Behind the Bench: Troy Ryan, the Driving Force of the Toronto Sceptres
Minnesota vs Toronto, on January 10th 2024 at Xcel Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo credit: John McClellan.
Written By Ella Rose Licata
The ice in the rink is shaved by blades as players speed past the benches. Fellow players watch as their teammates race toward the goal with the puck, urging them forward with loud cheers. The audience in the stands shifts to the edge of their seats, friends gripping each other’s arms, unable to look away. The tension is palpable as the timer ticks closer and closer to zero.
Behind the bench, Troy Ryan doesn’t flinch. His eyes track the puck with quiet intensity, but his focus stretches beyond the play itself, to positioning, timing, and the decisions his players are about to make.
The Sceptres battle against the opposing defensive line as they move into position to shoot. Even in the chaos, there’s structure. They fall into the system Ryan drilled into them just an hour earlier in the locker room, each movement echoing his voice, his strategy. In moments like this, the countless days of practice aren’t just preparation, they are instinct.
Five seconds on the clock. A stick rises to shoot, and behind it all is the steady presence of a coach who has already shaped what happens next.
A Coach With Undeniable Ability
Born and bred in Nova Scotia, Canada, Toronto Sceptres Head Coach Troy Ryan was raised with a profound appreciation for hockey.
Beyond his personal experience with the sport in university, Ryan’s prowess lies in his long-standing coaching history. Moving between junior league teams in his early years, Ryan dedicated himself to the athletic development of Canadian players. Under his watchful eye, he helped foster the growth of countless young athletes.
A Blossoming Career in Women’s Hockey
In 2016, Troy Ryan was appointed as a female coach mentor for the Canadian Sports Centre Atlantic. It was there that he cultivated a passion for women’s hockey.
A few years later, Ryan was given the privilege of representing his home country by serving as the head coach for Hockey Canada’s national women’s team.
Hockey Canada gave Ryan the opportunity to develop his coaching skills in a high-pressure environment. He knew the game and the rules, but now it was time to apply that knowledge.
Ryan led Canada to gold at the 2021 and 2022 World Women’s Hockey Championships.
Leadership in the Professional Leagues
Since its inception, the Toronto Sceptres have had only one head coach.
Troy Ryan accepted the position in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) in 2023, a decision that became the foundation for the Sceptres’ rise into a formidable force.
Naturally, it was Coach Ryan who went on to lead the Toronto Sceptres to a standout season and playoff appearance, finishing with an overall total of 47 points in the first PWHL regular season in 2024.
It came as no surprise when the PWHL Coach of the Year Award (2023–24) was awarded to Troy Ryan for an 11-game win streak and for ending the season at a league-record high.
This honor was discussed in an interview by Toronto forward Natalie Spooner, a player who worked under Ryan.
“Troy is someone who really has a heartbeat for the team,” Spooner remarked.
The Heartbeat Behind the Bench
As the 2025–26 regular season continues into its second half, Troy Ryan will need to draw on his professional experience to push the Sceptres above and beyond.
From lacing his own skates to helping others lace theirs, Ryan’s career can be defined by his unyielding empathy. His drive to help athletes achieve their ambitions, and to support them from behind the bench, is what makes him so admirable.
His achievements will live on through the success of the players under his tutelage and the execution of his strategic vision.
For Head Coach Troy Ryan, it is undeniably the players on the Toronto Sceptres who make the game worth it.
