Scarborough Sting

Lore & Background

The Scarborough Sting was founded approximately in the 1990s and initially played in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League (COWHL) for several seasons. The club joined the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) for the 1998–99 season, a campaign that proved difficult: the team recorded only one victory, four ties, and 21 defeats in 40 games. The following season, 1999–2000, the Sting surprisingly never won a home game, collecting all of their points—three wins and three ties—on the road. On Thursday, March 30, 2000, the Sting faced the Japan National Team in Stouffville, Ontario, losing 6–1. In 2000–01, the club reorganized and adopted the new name Toronto Sting.

Reader's Guide

The Scarborough Sting represents a transitional period in women's hockey, bridging local league play in the COWHL with the emerging National Women's Hockey League. Its brief NWHL tenure highlights the challenges faced by expansion teams, particularly the 1998–99 season's single win and the unusual 1999–2000 season in which all points were earned away from home. The team's reorganization and renaming to Toronto Sting in 2000–01 reflects a broader trend of franchise relocation and rebranding in women's professional hockey. The exhibition game against the Japan National Team underscores the international connections of the NWHL at the time. The Sting's legacy is tied to the development of women's hockey in the Greater Toronto Area and the eventual evolution of the NWHL.

Did You Know?

• The Scarborough Sting played its home games at Mid Scarborough & Malvern Arena in Scarborough, Ontario.
• In the 1999–2000 season, the Sting never won a home game, earning all points on the road.
• On March 30, 2000, the Sting lost 6–1 to the Japan National Team in Stouffville, Ontario.
• The team reorganized and changed its name to Toronto Sting in 2000–01.