Toronto Sceptres captain, Canadian forward Blayre Turnbull announces pregnancy

Toronto Sceptres' Blayre Turnbull, right, falls on Ottawa Charge's Katerina Mrazova during third period PWHL Takeover Tour hockey action in Calgary, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal

TORONTO — Toronto Sceptres captain and Canadian women’s hockey team forward Blayre Turnbull says she’s pregnant and due in December.

The 32-year-old from Stellarton, N.S., is married to Olympic bobsledder Ryan Sommer. Turnbull made the announcement Monday on social media.

Turnbull has captained the Sceptres for three seasons since the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s inception and has 17 goals and 20 assists in 84 career games.

Turnbull also has four goals and an assist in nine career playoff games for Toronto.

She helped the Canadian women’s team win Olympic gold in 2022, world championships in 2021, 2022 and 2024, and a silver medal in February’s Milan Cortina Olympic Games in which she had a goal and an assists in seven games.

Turnbull has represented Canada in eight world championships in total. She has 30 goals and 32 assists in 138 career games for Canada.

Signed as one of Toronto’s three foundational players in 2023, Turnbull was on an expiring contract with the Sceptres and wasn’t protected in the expansion process to fill four new PWHL teams next season.

Turnbull hasn’t re-signed with Toronto or signed with any other team during an expansion system heavy on players negotiating contracts with teams instead of an expansion draft.

Toronto general manager Gina Kingsbury was confident Turnbull will remain a Sceptre.

“Blayre will continue to be a leading presence for the team off the ice throughout the season,” Kingsbury said Monday in a statement.

“She is determined to play once ready following the birth of her child, and the Sceptres will be there to support her every step of the way.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2026.

The Canadian Press