NEW YORK AND TORONTO – The Ottawa Charge and the Toronto Sceptres have completed the first trade of the 2024-25 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season. Ottawa acquires forward Victoria Bach and defender Jocelyne Larocque from Toronto in exchange for defender Savannah Harmon and forward Hayley Scamurra.
Mike Hirshfeld, Charge General Manager, expressed the difficulty of trading players: “Trading any player is a difficult decision. Savannah was our first-ever first-round draft pick, and we appreciate all that she did for our organization and wish her the best of luck with Toronto. Hayley will always be remembered as the first player to ever score a goal for the Ottawa Charge.”
Hirshfeld added, “We are excited to add Jocelyne and Victoria to our organization. Jocelyne’s résumé speaks for itself, and we are delighted to add her experience and leadership to our locker room where she will be an important player for us this season. Victoria has terrific offensive skills that will be a welcome addition to our team.”
Gina Kingsbury, Sceptres General Manager, acknowledged the complexity of the decision: “With professional sports comes great moments but also difficult decisions. This decision wasn’t made lightly, and although we are excited to welcome new players into our organization, we also recognize that we lose two incredible individuals. We thank Jocelyne and Victoria for their commitment to our team and their impact on our organization and community. We wish them all the best moving forward with Ottawa.”
Kingsbury added, “This trade gives us a dynamic offensive-minded defender that will enhance our power play. Savannah has been a revered defender in our game, and we are excited to work with her. Hayley brings experience and plays the game with a similar identity to what we pride ourselves with in Toronto. Her competitiveness and intensity will add to our lineup and enhance what our team is capable of.”
Player Profiles:
Victoria Bach was selected by Toronto in the seventh round of the inaugural draft and signed to a two-year contract. The 28-year-old from Milton, ON, has six points (3G, 3A) in 22 career regular-season PWHL games, including one goal in six games this season. Bach won back-to-back gold medals with Canada at the 2021 and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships.
Jocelyne Larocque was selected second overall by Toronto in the first round of the inaugural draft and signed to a three-year contract. The 36-year-old from Ste. Anne, MB, has 12 points (1G, 11A) in 29 career regular-season PWHL games, including two assists this season while serving as an alternate captain. Larocque is a three-time Olympian with two gold medals and one silver medal representing Canada. She has competed in 11 straight World Championships, earning four gold medals, six silver medals, and one bronze medal.
Savannah Harmon was selected fifth overall by Ottawa in the first round of the inaugural draft and signed to a three-year contract. The 29-year-old from Downers Grove, IL, has 12 points (3G, 9A) in 30 career PWHL games. Harmon earned a silver medal representing the United States at the 2022 Olympics and has competed in four straight World Championships, winning one gold medal and three silver medals.
Hayley Scamurra was selected by Ottawa in the fifth round of the inaugural draft and signed to a two-year contract. The 30-year-old from Buffalo, NY, has 10 points (5G, 5A) in 30 career PWHL games. Scamurra won a silver medal at the 2022 Olympics and holds five World Championship medals, including two gold and three silver.
The Sceptres will host the Charge on Tuesday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum, where all four players will be available to play for their new teams.
