Toronto Scepters and Ottawa Charge Make the First Trade of the Season
The PWHL saw their first trade of the season as rivals Toronto and Ottawa came together to make a deal swapping a forward and a defender each.
The PWHL made a major statement in taking potential top billing in major hockey news on Monday night, having their first trade of the season and it happened between provincial rivals Toronto and Ottawa.
The Toronto Sceptres sent forward Victoria Bach and defender Jocelyne Larocque to the Ottawa Charge for forward Hayley Scamurra and defender Savannah Harmon. The news was broken by the official PWHL account on X late on Monday evening.
The news is a blockbuster deal between the two rival teams as both sides look to shore up their defense and add swap some talent on offense.
The excitement of the PWHL has grown ever since its inception. With a national television broadcast deal, several endorsements, and some very knowledgeable and passionate people running the show; it's been a resounding success.
Instant Analysis Of The Ottawa Charge And Toronto Sceptres Trade
The Sceptres immediately get one of the top defenders in the PWHL in Savannah Harmon.
The 29-year-old Harmon has gone scoreless in six games for the Charge this season, although she played well for the Americans in the Rivalry Series against Canada, a sign of a change of scenery being a potential benefit.
Jocelyne Larocque was the second overall pick of the Sceptres in the inaugural PWHL Draft. At 36, she is currently the oldest player in the PWHL this season. Larocque had two assists in six games for Toronto this season.
Larocque is one of the most decorated players in Canadian women's hockey, with two gold medals and four World Championships, as well as a consecutive 11x World Championship medalist.
Age has started to show it has caught up with Larocque.
While still a solid shutdown defender, she doesn't show the same skating ability and offensive prowess of her prime, although despite being the oldest player in the league is still a fierce competitor.
While the defenders are the highlight of the trade, Toronto and Ottawa swap two serviceable players on offense in Victoria Bach and Hayley Scamurra.
Bach, 28, has a goal in six games for the Sceptres this season. Bach is the all-time leader in in goals and points for Boston University's women's hockey team, with 104 goals and 198 points in 145 career games.
Scamurra, 30, has been scoreless this season for Ottawa. A bottom-six depth forward, Scamurra brings energy to Toronto, and hopefully for the Sceptres a bit more offense. Hayley is the daughter of former NHLer Peter Scamurra.
The deal revolves around swapping two top defenders in the league, Ottawa adding a proven veteran in Larocque, and Toronto gaining a 1D option in Harmon.
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