Reigning PWHL MVP Natalie Spooner to make season debut with Sceptres after injury

Reigning PWHL MVP Natalie Spooner will make her season debut for the Toronto Sceptres on Tuesday after having off-season knee surgery.

But her return coincides with another major loss for the Sceptres, after forward Sarah Nurse was injured playing for Team Canada at the Rivalry Series last week.

Spooner was hurt last May in a collision into the boards during Game 3 of the team's first-round Walter Cup playoff series against Minnesota, which went on to win the championship.

The forward will make her debut against the same team on Tuesday, when the Sceptres host the Frost at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

"I'm excited to be back with my teammates and looking forward to competing next to them again," Spooner said in a statement.

"It was obviously a long road to get to this point and doesn't happen without a lot of amazing people in my corner. I'm very grateful for my surgical and medical team that have gotten me back to full health."

Spooner won the Billie Jean King MVP and top forward awards last season after leading all players in points (27) and goals (20). She was also named the IIHF's female player of the year.

Even after missing half of the Sceptres' games this season, Spooner is still tied with Montreal's Marie-Philip Poulin for the all-time PWHL goal-scoring lead (20 goals).

"We've been patiently waiting for the return of Natalie Spooner," Sceptres GM Gina Kingsbury said.

"We are tremendously proud of the work she has invested in getting herself to this point. This has been a long journey, and she has shown throughout this process just how elite of an athlete she is."

To make room for Spooner, the team moved rookie defender Lauren Bernard to the reserve list and released forward Sam Cogan from the reserve player pool.

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