The Toronto Six is here.
Back on April 22, the National Women's Hockey League announced its newest expansion team and on Tuesday it revealed the team's name, colors and logo.
"We wanted a bold, clean and modern brand for the team, for the game and for the city," Toronto Six chairman Tyler Tumminia said in a statement.
The time has come. pic.twitter.com/7uNn2iEdkd
— Toronto Six (@TheTorontoSix) May 19, 2020
The team will make its debut in the 2020-21 season as the league's first Canadian franchise. The Six is also Canada's first professional women's hockey team since the Canadian Women's Hockey League discontinued operations on May 1, 2019.
Toronto's CWHL team was the Furies who were the 2014 Clarkson Cup champions. The team existed from 2010-19 (called Toronto CWHL the first season) with two-time Olympic medalist Natalie Spooner finishing as the all-time points leader.
Now, the Six will look to establish their own legacy and add to Toronto's rich hockey heritage.
Here's everything you need to know about the newest NWHL franchise, the Toronto Six.
Why Toronto Six as the name of the franchise?
The new team name was inspired by "The Six" being one of Toronto's nickname. Relating to its area codes — 416 and 647— and the original six municipalities — East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York, and Toronto — the nickname was also made popular by the rapper Drake.
Six also represents the number of players on the ice at one time when at full-strength and Toronto being the sixth NWHL franchise.
In the official press release, the NWHL said The Six was the highest-voted name when a Name the Team poll was conducted on the league's website after the establishment of the franchise was announced.
What does the logo and colors represent?
In addition to the team name, the logo was also released with red and gold being the primary colors.
Introducing the sixth team in the NWHL, and the first in Canada...
— NWHL (@NWHL) May 19, 2020
The Toronto Six.
🔗: https://t.co/zOjUIqZ2xQ pic.twitter.com/tPZS0SUFQI
Inside the crest, there's an angled golden maple leaf. The gold reflects the Horseshoe region in Ontario and the "high standards set in Canadian women's hockey and the levels of excellence the Toronto Six is committed to establishing on and off the ice." The maple leaf is also a symbol for Canada and is the main logo for Toronto's other hockey teams, the Maple Leafs and the Marlies.
The red pays homage to Canada and the flag with the maple leaf having a notched mark that shows a hockey stick in the negative space and is shaped in an angle of a skate edge.
Who is on the Toronto Six?
The Toronto Six have signed 13 players since the team officially joined the league in late-April, including two of their four 2020 NWHL Draft picks. Of the team's 13 signed players, 12 are Canadian.
Leading the team will be Mississauga, Ont., native Kelly Babstock. The 27-year-old forward played three seasons with the Connecticut Whale and Buffalo Beauts where she tallied 60 points (27 goals, 33 assists) in 65 games. She was also a two-time NWHL All-Star in 2017 and 2018.
MORE: 2020 NWHL Draft results
Shiann Darkangelo, Emma Greco and Taylor Woods all played in the CWHL; Darkangelo and Greco were members of the Furies. Woods played with the Markham Thunder and was a member of the gold-medal-winning Canadian team at the U-18 World Championships in 2012.
2020-21 Toronto Six roster
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Shiann Darkangelo | F |
| Taylor Woods | F |
| Kelly Babstock | F |
| Sarah-Eve Coutu Godbout | F |
| Brooke Boquist | F |
| Mikyla Grant-Mentis | F |
| Jenna McParland | F |
| Amy Curlew* | F |
| Jaycee Gebhard (unsigned draft pick)* | F |
| Erin Locke (unsigned draft pick)* | F |
| Natalie Marcuzzi* | F |
| Kristen Barbara | D |
| Emma Greco | D |
| Elaine Chuli | G |
| Samantha Ridgewell | G |
*2020 draft pick
Mikyla Grant-Mentis, a Brampton, Ont. native, was the all-time leading scorer at Merrimack College totaling 117 points. In her senior season, she ranked second in the Hockey East Conference with 20 goals and earned second-team All-Star honors. She joined the Beauts for the final four games of the 2019-20 season, where she tallied a goal and an assist in Buffalo's playoff loss to Connecticut.
On the blueline, Kristen Barbara will lead the unit; she played three CWHL seasons and won the Clarkson Cup in 2018 as a member of the Thunder. The only other defenseman signed so far is Emma Greco who played with the Furies in their final season after spending the 2017-18 season with the Whale.
In the crease, Elaine Chuli and Samantha Ridgewell will battle it out for the starting job. Chuli, a Waterford, Ont. native, played in the CWHL with Furies and the Vanke Rays. Ridgewell played overseas last season for Djurgardens IF in Sweden where she posted a 2.03 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in 22 games.