeauLaura FortinoLee Stecklein
Blake BoldenJacquie GrecoBrigette LacquetteErin AmbroseRenata FastSavannah Harmon
Kelsey KoelzerKali FlanaganMeaghan MikkelsonJosiane PozzebonMichelle SaundersReagan Rust
Ella MatteucciMegan KellerKatelyn GoslingCatherine DaoustMellissa ChannellLisa Chesson
Alexis WoloschukEmily MathesonHalli KrzyzaniakMarie-Joelle AllardJulia FedeskiCarrie Atkinson
Rachel AdeAlyssa GagliardiEmma MartinMelanie DesrochersEmma GrecoMelissa Samoskevich
Brianne JennerGigi MarvinBrianna DeckerMelodie DaoustNatalie SpoonerKelly Pannek
Jamie Lee RattrayHaley SkarupaRebecca JohnstonHilary KnightSarah NurseKendall Coyne Schofield
Victoria BachAmanda KesselBlayre TurnbullMarie-Philip PoulinAnissa GambleJocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson
Laura StaceyAnnika ZalewskiRebecca LeslieJill SaulnierLoren GabelMonique Lamoureux-Morando
Mackenzie MacNeilHayley ScamurraHanna BuntonEmily ClarkBrittany HowardDanielle Cameranesi
Jess JonesEmily JanigaLaura DostalerAnn-Sophie BettezShiann DarkangeloHannah Brandt
Becca KingCatherine QuirionKaitlin WilloughbyTracy-Ann LavigneTaylor WoodsAnnie Pankowski
Jenna McParlandLauren WilliamsKatelyn RaeMaude GelinasMackenzie MacNeilChelsey Goldberg
Shannon StewartNicole GianninnoCheyanne NewmanKarell EmardCarolyne PrevostMegan Turner
Nicole BrownCassidy VinkleErica KrommSarah LefortSydney KiddKaitlin Spurling
Kelly GribbonsShannon HickeyJessie EldridgeGenevieve BannonJessica PlattCourtney Turner
Kristen RichardsAlexa GruschowKim DeschenesJenna DingeldeinBailey Larson

Also similar to the first stop is the schedule. Unlike the two other 2019 Dream Gap Tour stops, this weekend will again be a series of games rather than a tournament style.

On Saturday, all six teams will play at Herbert H. Carnegie Centennial Centre in North York. This is your best chance to see all of the players in the same place at the same time. All three games will be streamed on the PWHPA’s YouTube.

Team Larocque vs Team Kessel - 12:30 p.m.
Team Bellamy vs Team Daoust - 3:30 p.m.
Team Spooner vs Team Coyne - 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, the organization is a little more split up as they are taking part in the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour stop in Vaughan. The first and last game on this day will be streamed on the PWHPA’s YouTube, but not the game in Vaughan.

Team Kessel vs Team Bellamy - 9:30 a.m. in North York
Team Coyne vs Team Larocque - 10:30 a.m. at Al Palladini Community Center in Vaughan
Team Daoust vs Team Spooner - 4:30 p.m. at Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto

Skills Competition with Maple Leafs

UPDATE on Friday afternoon: Due to inclement weather, the outdoor skills competition was moved to Sunday at 9 a.m.

Before the Dream Gap Tour starts Saturday morning, 20 PWHPA are competition outdoors in Nathan Philips Square as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs outdoor weekend. The event starts at 10 a.m. and admission is free.

The next even at the outdoor weekend starts at 11:30 a.m. (the mascot games), so fans should have time to make it to North York for the first game.

Attending players

Brianna DeckerRenata Fast
Rebecca JohnstonSarah Nurse
Hanna BuntonBrittany Howard
Meaghan MikkelsonNatalie Spooner
Annie BelangerElaine Chuli
Hilary KnightKendall Coyne Schofield
Marie-Philip PoulinLee Stecklein
Jill SaulnierReagan Rust
Karell EmardHannah Brandt
Marie-Soleil DeschenesAnn-Renee Desbiens

While details on skills competition haven’t been released, with Kendall Coyne Schofield in attendance a Fastest Skater event is sure to be on the docket. A shooting accuracy competition would certainly be fun as would hardest shot. With no goaltenders on the roster, a breakaway contest might be tough but still possible.

Closing the Gap

Off the ice, Friday night, the NHLPA is presenting a night of panel discussion. Hosted by Tara Sloan, there is a female athletes panel, an industry leader panel, and a PWHPA player panel which will feature Coyne Schofield, Nurse, and Jenner.

The fundraising night is being marketed as a great way to meet and mingle with “PWHPA players, supporters, and sponsors.”