Goaltenders hold the most unique position in hockey and it’s not just because of all the extra equipment.
Behind the necessary pads, and stone-cold focus, often lies a player with the ability to instill season-altering confidence in their team. Look at what Aerin Frankel did in Boston last season — goalies can help power a roster beyond expectations.
The Toronto Sceptres, after a rough off-season, have a stable option in net — and a few more rising stars — that could help alter how this team feels about their chances, and as a result, change how they might show up.
Last season marked the first time the inaugural squad didn’t make playoffs. Then, Toronto went through some big changes during the off-season. Daryl Watts, Jesse Compher, Emma Maltais, and head coach Troy Ryan leaving marked the biggest moves. But, some security remains with Raygan Kirk, who’s still available to take the net.
And not all PWHL teams will have the luxury of that stability this season.
With new teams added, the pool of starting goalies has stretched thinner. Some squads will be forced to promote backup talents to more minutes or settle for unproven young players.
There are currently 31 rostered goalies in the league, but of those 31, 15 have yet to play in a PWHL regular season game. Just over 48% of the league’s goalies have professional experience in North America, and that number is expected to shrink further as four teams (Fleet, Detroit, Hamilton and Las Vegas) have yet to sign the league-mandated three netminders they’re expected to roster.
Kirk is an already proven force in Toronto and can handle a starting role well. Behind her lie some younger options in Jessie McPherson and Grace Campbell, who are in a great place to find their footing and develop behind a No. 1 option.
Here’s a closer look at each of Toronto’s options between the pipes.
Raygan Kirk
Kirk earned her place as the primary option in the crease with 23 starts last season.
The 25-year-old was drafted by the Sceptres 42nd overall with the final pick of the 2024 entry draft. After just her second season in the league, though, that very team made Kirk one of their three protections as part of the expansion roster distribution process, demonstrating how critical her poise in net is to the organization.
The Ste. Anne, Manitoba-native finished the season with an 8-8-6 record. She ranked third in goals against average with 1.87 and third in save percentage with .934.
In 2025-26, Kirk recorded three shutouts — the first clean sheets of her career — including two that came in back-to-back games against the Torrent and then the Fleet on March 15 and 17.
In her first season in the league, Kirk started eight games and appeared in 10. She earned five wins in that span and posted a 2.26 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. But, a lower-body injury that season cut her rookie campaign short. She went on the long-term injury reserve in March of 2025.
Before joining the professional league, Kirk won two NCAA championships with Ohio State.
At the beginning of June, the Sceptres re-signed Kirk to a three-year standard player agreement.
Jessie McPherson
McPherson went undrafted at the 2025 draft but received an invite to the Sceptres pre-season camp last October. Out of camp, on Nov. 20, 2025, she signed a two-year contract with the team but has yet to appear in a game.
In the NCAA, the Chatham, Ontario native posted a .914 save percentage and 2.06 goals against average over five years and 101 games played. She spent four seasons at the University of Vermont and finished with 51 wins and 29 losses. She transferred to Minnesota State for her final year of eligibility where she played in 15 games, posting a 3.06 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.
Since college, though, McPherson hasn’t stopped looking for ways to improve on the ice. After going undrafted she decided to try out to play with the Ridgetown Royals men’s ice hockey team of the American Premier Hockey league (APHL). In September 2025, she became the first woman to ever make the Royals team, and one of the first female players in the APHL. However, her time there was cut short when she was invited to the Sceptres’ camp.
As she enters the second year of her contract with the Sceptres, she is poised to play her first professional minutes and step up from the third-strong role to take on more responsibility.
Grace Campbell
Campbell comes to the Sceptres from Boston College where she served as captain in her senior year. The 23-year-old appeared in 107 games over her career and finished with a .927 save percentage and a 2.34 goals against average. In total, she won 52 games and recorded 13 shutouts. Campbell’s save percentage never dropped below .923 during her four years in college and she recorded 13 shutouts in that span.
Like McPherson, Campbell also has some experience playing for men’s teams. She played in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) for the Potomac Patriots during the 2021-22 season, and became the first female goalie to win a game in league history.
The rookie signed a one-year standard player agreement with the Sceptres in July after she went undrafted in the 2026 entry draft.
