Two Canadian PWHL teams have pulled off a blockbuster trade that will change the look of their defensive units, replacing key pieces of their rosters as both teams battle to claim a playoff spot.
The Toronto Sceptres sent veteran defender Jocelyn LaRocque and forward Victoria Bach to the Ottawa Charge, the league announced Monday night. In return, the Charge sent puck-moving defender Savannah Harmon and power forward Haley Skmura to Toronto.
The Sceptres and Charge were tied for fourth with seven points apiece heading into Friday's game between the two teams at Toronto's Coca-Cola Coliseum. Only the top four teams in the six-team league make the playoffs.
“I think people will automatically think it's us trying to shake up our lineup (and) disappointed with the results we've had so far this season,” Sceptres GM Gina Kingsbury said. “To be honest with you, we're constantly looking at ways to get better.”
All four players will be in corresponding lineups against their former teams on Friday evening.
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One of Canada's most decorated defenders
Ottawa gets one of the most decorated defenders in Team Canada history in LaRocque, who won two Olympic gold medals and four world championships. She was a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and won championships in the Canadian Women's Hockey League and the Western Women's Hockey League.
Toronto selected LaRocque with the second pick in the 2023 draft, and she was one of the team's assistant captains.
“Jocelyn is an incredible leader and carries herself in a way that sets an example for the rest of our team,” Kingsbury said. “She was a big, big part of building our franchise and our organization.”
Much of her ice time in recent years, both with Toronto and Team Canada, has been spent alongside Renata Fast. Larocque brought a steady, at-home presence to the fast tour.
His toughness and defensive mindset are two elements Ottawa Charge GM Mike Hirschfeld found his team lacked in the first season of what has been a very physical league. Hirshfeld felt his team wasn't tough enough to play against, turning into a team that missed the playoffs last season.
Since then, Hirshfeld has been trying to correct course to get tighter, selecting Daniel Serdachny in the June draft.
Besides his toughness, LaRocque's experience and leadership also appealed to Hirschfeld, who hopes he can mentor young defenders like Ashton Bell and Stephanie Markosky.
Toronto gains more puck-moving ability
In Harmon, Toronto gets a “dynamic” defender who can eat time on the power play and take some loads off the pace, which will log big minutes for Toronto. Ottawa selected Harmon with the fifth pick in the 2023 draft.
Harmon will play alongside Fast in the first game, reuniting two players who were defensive partners at Clarkson University, and could help Toronto do a better job of breaking the puck out of the team's zone.
“She brings something that maybe we were missing a little bit,” Kingsbury said.
Swapping forward
Up front, Bach has played a mostly bottom-six role in Toronto, which drafted him in the seventh round in 2023. She missed the first month of Toronto's first season while she completed teacher's college.
When she returned, Toronto had just started what would become an 11-game winning streak. Bach has one goal so far this season.
“We think he's someone who probably didn't get the opportunity he had in Toronto,” Hirschfeld said.
The team consulted with Bach's former Boston University coach, Brian Durocher, who serves as a consultant for the charge. He will bring offensive creativity and strong skating to Ottawa.
To get Bach, they had to give up Skamura, a tough matchup against a middle-six forward who is going to add even more grit to the sceptre.
Skamura scored the first goal in Ottawa franchise history last season, but has yet to register a point this season. He should help Toronto become more responsible defensively. Going into Tuesday's game, the Sceptres had given up more goals than any other team in the league, both overall and on the penalty kill.
“She can play up and down the lineup,” Kingsbury said. “She fits a lot of different scenarios.”
For all four players, the concept of trading without their consent is still relatively new.
But Kingsbury has stressed to her team that players will come and go, and that she won't make individual decisions, only choices that benefit the entire team.
“It's a new landscape that we're all trying to navigate and learn through,” the GM said. “I think there was some surprise on both sides of the equation.”
