PWHL MVP Spooner to make season debut vs. Frost
Published
Reigning PWHL MVP Natalie Spooner will make her season debut on Tuesday as the Toronto Sceptres take on the Minnesota Frost.
The Sceptres have activated Spooner off of long-term injured reserve, giving the team a significant boost as they sit fourth in the league standings after 15 games.
“I’m excited to be back with my teammates and looking forward to competing next to them again. It was obviously a long road to get to this point and doesn’t happen without a lot of amazing people in my corner,” Spooner said in a statement. “I’m very grateful for my surgical and medical team that have gotten me back to full health. Thank you to the fans and hockey community for all the well wishes and patience along the way. I can’t wait to play in front of the Toronto fans again and rock our new jerseys!”
Spooner underwent surgery on a torn ACL in May after being injured during Toronto's first-round playoff series against Minnesota. Minnesota stormed back from a 2-1 series deficit to take the series in Game 5 and went on to win the Walter Cup.
A native of Scarborough, Ont., Spooner had a league-leading 20 goals and 27 points in 24 games during the regular season. She had one goal and an assist in three playoff games before the injury.
“We’ve been patiently waiting for the return of Natalie Spooner. We are tremendously proud of the work she has invested in getting herself to this point,” Sceptres general manager Gina Kingsbury said. “This has been a long journey, and she has shown throughout this process just how elite of an athlete she is. We are excited to see number 24 back in blue!”