It’s been nearly three years since the Premier Hockey Federation announced its first expansion north of the border and the Toronto Six were born.
Since then, a total of 44 players have signed and skated in a share of 50 regular season games and six playoff contests, culminating in the franchise’s first Isobel Cup championship on March 26 in Arizona with a thrilling 4-3 overtime triumph against Minnesota.
Seven of those players, including captain Shiann Darkangelo, alternates Breanne Wilson-Bennett, Emma Woods and Taylor Woods, forward Brooke Boquist, defender Lindsay Eastwood, and goaltender Elaine Chuli, have seen it all by competing in each of the first three seasons and are savoring the celebration they’ve been craving since the very beginning.
“Being here since the start of the franchise, it’s really something special to have that group,” Darkangelo said, speaking after the team’s April 2 celebration at their York Canlan Sports home. “When you start, obviously this is your goal to win the Isobel Cup and be able to hoist it, so having that group together to be able to do it is pretty awesome to see it through.”
Darkangelo was among the first five players to join T6 and did so with two seasons of PHF experience already under her belt including a 2017 title in Buffalo. The 29-year-old from Brighton, MI has since played in every single one of the team’s games and is the franchise leader with 48 points including 20 goals and 28 assists.
“It’s pretty cool that we were able to come together that quickly to be able to do this while there’s moving pieces with coaches, players, staff, and things changing every season,” she said. “Culture is huge to be able to win a championship and it makes it more difficult when things are changing. The biggest thing was having that core group that was here and part of the foundation that helped us set that, that was a huge part of it.”
Moments after being awarded the Isobel Cup by commissioner Reagan Carey, Darkangelo handed the PHF’s top prize to Emma Woods, a teammate dating back to their days at Quinnipiac University.
“It’s a great feeling and to do it with this group is pretty special,” Woods said. “Usually when teams join a league you maybe don’t have high expectations from the get-go, but we did. We believed in this group since day one and we wanted a championship and expected it. For us to be able to win this year and finally get it done in year three is an incredible feeling and it means a lot to the seven of us.”
Woods ranks right behind Darkangelo in all-time scoring with 45 points, but the 27-year-old from Burford, Ontario will be remembered for scoring the overtime goal that gave Toronto its first ever playoff victory in the semifinal series against Connecticut after suffering three-straight losses since 2021.
“Each year you learn something different and from the disappointment you get that extra edge going into the next year,” she said. “I think the biggest thing for us, especially for the leadership group, you learn from each loss in the playoffs because it’s a different level of hockey in the playoffs. Everybody bought in at the right time and we got it done.”
Overcoming playoff obstacles was something that really resonated with Chuli after standout regular seasons between-the-pipes, including Goaltender of the Year honors in 2022.
“It definitely bothered me that we dropped one to Boston the first year, and then again the next year, and even the first one to Connecticut this year,” Chuli said. “I was pretty disappointed and knew we needed to turn it around. I wasn’t happy with my play either and glad we won the next three and we came out on top.”
The 28-year-old from Waterford, Ontario rattled off three-straight victories including a shutout performance in the decisive win over the Whale, posting a playoff goals-against-average of 2.20 and a save percentage of .920 in four starts.
“The seven is a great group and we’ve been here since day one so it’s super awesome to be able to get this win with all of them,” she said. “It’s pretty remarkable for sure, we’re so thankful for the owners and everyone involved that we’re able to do this. It still hasn’t sunk in yet, it’s been crazy since we won. I’m looking forward to some downtime to kind of let it sink in, but we’re already getting ready for next year.”
Taylor Woods may also be ready for some downtime after a busy month that began with a Lightweight Amateur Championship at The Arnold Strongwoman Classic in Columbus, OH. The 28-year-old from Morden, Manitoba had no problem lifting the Isobel Cup high above her head.
“I still wake up and have those moments where I think about how we actually won this thing,” Woods said. “It’s very surreal, exciting, and something that we’re celebrating for sure. From day one, you’re fighting for a championship and when you don’t do it you pick the pieces up and figure out what you need to do to be better and be that championship team.”
Woods saved her first goal of the season for the most opportune time, tying the finale midway through the third period. But that’s not what she remembers most from Mullett Arena.
“There are so many different moments that you just can’t define in one,” she said. “The looks on my teammates faces was it for me. I’m very proud of them and it will keep me smiling. The heart and grit, personnel, and character from that group of seven and beyond is truly amazing.”
Wilson-Bennett also scored against the Whitecaps to give her six points in six career playoff games. She recalls the team’s inaugural season in Lake Placid and how it helped lead to this.
“That was a whirlwind in the bubble, it was chaotic, but we all came together as a group and built that foundation that was super important to where we are now,” she said. “It’s been fun the last three years. Every year we thought we could pull it off and we had a tremendous amount of talent every year. It’s a long time coming, and a lot of hard work went into it.”
Of the seven original members, the 27-year-old from Markham, Ontario grew up closest to Toronto and has been enjoying the champions reception since returning home.
“Winning was a big exhale,” Wilson-Bennett said. “We’re all still soaking it in and the celebration here (with fans at Canlan) has been awesome, to be recognized by the City of Toronto, by the Maple Leafs, by the Blue Jays, it’s all kind of surreal. We’re super excited to bring the cup home.”
Toronto’s championship is Canada’s first in PHF history but likely not its last with expansion to Montreal among the season’s highlights and developments over the last three years since many of these players entered the mix.
“I feel like every year there’s something more exciting announced,” Boquist said. “The league has been growing immensely. Obviously with the salary cap increase this upcoming year it’s a lot different from where it was three years ago and it’s great to see it heading in the right direction.”
For the 26-year-old Boquist, who hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario, nothing quite matches the joy of the celebration with her long-time teammates.
“After three full years after starting this team and seeing it all come to fruition is great,” she said. “The moments with the girls is what you remember the most and just having fun. The celebration afterwards was great, as we were all signing jerseys for each other. There’s no better feeling than winning, everyone will remember that for the rest of their lives.”
Championship teams overcome adversity and have faith in each other, and Eastwood knows that’s part of what made this T6 unit so special.
“I just knew that we were going to win,” she said. “Even when we would get down, I knew that we could come back or that we would get the next goal if we were tied. Going into overtime, I wasn’t worried and I think that just shows the group that we had and everything that everyone had to offer.”
The 26-year-old from Kanata, Ontario scored the franchise’s first ever goal and is proud to further cement the T6 legacy among the greatest in professional women’s hockey history.
“We started three years ago on a mission, and we finally achieved it,” Eastwood said. “From everyone that started the program and watched it being built from the ground up to hoisting the Isobel Cup is pretty special and has been the goal from the start, and to do it with a good amount of those girls that we started with is amazing. You never know if you’ll win it again, so I’m just living in the moment. Three years ago, people didn’t know who we were, and now they know us and what we’re doing which is pretty cool seeing how the game has grown.”
Cover photo by Kate Frese
