Toronto Sceptres sign top pick Kirsten Simms

The Toronto Sceptres were handed a gift on Draft night and today they made sure that gift will be around for another three years.

Eighth overall pick Kirsten Simms, the 100-goal scorer over four outstanding years at Wisconsin, signed a three-year deal with the Sceptres Thursday.

She’s the first member of Toronto’s draft class to sign, so expect a handful more of these signing announcements in the next couple of weeks.

But Simms is no question the one a Sceptres roster, that had an already struggling offence decimated by the expansion draft and free agency, needed.

Simms, a 22-year-old from Plymouth, Mich., is the most obvious answer to where the scoring is going to come from for a Sceptres team that has lost the likes of Daryl Watts, Jesse Compher, Emma Maltais and Maggie Connors, to name just four vets who found new addresses in the off-season.

“We’re really excited to have Kirsten commit to Toronto for the next three seasons,” Sceptres GM Gina Kingsbury said. “She brings offensive skill and creativity to our lineup, and we believe there’s a lot of upside to her game. Having her here for three years gives us the opportunity to build together, and we’re excited about the impact she can make on our team and in the Toronto market.”

Simms isn’t so much a pure goal scorer — although she is certainly capable of filling that role — as he is an overall offensive producer. Along with her 100 goals in 152 games at Wisconsin, Simms amassed 138 assists as well as being part of three National Championship teams.

Casey O’Brien, a former linemate of Simms at Wisconsin, described the newest long-term member of the Sceptres this way.

“She’s one of, if not the, like, most favourite linemate I’ve ever played with,” O’Brien, who is coming off an All-Rookie season with the New York Sirens said at a recent PWHL media day promoting the upcoming season. “I’m jealous of Toronto. I think they got a great player in Kirsten.

“I think we, I said it before, we kind of share a brain. We have very different skill sets, but they complement each other.  Mine’s a lot in my speed, my skating. Hers is a lot in her hands, her shot. And so, when we both share a similar IQ and then we put this together, I think a lot of great things happen. That’s why so many of our goals, like, were backdoor tap-ins, just because we knew where to find each other. We didn’t have to think on the ice. And I don’t know, she just, like, it was really special when we played together at Wisconsin. I’m hoping for a chance to play with her again in the future.”

O’Brien, like a lot of interested draft watchers, was shocked to see Simms still there at eight when the Sceptres snapped her up. She was thought to be a top four pick in this very loaded draft class by many of the top draft prognosticators.

Veteran Sceptres defender Renata Fast has had a few opportunities to get on the ice with Simms already this off-season and came away with the same admiration O’Brien had for Simms’ hands and her hockey IQ.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the Toronto Sceptres,” Simms said in a statement released by the team. “Toronto is the best hockey market in the world, and having the opportunity to play in front of such passionate fans is something really special.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know my teammates, learning from the incredible players and leaders in this organization, and doing whatever I can to help our team succeed. I can’t wait to get started and be part of what we’re building in Toronto.”

Still to be signed from the draft class are second-round pick Jamie Nelson, a forward out of the University of Minnesota, and Brooke Disher, the team’s third-round pick who is a defender out of Ohio State via Boston University.

Disher is currently in Quebec trying out for the Canadian National team.