Toronto Furies

Lore & Background

The Toronto Furies originated from the 2010–11 CWHL restructuring, which saw the Mississauga Chiefs, Ottawa Senators, and Vaughan Flames cease operations. The new Toronto team was initially called Toronto CWHL, though it was sometimes referred to as the Toronto Aeros or Toronto HC. The team protected former Mississauga Chiefs players Jennifer Botterill and Sami Jo Small and acquired many former Chiefs in the league's first player draft on August 12, 2010. In their inaugural season, Toronto finished fourth in the regular season, defeated the Boston Blades in a playoff, and advanced to the 2011 Clarkson Cup final, where they lost 5–0 to the Montreal Stars. After the season, the team adopted the name 'Furies' from fan suggestions that also included Toronto Force, Toronto Tornadoes, Toronto Snipes, and Toronto Vamps; the decision was featured on History Television's program What's In a Name?.

During the 2013–14 season, Kristy Zamora and Meagan Aarts became the fourth and fifth women to play 150 career CWHL games, and goaltender Sami Jo Small recorded her 60th career win, a league first. The Furies won their first Clarkson Cup in 2014, defeating the Boston Blades 1–0 in overtime at Markham Centennial Centre. Natalie Spooner became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal and the Clarkson Cup in the same year. In summer 2016, Kori Cheverie retired holding three franchise records: points (82), games played (152), and power play goals (14), as well as the league record for consecutive games played (152).

In June 2018, Sami Jo Small was named general manager and signed Courtney Birchard as head coach, with Ken Dufton as advisor. The team added goaltender Elaine Chuli and forward Shiann Darkangelo in August 2018. On March 31, 2019, the CWHL announced it would fold on May 1, 2019. The Furies stated they would try to continue as a team, but the National Women's Hockey League's negotiations for a Toronto team did not result in a 2019–20 launch; the NWHL later awarded Toronto an expansion team for 2020–21, the Toronto Six.

Reader's Guide

The Toronto Furies represent a significant chapter in the history of professional women's ice hockey in Canada, particularly as part of the CWHL's restructuring that consolidated teams in the Greater Toronto Area. The franchise's evolution from the generic 'Toronto CWHL' to the distinctive 'Furies' name, chosen by fan vote and documented on a television program, illustrates the league's efforts to build identity. The team's 2014 Clarkson Cup victory, secured in overtime against the Boston Blades, marked the franchise's only championship and highlighted the growing competitiveness of the CWHL. The Furies also contributed to individual milestones, including Sami Jo Small becoming the first CWHL goaltender to reach 60 wins and Natalie Spooner's unique achievement of winning Olympic gold and the Clarkson Cup in the same year. The franchise's end came with the CWHL's dissolution in 2019, a league-wide collapse that left the Furies and other directly owned teams without a league. The subsequent attempt by the Furies to continue independently and the NWHL's eventual expansion to Toronto with the Toronto Six underscore the transitional period in women's professional hockey. The Furies' legacy includes franchise records held by Kori Cheverie and the contributions of players who bridged the earlier NWHL era and the modern CWHL.

Did You Know?

• The team was originally called Toronto CWHL and adopted the name 'Furies' after the 2011 Clarkson Cup.
• Goaltender Sami Jo Small became the first CWHL goaltender to reach 60 career wins in February 2014.