Area ties to the Professional Women's Hockey League

Emma Woods, who has signed with the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League, was the special guest speaker on Nov. 2 at the Crumlin Social Club. Woods is the granddaughter of Marion and Allan Woods of the Thorndale area

By Nancy Abra

Many young children have the dream of playing hockey in the big leagues, but few ever experience it.

From her early years, Emma Woods played minor hockey. She then played in the U.S. Eastern College Conference, then in China, Sweden and back to the States before returning to Canada.

From her family roots in the Thorndale area with grandparents Allan and Marion Woods and cousins residing here, she moved to B.C. at the age of four with her family and then returned to Ontario. She started playing for the Creston Bruins at the age of five. Then she played for the Burford Coyotes. During her high school years at Paris District High School, she was an avid athlete playing various sports and achieving country and regional championships.

“Hockey was my first love growing up,” Woods said during an address she delivered to the Crumlin Social Club Nov. 2.

While at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut studying health sciences, Woods played for the Bobcats, the university’s women’s hockey team. As a junior, she served as the assistant coach and then in her senior year, she was the team’s captain, earning the team’s MVP award.

“My time at Quinnipiac University prepared me for the next level in my hockey career as an athlete but also as a leader,” Woods said. “My professional career started after university in 2017 with the Vanke Rays of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League with my team located in China.”

Woods played with the Swedish Women’s Hockey League in 2019-2020 with the Leksands. In June 2020, she played in the inaugural season with the Toronto Six of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). She was the team’s assistant captain while playing three years with the organization. The team won the Isobel Cup in 2023. Woods was then drafted to New York Sirens of the PWHL for one season. In June 2024 through the free agency, Woods signed with the Toronto Sceptres for a two-year contract.

“Throughout my hockey career I have essentially played every position, mostly as a right-winger or centre,” Woods said. “But I would say playing centre is my favourite. I would say that every step in my career has impacted me as a person and a player, and has led me to this point. The opportunity to play at home in Toronto in the PWHL is going to be a special year.

“My parents, Nancy and Rob Woods, and my siblings, Rebecca, Calvin and Hayden Woods, have been by my side and my biggest supporters throughout my entire hockey career. They have sacrificed a lot over the years to allow me to play and showed up at games to watch me play. That means a lot to me.”