Liz started playing hockey later in life, but it soon became an all consuming passion. In addition to co-founding the Toronto Pride Hockey Tournament she has also advocated for dedicated ice time for women and trans folks to play shinny at City of Toronto run rinks and plays in WHCT, a trans-inclusive hockey league for queer women. Off the ice, she co-runs a Queer Euchre club and sits on the board of Notso Amazon, a queer softball league. On the ice Liz is a stay-at-home (but really just lazy) defender.

Genna, originally from Hoboken, New Jersey, has been a hockey fan her entire life. She’s held season tickets for the New Jersey Devils, the Metropolitan Riveters, and now the Toronto Sceptres. While she’s never played, her passion for the sport runs deep.

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By day, Genna works as a draftsperson, but her real passion shines through in her volunteer work. She started helping out on tournament day in her first year and quickly stepped up to become the volunteer coordinator the next. Now, in her third year, she’s proud to co-organize the entire event.​

Sheri (she/her) is an active member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and currently volunteers as the Secretary for the Ontario Public Service’s Pride Network, Camp Administrator for Machane Lev (Canada’s only 2SLGBTQ+ Jewish overnight camp), and is a founding member of the Queen’s University Queer alumni chapter. 

When Sheri is not volunteering her time, she LOVES playing in queer women and trans sports leagues (playing in 5 leagues over her lifetime), with hockey being her favourite sport to watch and play. 

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In 2022, Sheri merged her love for hockey, event planning, and community-building experience to co-found the Toronto Pride Hockey Tournament as a way to create an inclusive space for queer women and trans folks who also share a love for hockey.

Laura is a neuroscientist specializing in traumatic brain injuries, which means she understands the risks of hockey at a molecular level, and laced up her skates anyway. She learned to skate just four years ago, but what started as a personal challenge became a genuine passion. To Laura, the Toronto Pride Hockey Tournament is where her love of the game and her community come together in one place. As partnership lead, she works to deepen relationships with existing partners and build new connections with businesses and organizations that align with the league's mission. She may have come to hockey later in life but it turns out her mini-putting skills are transferable. “Just taaaap it in.”

Hockey has always been a central part of Amber Jo's life, but to her, it’s more than just a sport—it’s a way to build community, foster inclusion, and create safe spaces where everyone can thrive. Last year, Amber Jo had the incredible opportunity to play in the Pride Hockey Tournament, where she was deeply moved by the inclusivity, acceptance, and genuine warmth shown by everyone involved, from players to organizers. The experience was transformative, reminding her of hockey’s unique power to unite people from all walks of life.

This year, Amber Jo is thrilled to give back to this remarkable community by volunteering on the tournament’s organizing committee. Being part of a group so dedicated to creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued has been deeply rewarding for her.
 

As a hockey coach and a passionate advocate for diversity in sports, Amber Jo is committed to breaking down barriers and ensuring the game is accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or identity. To her, hockey is more than just a game—it’s a platform for empowerment, connection, and joy. Amber Jo feels honoured to contribute to a sport and community that continue to inspire her every day.

Hockey has always been a focal point in Kim’s life. She is happiest when on the ice, and hockey has provided her with a strong sense of community. During her time playing rep hockey for the Etobicoke Dolphins, Kim met her lifelong best friend, a relationship that has now lasted 22 years and counting! Since then, she has had the privilege of meeting incredible people on each new team she’s joined.

To Kim, hockey is more than just a sport—it’s a way of life. Being part of a team is something very special to her, as it teaches valuable lessons about life. She is grateful to be part of the organizing committee for the Toronto Pride Hockey Tournament, where she can help foster a love of the game for others.

Hilary is an enthusiastic hockey fan and advocate for queer sports of all kinds. Though personally more of a figure skater, she loves the ice and hopes to help make it a more accessible space for everyone. Off the rink, she enjoys softball, skiing, tennis, and dodgeball, and appreciates the power of sports in creating community. A journalist and editor by trade, she’s excited to play for the other team (so to speak) in media relations and get the word out about TPHT.

After playing in every previous Toronto Pride Hockey Tournament, June Joplin felt inspired to give back and join the organizer team as DEI coordinator.

June grew up in a small town in the southern United States, hours from the nearest rink. She still has a puck from the first minor league hockey game she ever attended, in the early 1990's. The only kid at her high school with a Vancouver Canucks jersey, June’s allegiance changed forever when the Carolina Hurricanes relocated to her home state.

A job offer brought June to Canada in 2014; soon after, she registered for an adult beginner’s hockey program. After years of weekly shinny with friends, she finally joined a league in 2023. Today, June might just be the greatest living hockey player from Sawmills, North Carolina (for what that’s worth).

June is the proud hockey mom of two North York Hockey League defensemen, and when she’s not at the rink, June serves as Associate Pastor at Toronto’s historic and history-making queer church, the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto.

Catherine did not grow up playing nor watching hockey—in fact, she can’t skate and has no intent to learn. But on January 1, 2024, she decided to watch the PWHL’s inaugural game to see what the excitement was all about and realized that she does, in fact, enjoy hockey, so long as it’s queer and no one expects her to know what offside means. Catherine has since become a Toronto Sceptres season ticket holder (she is just as surprised about this as everyone else in her life) and a lesbian (no one is surprised about this).

She’s thrilled to join the TPHT committee as Volunteer Coordinator and looks forward to fostering the sense of community and queer joy she herself found in volunteering at the 2024 and 2025 tournaments. A book publishing professional by trade, Catherine is proud to bring her type A sensibilities and communication skills to the role. On most Sundays you can find her line dancing.

A long-suffering Leafs fan, Sam took up running for the endorphins. Currently on the board of the Pride and Remembrance Association, she’s passionate about helping to organize sporting and social events, bringing the queer community together, and having fun while doing it. If she’s not training for a race, you’ll find her trying to read, drinking a beer while watching hockey, or eating a breakfast sandwich, preferably all with a cat at her feet.