Toronto Sceptres' Sarah Nurse reveals intentions of reaching "different demographics of women in sport" with 2024 'Summer Summit' program

PWHL Toronto forward Sarah Nurse has been busy in the offseason. She hosted the “S. Nurse Summer Summit” to champion inclusiveness in hockey with the help of her team.

The summer summit was a focused initiative to make hockey more accessible to all. It combined panel discussions, on-ice sessions, and networking opportunities to support underrepresented groups, especially women and newcomers to the sport.

In an interview with Sportsnet’s Donnovan Bennett, Nurse opened up on her objectives and inspiration behind hosting such a camp for those looking to pursue a hockey career.

“I think for me, in the last few years, it's all about being intentional and finding meaning,” she said. “So when I came to my team about the idea of putting together a summit and having different discussions, and they took that idea and ran and were able to help me create this pretty incredible day with panel discussions, a nice luncheon, an on-ice portion.”

“I just wanted to have something that was meaningful and impactful and reach different demographics of women in sport and women in hockey,” she added.

On the ice, the Toronto Sceptres secured a 3-1 victory over the Boston Fleet in their home opener at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Sarah Nurse, Hannah Miller, and Emma Maltais each scored for Toronto, while goalie Kristen Campbell delivered a strong performance, saving 18 of 19 shots.

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Sarah Nurse names Jayna Hefford as her inspiration in hockey

Before their season opener, Sarah Nurse sat down with theScore for an interview, where she shared her thoughts on various dynamics of the league heading into its second season. She also opened up about her childhood inspirations.

“I remember growing up, I leaned heavily into the NHL players. So, I loved Jarome Iginla, I loved Mats Sundin. Something that's always incredible to me is when I get to be in places with Jayna (Hefford) because she was such an icon, a figure, an incredible hockey player.”

Nurse found it incredible to work alongside someone she grew up idolizing, describing Hefford as a humble and inspiring presence.

“The fact that she's a part of this new PWHL (as senior vice president of hockey operations) and I get to do these things with her is incredible because she's somebody who we all looked up to. We watched 2014, and all her Olympics before that. So, it's just cool because she's so humble, and to just be around a presence like that is pretty awesome.”

Nurse also mentioned that the PWHL’s first season went beyond what she imagined when the PWHPA was formed in 2019. While they had basic ideas of what they wanted, Sarah insisted that the league’s professionalism and success had far surpassed those early goals.