An important top-four blueliner is staying in the hockey mecca of the world.



The Toronto Sceptres officially announced that the team has signed defender Kali Flanagan <a href="https://www.thepwhl.com/en/news/2025/june/19/toronto-sceptres-and-kali-flanagan-reach-contract-extension">to a one-year contract extension</a>.



<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/toronto-sceptres-re-sign-defender-kali-flanagan">Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News</a> was the first to report the signing earlier in the week.



The terms of the contract have yet to be announced.



Flanagan was at the end of her two-year contract, which saw her sign after she was taken by Toronto in the sixth round of the PWHL’s inaugural draft in 2023. 



Since then, the former Boston College star has been a constant presence on the back end for the Sceptres. Even though she might have been the undercard behind the likes of Renata Fast and Jocelyne Larocque, Flanagan has been one of head coach Troy Ryan’s go-to defenders over the first two years of the league. <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="145"></div>



After Larocque was traded to the Ottawa Charge in late December of this season, Flanagan’s ice time rose on a consistent basis, playing well over 20 minutes a night for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs. She might not have been the offensive produce that MVP and Defender of the Year finalist Renata Fast, but her reliability led to her playing in key situations down the stretch.



Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to give the Sceptres a deep run in the playoffs, as they were eliminated (again) by the eventual Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost in the semifinals this spring.



The 29-year-old finished the 2024-25 season with three goals and four assists for seven points in 30 games, adding three points in the four postseason games against the Frost. In 54 career games with Toronto, she has notched six goals and seven assists for 13 points, with another four points coming in nine playoff games.<div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="158"></div>



Prior to the PWHL, Flanagan saw success with the Boston Pride of the Premier Hockey Federation, winning the Isobel Cup in 2022. She also won gold with Team USA at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship and 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.



Keeping the former PHF Defender of the Year on the books is important for the Sceptres, who had already lost rookie <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-pwhl-expansion-draft-pick-list-vancouver-seattle">Megan Carter to PWHL Seattle</a> in the expansion draft last week. The Sceptres still have Fast, Flanagan, Savannah Harmon and Allie Munroe signed through next season.