The Toronto Sceptres were pleasantly surprised when forward Kirsten Simms was still available for the eighth-overall pick on Wednesday night. Though it wasn’t what they were expecting, Sceptres general manager Gina Kingsbury wasn’t going to pass that opportunity up.
The draft wasn’t exactly what the front office had drawn up, Kingsbury said, but the team was open to the best options and navigated through the process to end the night with six new players. From star players to deeper dives in the NCAA, the Sceptres are pleased with the level of talent they picked up.
“You get to embrace six new athletes that are going to become professional athletes, that are without a doubt going to embrace Toronto and want to represent Toronto,” Kingsbury said. “It’s going to be an exciting season for us next year.”
Round 1, Pick #8: Kirsten Simms, F, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
“Who wants it?!”
We’ve long known that Kirsten Simms was a special player, but that became even more evident with the iconic penalty shot moment in 2025 with Wisconsin. She then went on to score the game-winner in overtime and secured the national championship for the Badgers. She’s a proven winner with plenty of championship experience and an international pedigree.
Now, she’ll take her talents, charisma and leadership to the Toronto Sceptres after being selected in Wednesday’s PWHL Draft. Simms was #16 in The Ice Garden‘s Top 25 Under 25 last year. Sceptres GM Gina Kingsbury said that “what she can bring to Toronto is going to be exactly what we needed.”
Here’s what our writer Giselle Velazquez had to say about her:
“Simms’ ability to play a consistent and skilled game is why she was an Olympian — and why she’ll be fantastic in the PWHL. But the best part of Simms’ game has to be her playmaking ability. She knows where her teammates will be on the ice and when to feed the puck to them. Of her 238 career points, 138 of them were assists. She was third in the NCAA in assists per game with 1.06. Simms is also such a flashy player and skates so well that she’ll go pretty early in the draft — as she should.”
Round 2, Pick #20: Jamie Nelson, F, University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Nelson, 24, was the fourth Golden Gopher selected in Wednesday’s draft. She spent most of her collegiate career at Minnesota State. Through six NCAA seasons, her college career finished with 145 points, including 92 assists, in 163 games — an average of 0.89 points per game.
Giselle noted Nelson as one of the WCHA’s top forward prospects:
“Nelson transferred to Minnesota for her final collegiate season. This was a very good decision. The Minnesota native finished the season with a career-high 42 points. Though she had only 11 goals, she did have 31 assists. Being a playmaker like that, especially on a new team, speaks highly of Nelson’s ability to learn her teammates’ tendencies. Nelson was so integral to the Gophers that when she recorded a point, the team was 21-4-1. That’s pretty cool.”
Our writer Reid Lemker also noted Nelson’s combination of size, grit and skating ability, as well as the flashes of skill and offensive upside she showed last year.
“She’s just such a consistent forward,” Kingsbury said after the draft. “You can probably play her in the middle, you can play her at the wing … Every time I went to Minnesota, she always caught my eye with how consistently she plays.”
Round 3, Pick #32: Brooke Disher, D, Ohio State University (NCAA)
In 2024, Emma Sullivan noted Disher was “a solid defender in Hockey East during both her rookie and sophomore campaigns,” prior to her transfer to Ohio State. Also in 2024, Geremy called out Disher as a potential future star — albeit a long shot — for Team Canada:
“She shares some similarities with Jade Iginla, only instead of being a forward, Disher is a blueliner. Her one and only appearance on the world stage came at the 2022 U18 World Championships, where Disher went pointless in all six games. Despite that, she still gets to put on her resume that she captained a Gold Medal winning team and I think she deserves that credit … her talent looks primed for a breakout and Nadine Muzerall looks like she agrees.”
The 21-year-old didn’t exactly have an offensive breakout at Ohio State, putting up pretty similar numbers to her time at BU. But, as Reid noted: “… she has decent size, skates well, and does a good job breaking pucks out of her own zone. Her game isn’t flashy, but it’s effective.”
“We go a little bit way back in a lot of ways,” Kingsbury noted of Disher, with regards to her U18 captaincy. “A great leader, great human … she’ll work her tail off to have an impact with us.”
Round 4, Pick #44: Jane Kuehl, F, Princeton University (NCAA)
Kuehl, 22, spent her entire collegiate career at Princeton. Her offense improved as the years went on; her senior year saw her hit a career-high 27 points in 34 games. That includes 13 goals, nearly double her previous career total.
Overall, she put up 67 points in 129 NCAA games. Prior to that, she was a two-time Minnesota high school Class AA champion at Edina High.
Princeton head coach Courtney Kessel noted in the team’s press release that the Tigers relied on Kuehl in many different situation this year:
“Her skating ability was a tremendous asset to our team, and her speed consistently helped us create opportunities and break games open. Beyond her talent on the ice, Jane brings incredible energy every day. She shows up with a smile, works hard, and is always willing to do whatever the team needs to be successful. Jane is a fantastic teammate whose positive attitude and commitment make those around her better, and her contributions to our program have been invaluable.”
Round 5, Pick #56: Emerson O’Leary, F, Princeton University
O’Leary, 22, just finished four years at Princeton. Offensively, her best season came as a junior, when she recorded 36 points. She’s not necessarily a big scorer — her NCAA career came with just 23 goals — but her playmaking ability is evident. O’Leary potted 80 assists in 129 collegiate games over the years.
In the team’s media release, Princeton head coach Kessel noted O’Leary’s ability to see the ice and make plays to create scoring opportunities, as well as her overall game:
“Her vision and hockey IQ are invaluable and have been a major part of our success. Beyond her offensive contributions, Emmy played a significant role defensively this season. We relied on her in many critical late-game situations because of her poise, competitiveness, and trustworthiness in all areas of the ice.”
“We went a little bit … I wouldn’t say ‘off the board,’ but we definitely looked at Princeton’s offense,” Kingsbury said. “Those two players, Kuehl and O’Leary, have done great things in Princeton. Trying to bring a little bit of secondary scoring and offense to our lineup.”
Round 6, Pick #68: Alyssa Regalado, D, Cornell University
Regalado, a 22-year-old Mississauga native, now gets the chance to go pro with her hometown team. Through four years at Cornell, Regalado appeared in 134 NCAA games, registering 64 points, including 48 assists. She was an ECAC champion in 2025 and previously won a gold medal at U18s in 2022.
“Regalado skated in Etobicoke at Ford [Performance Centre] her whole life, growing up in that rink,” Kingsbury noted. “Really happy we were able to grab her and bring her back to Toronto.”
Though she didn’t make the top five list, Regalado was an honorable mention in Eli Fastiff’s preview of ECAC defenders to know.
