Natalie Spooner has Nov. 30 circled on her calendar, and not because the Toronto Sceptres forward feels particular animosity toward the Boston Fleet.
The Professional Women's Hockey League's first MVP and the International Ice Hockey Federation's female player of the year in 2024 wants to prove to herself by the PWHL's opening day that she's come all the way back from a catastrophic knee injury sustained in last season's playoffs.
"I would love to be back for the beginning of the season," Spooner said. "It's circled in red pen because that's what I want to make happen.
"That's the goal right now. I'm skating already, and everything's going well, but I've got to pass some tests and all that stuff before I get cleared."
The 33-year-old from Toronto had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota's Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series May 13.
Spooner collapsed to the ice following the hit and crawled to Toronto's bench.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games, but was unable to finish the series.
Toronto topped the PWHL's inaugural season standings with a 17-7-0-0 record.
The Sceptres were up 2-1 in their semifinal, but dropped two games in a row to be eliminated by eventual Walter Cup champion Minnesota.
Spooner led the league with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
But Spooner was on crutches at the PWHL's awards ceremony June 11, where she was named the first winner of the Billie Jean King MVP Award.
"I started skating the beginning of September, but non-structured skating, like family skating around in a circle. A month ago, I started power skating with a coach," Spooner said.
"It feels pretty good. If I'm skating full speed, it looks really nice and good. It's the quick stops and starts I've got to get a little bit more power back into."
The Canadian was also voted the IIHF's female player of the year by garnering 33 per cent of almost 100 votes cast by media in countries ranked in the world's top 16 in women's hockey.
Spooner had a goal and three assists in seven games in her 10th career world championship to help Canada re-claim the gold medal in Utica, N.Y., in April.
The three-time Olympian and double gold medallist played in her ninth world championship in Brampton, Ont., in 2023 just four months after giving birth to son Rory.
Spooner has a season remaining on her two-year contract with the Sceptres. She will report to training camp Nov. 12, but how fully she can participate is still to be determined.
"Right now, I wouldn't be doing a stop and an acceleration out of a stop, whereas I'm hoping in the next few weeks I'll be able to do that," Spooner said. "I'm hoping my progressions by then are up to where I can do all that stuff. Maybe it's no-contact in practices at first.
"I'll be there, and I'm hoping I can skate with the team, but if not, I'll be skating after them."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
