The 2025-26 PWHL season sees an inter-conference matchup between the expansion Seattle Torrent and the Toronto Sceptres, with Seattle looking to build on their early-season resilience despite defensive setbacks, while Toronto aims to rebound from recent inconsistencies at home. As a new franchise, Seattle has shown offensive promise led by veterans like Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter, but faces a Toronto squad with established depth and home-ice advantage during the PWHL Takeover Tour. This game could highlight contrasting styles: Seattle’s aggressive forecheck against Toronto’s structured defense.
Venue Location
TD Coliseum, located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This venue, with a capacity of around 8,500 for hockey, is hosting the game as part of the PWHL Takeover Tour and serves as a neutral-home site for Toronto in this matchup.
Puckdrop is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT, 1:00 p.m. CT).
Injury Report
Seattle Torrent: Defender Aneta Tejralová is out, serving the first of a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head in a recent game against the New York Sirens. No other major injuries reported, with key forwards like Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter fully available.
Toronto Sceptres: No significant injuries listed heading into the game. The team has maintained a healthy roster through recent outings, with no updates on day-to-day concerns for core players like Renata Fast or Emma Maltais.
Key Player MatchupsThis contest features Seattle’s expansion-star power against Toronto’s veteran core, with offensive threats challenging defensive stalwarts in a low-scoring PWHL environment.
Hilary Knight (SEA, F) vs. Renata Fast (TOR, D): Knight, a scoring leader for Seattle with her physical presence and net-front skills, will test Fast’s shutdown abilities. Fast’s speed and positioning could limit Knight’s opportunities in the slot.
Alex Carpenter (SEA, F) vs. Kristen Campbell (TOR, G): Carpenter’s playmaking and shot accuracy (evident in recent assists and goals) face Campbell, Toronto’s reliable starter known for high-save percentage games. This matchup could decide power-play efficiency.
Julia Gosling (SEA, F) vs. Emma Maltais (TOR, F): Gosling’s emerging two-way game for Seattle meets Maltais’ faceoff prowess and checking for Toronto. Control of the neutral zone and transition plays will hinge on this forward battle.
Hannah Murphy (SEA, G) vs. Jesse Compher (TOR, F): Murphy, who recently notched her first PWHL point, must handle Compher’s offensive creativity and shot volume. Toronto’s penalty kill could exploit any rebound control issues.
Recent Team Forms
Seattle Torrent: 2-1-1-2 in their last six games, showing mixed results as an expansion team. Recent outings include a 3-4 loss to New York Sirens on December 28 (allowing a hat trick), a 4-3 OT win over Vancouver Goldeneyes, and a 2-1 shutout victory against Montréal Victoire. They’ve been outscored 12-11 in this stretch, relying on late comebacks but struggling defensively.
Toronto Sceptres: 3-0-1-2 in their last six, with a focus on home resilience. Highlights include a 1-5 loss to Minnesota Frost on December 30, a 2-1 win over Ottawa Charge, and a 3-2 OT victory against Boston Fleet. Outscored 10-9 recently, they’ve emphasized low-event hockey but have turnover issues in losses.
Series History
As Seattle is in its inaugural 2025-26 season, this marks the first-ever meeting between the Torrent and Sceptres. No prior head-to-head games exist, but Toronto has a strong record against Western Conference teams (3-1-0-1 this season), while Seattle has split early inter-conference matchups (1-0-1-1). Future games include a rematch on February 27 in Seattle.
Betting Trends
Seattle is 4-3 ATS this season, covering in 3 of 4 as favorites but struggling on the road (1-2 ATS). They’ve gone over the total in 5 of 7 games, averaging 5.1 combined goals with high shot volumes.
Toronto is 3-5 ATS, but 4-1 as home underdogs or pick’ems. They’ve hit the under in 6 of 9 games (averaging 4.0 goals), favoring defensive structures but vulnerable to overs against aggressive teams.
PWHL trends show unders in 58% of January games over the last two seasons, but Seattle-involved tilts have gone over 71% due to expansion adjustments. Favorites have covered 55% league-wide this year.
GAME ODDS
Seattle Torrent – 110
Toronto Sceptres 4. 5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, January 2, 2026
