With Game 1 of the USA-Canada Rivalry Series completed, Team USA is currently in the lead after their 4-1 victory on Nov. 6. Fans of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) should have recognized several familiar players on the ice. Here are the eight players from the Toronto Sceptres representing their respective home nations.
Harmon and Compher to Represent the States
This Rivalry Series marks Jesse Compher’s fifth time representing Team USA. While she has played in eight games amongst her past four Rivalry Series appearances, she still has yet to record her first point in the competition. Perhaps the 2025 Rivalry Series is when this changes for Compher.
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Savannah Harmon is also no stranger to the Rivalry Series, as this will be her sixth appearance in the friendly competition. Unlike Compher, Harmon has a bit more experience in the Rivalry Series, playing in 24 games and recording seven points. She has been a great two-way defender for Team USA on the blue line in the past; there’s no reason why she wouldn’t be strong for them again.
6 Players Will Represent Canada
When discussing who will represent Canada during the Rivalry Series, Blayre Turnbull, the captain of the Sceptres, is an obvious choice. A highly celebrated athlete in the sport, this Rivalry Series marks her seventh appearance in the competition. Her first was in 2018-19, but Turnbull has been competing for Team Canada since 2014. She has excelled for both Toronto and Team Canada and will likely continue to do so during this year’s Rivalry Series.
Another well-celebrated member of both Team Canada and the Sceptres, Natalie Spooner is hard to leave off the Team Canada roster. Like Turnbull, she has been representing Team Canada since 2014, but this is her fifth Rivalry Series appearance. In Game 1 of this year’s Rivalry Series, Spooner has already recorded an assist on Sarah Fillier’s goal. She has already come out of the gate with a strong start to the series.
Emma Maltais is also no stranger to Team Canada. This is her fifth Rivalry Series, and like her counterparts in Spooner and Turnbull, she has also competed in IIHF World Championships and the Olympic Games for Team Canada. She is a highly celebrated athlete and will continue to add depth to the forward group alongside the rest of Team Canada.
Daryl Watts is the last forward for the Sceptres on this list, but she does not have as much experience with Team Canada as the three players listed above. She is also a very strong player, but this is only her third time representing her country in the Rivalry Series. She has yet to play in the Olympic Games with Team Canada, but depending on her performance in these four games, that might change.
While the four athletes mentioned above will be a huge addition to Team Canada’s forward group, Ella Shelton and Renata Fast will add strength to the blue line. Fast has had more experience participating in the Rivalry Series, with this one marking her sixth compared to Shelton’s fifth. However, both have performed in several IIHF Championships and Olympic Games, with both players winning the gold medal in 2022. Fast also won the silver medal in the 2018 Olympics.
With all six of these incredible athletes joining Team Canada, they are sure to have a strong team.
Rivalry Series Is Heating Up
Just like in the past, the 2025 USA-Canada Rivalry Series is shaping up to be a fantastic one. Game 2 will be played in KeyBank Arena in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday, Nov. 8.
The series will conclude in Canada in December, where the two teams will play in Edmonton on Dec. 10 and Dec. 13. The PWHL will take a week-long break while the rivalry series concludes in Canada.
This series will also help the two nations determine who will represent the U.S. and Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, from Feb. 6 through Feb. 22.
