Toronto Sceptres goaltender Raygan Kirk has handily taken over the starting role in net for her team this season. In her second pro season, she’s more than doubled her playing time from her rookie year, improved her numbers across the board, and has helped keep the Sceptres in contention for a playoff spot.
Kirk has a 1.90 GAA — third-best in the PWHL — and eight wins, including three shutouts. All three have come since March 15.
The Ice Garden sat down with Raygan Kirk recently to reflect on her growth this season, her mentality going into games, thoughts on expansion, and more.
This Q&A has been lightly edited for grammar and length.
The Ice Garden: You’ve really taken over the starting goaltending role this year. Was that something you anticipated at the beginning of the season?
Raygan Kirk: I knew with being the only returning goalie and having the experience from last year, and learning a lot from Soupy [Kristen Campbell]… I really wanted to push for that role this year. It just happened to work out here. It’s really flown by and I’ve really just tried to build off the confidence of every game and getting to play more.
TIG: How does that change your mentality? You’re playing more often. You’re playing regularly, and you’re in that starter’s role.
Kirk: I don’t think I’ve really been a starter probably since my sophomore year. I guess if you look back on it, my time at OSU [Ohio State University], not really getting to play much or splitting a lot , and now getting to play a few more games. I think it’s just trying to rely on your game and everything that I’ve built and just trying to really be consistent. I think with the group this year, we’ve had our ups and downs. Gone through spurts or were not maybe scoring that as much as we’d like to, and then you just have to really hone in on making the simple saves, but also making the big saves when you need to because the girls in front of you are working just as hard.
TIG: What does a game day routine or preparation for a game look like for you? Does that change if you’re starting versus if you’re backing up?
Kirk: I try and keep it the same, building the routine. I’ve been into pregame skating most of my career, but I would say lately getting to play more and travel, you just really have to listen to your body and that’s one big thing I’ve learned. You would love to pre-game skate, but sometimes it’s not for you. How your body’s feeling… I’m big on the ball work, big on the stretching and just doing things even the night before too. I’ve learned a lot from a lot of the older girls on the team of things you need to do before, even the night before. [I’m a] big napper, have my coffee, but I love just having fun at the rink and chatting. I’ll do my ball work and my individual things, but trying to keep my mind off the game until it’s go time on the ice.
TIG: How do you like your coffee?
Kirk: I’m a big Keurig girl, I get the reusable grounds, with some milk and sugar. Basically same thing on the road. I’m not a big iced coffee person. I like a hot coffee.
TIG: Nothing wrong with keeping it simple! How do you feel that your game has developed over the course of this season?
Kirk: I’ve just been playing with a lot more confidence and just keeping it simple. The pace of play, you’re reading those passes. You’re making those reads. I think learning off of, just for example, here we played Ottawa twice, so getting to learn from the first time you played them, and then 10 days later, kind of off of that game: what tendencies to look for, their power play. Learning a lot as you’re going, but I think just the pace of play for me has been big and just trusting the little things that I do right.
TIG: What do you think this says about you and your work ethic as a player that you’ve been able to take on and really step up for this bigger role?
Kirk: I’m not great at talking about myself, I suppose, but I think I’ve just learned a lot through my college career, playing with two very different programs and on two different teams and pushing to be a starter for a national championship. Taking my experience from that and last year obviously didn’t end for the team as we wanted, and for me personally having that injury too, and now, I feel like since we came back from break, we’ve really honed in on that playoff vibe. That’s been fun to get to play, like the last game, oh, it was incredible. It just felt like a playoff game and everybody’s playing that way and that’s just kind of helped me have more confidence in myself and play with a bit more aggression, a bit more swagger.
TIG: Reflecting back on the season, even though I know it’s not done yet, what have been your favorite moments off the ice and on the ice?
Kirk: Off the ice, I’ve really enjoyed the Takeover Tour games this year. I’m from Manitoba and would have loved the Winnipeg game, had a lot of FOMO from that one, but Halifax was amazing. Calgary was amazing, getting to play in a historic building and Hamilton was unreal as well. Just been really cool getting to have a lot of firsts.
Off the ice… gosh, that’s a hard one too. I think it’s fun now being not just a first-year player. You built those relationships from last year with the girls who have stayed here and it’s been a lot of fun on the road, just getting to explore more with the team and being closer to certain girls too.
TIG: There’s a lot of talk about expansion in the future, but hypothetically, where would you like to see a PWHL team?
Kirk: I think Halifax would be a really great market; we felt the love there. They got two good games and they sold out both of them. I think Denver would also be really [good], they’ve been very supportive of the teams as well. Whatever city is ready and has the resources, and I think the people are going to show up.
Raygan Kirk confirmed that her current contract ends this season. She’s represented by Carson Shields of Wingman Hockey Group.
TIG: Have there been any talks of extensions or is that something that you and your agent really save for the offseason?
Kirk: There’s been some talks. We have a lot of free agents going into the end of the year here. I think every team’s probably similar. I think there’s been conversations for everybody, but there’s still a lot of unknowns with the rules of expansion and how that’s going to look. GMs and agents, I’m sure everybody’s still kind of waiting a bit.
I love Toronto. I love this city, I love playing here. Obviously, there’s a lot out of your control.
Raygan Kirk and the Toronto Sceptres continue to battle for a spot in the Walter Cup playoffs. Their next game is on Tuesday, April 21 against the New York Sirens.
