Howard was an integral part of the team’s inaugural season after she was drafted in the eighth round, appearing in 23 games and recording eight points (two goals and six assists).
At least two familiar faces will be missing from the locker room when PWHL Toronto resumes play next season.
Star forward Brittany Howard is set to become head coach of the under-16 and under-19 girls’ teams in the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite organization. The 28-year-old Howard will also serve as a skills development trainer for the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
“Thank you for a great season with PWHL Toronto and congratulations on a great career,” PWHL Toronto posted on X.
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Also announcing her retirement as a player, via Instagram, was backup goalie Erica Howe, while defender Allie Munroe signed a two-year contract extension.
Howe, 31, took a leave from her job as a firefighter to sign a one-year contract with PWHL Toronto in November. She had a goals-against average of 1.89 in three games, starting two of them and winning once.
”I will never forget the early mornings, late nights, killer workouts, big losses, bigger wins, bus rides, tears, laughter, euchre, spikeball and most importantly, the teammates who were by my side during it all,” Howe posted.
Howard was an integral part of PWHL Toronto’s inaugural season. Drafted in the eighth round, she appeared in 23 of 24 games with two goals and six assists.
Prior to the PWHL, Howard was an all-star in the Premier Hockey Federation and led the Toronto Six in scoring en route to the 2022-23 Isobel Cup championship.
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She started her playing career in 2013 at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania and was the program’s all-time leading scorer with 181 points in 138 games over four years.
Howard was drafted by the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women’s Hockey League in 2017, but opted to play with the Toronto Furies of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. She later joined the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association for three seasons before playing for the Toronto Six.
There had been no indication that the PWHL’s first season would be Howard’s last as a player.
“I think we never got down on ourselves, and that’s a big piece of being a good team,” she told the Star toward the end of the regular season, in which Toronto finished first. “Our leadership from top down has been great throughout the season, and that helped us establish success. As a player you want to contribute in the role you are given, be ready to compete shift in and shift out and continue to be a good teammate ... As a team and as an individual, you can see just the growth of the game throughout the season. It’s been amazing to be a part of.”
Gilbert
Ngabo is a Toronto-based sports reporter for the Star. Follow
him on Twitter: @dugilbo.
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