Sceptres sign Elaine Chuli, Claire Dalton to 1-year deals

The Toronto Sceptres signed goaltender Elaine Chuli and forward Claire Dalton to one-year contracts, the team announced Tuesday.

Both players spent this past season with the Montreal Victoire.

Chuli appeared in 11 games, logging a .910 save percentage, 2.42 goals against average, and four wins.

The 31-year-old has experience playing in Toronto. She spent three seasons with the Toronto Six in the Premier Hockey Federation and was named the league's Goaltender of the Year in 2021-22. Chuli also helped the club win the Isobel Cup in 2022-23.

"I couldn't be more excited to be coming home to Toronto and joining the Sceptres for next season," Chuli said in a statement. "It means a lot to me to be back close to home and have the chance to play in front of such a passionate fan base. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to represent this city and this organization, and I'm ready to compete to bring a championship back to Toronto."

The Sceptres now have three goalies under contract in Kristen Campbell, Raygan Kirk, and Chuli.

Dalton, meanwhile, recorded three goals and six assists in 30 outings this past campaign. She scored five tallies and nine points in 20 contests with Montreal the previous season.

The 25-year-old collected 133 points in 130 career collegiate games for Yale University.

"Elaine brings consistency to our team," Sceptres general manager Gina Kingsbury said. "A proven goalie in the league, she brings a lot of traits we value both on and off the ice.

"We are also excited to have signed Claire Dalton, who brings size, a great shot, and a high ceiling. We believe these two athletes will excel in our market, and we are excited to have them in Sceptres jerseys."

Toronto fell to the Minnesota Frost in May's semifinals for the second straight postseason.