<p>In a media availability Thursday, PWHL Toronto General Manager Gina Kingsbury told reporters there’s no timeline for Natalie Spooner’s return after her recent surgery, and the team is going into the offseason with the belief she may not be ready for the start of next season.</p>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">PWHL Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury on Natalie Spooner: </p>
<p>"We're preparing for this draft and free agency in the event that she will not be ready to start the season with us." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PWHL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PWHL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyFaceoff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyFaceoff</a> <a href="https://t.co/6man7OutTN">pic.twitter.com/6man7OutTN</a></p>
<p>— Hunter Crowther (@HunterCrowther) <a href="https://twitter.com/HunterCrowther/status/1798750183184040377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>



<p>“We’re preparing for this draft and free agency in the event that she will not be ready to start the season with us,” Kingsbury said. “If she does, great. If not, we want to make sure we’re doing our due diligence to equip our team with the players that will allow us to be successful in her absence.”</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="148"></div>



<p>Spooner suffered a knee injury in Game 3 of their first-round series against Minnesota, with the team announcing soon after she would be out for the remainder of the playoffs. </p>



<p>The incident occurred when Minnesota forward Grace Zumwinkle laid a hit on Spooner, causing her fall both hard and awkwardly into the boards. She would crawl off the ice and need help getting to the locker room.</p>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">the hit that sent natalie spooner to the dressing room <a href="https://t.co/n6mqGm6f89">pic.twitter.com/n6mqGm6f89</a></p>
<p>— alyssa (@alyssalerae) <a href="https://twitter.com/alyssalerae/status/1790203702780830005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>



<p>In the PWHL’s inaugural season, there was no player more dominant than Spooner. The 33-year-old finished as both the Top Goal Scorer with 20 and the Points Leader with 27.</p>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PWHL_Toronto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PWHL_Toronto</a>'s Natalie Spooner completed one of the most dominant single-season performances in hockey history</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="131"></div>
<p>With 20 goals and 27 points, she was recognized as <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PWHL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PWHL</a>'s Top Goal Scorer and Points Leader<a href="https://twitter.com/DailyFaceoff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyFaceoff</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thepwhlofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thepwhlofficial</a> <a href="https://t.co/mh62hqpyyR">https://t.co/mh62hqpyyR</a></p>
<p>— Hunter Crowther (@HunterCrowther) <a href="https://twitter.com/HunterCrowther/status/1787315089038565615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>



<p>She was also named one of the finalists for the PWHL Billie Jean King MVP Award, along with New York forward Alex Carpenter and Montreal forward Marie-Philip Poulin. </p>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">No surprise about these three</p>
<p>New York's Alex Carpenter, Montreal's Marie-Philp Poulin and Toronto's Natalie Spooner have been named finalists for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PWHL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PWHL</a> Forward of the Year.</p>
<p>My latest for <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyFaceoff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyFaceoff</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PWHLAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PWHLAwards</a><a href="https://t.co/CDgf4NxeFj">https://t.co/CDgf4NxeFj</a></p>
<p>— Tyler Kuehl (@TJKu29) <a href="https://twitter.com/TJKu29/status/1791194022624579648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>



<p>Her 20 goals were nine more than the two second-place goal scorers, her teammate Sarah Nurse and Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle. She also led the league in several other categories: six multi-goal games, seven power-play goals, the highest points-per-game with 1.13 and a league-leading 101 shots. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="143"></div>



<p>Toronto finished No. 1 in the league with a 17-7-0 record, but was eliminated in five games by Minnesota, who would go on to win the Walter Cup in five games over Boston.</p>
