News coming out of Toronto today, as the Six announce that the NWHL MVP, Mikayla Grant-Mentis, will be returning to the team for her second year with the team and third year in the league.
Grant-Mentis previously played in Buffalo, for the Beauts, where she played 2 games for the club, scoring 2 goals and adding another assist for 3 points during that season. She would then sign for Toronto, and play 6 games for the team, amassing 5 goals and 4 assists for 9 points on the year. She also brings playoff experience, having played 1 playoff game for both clubs, tallying a goal and an assist in each of those games for 4 points in her career. With a full season upcoming, she’ll be looking to improve on those numbers.
Her season last year earned her many awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie/Newcomer of the Year, NWHL Foundation Award, and NWHL Fans’ Three Stars of the Season. She lead the league in goals and was tied for first in points. She also lead the league in points per game average, and also led the way with 2 game winning goals last season.
You can check out the full press release here:
LEADING THE WAY OFFENSIVELY, TORONTO SIX RE-SIGN MIKYLA GRANT-MENTIS
by: Justin Levine
Toronto, ON- Following a season that saw her named as Newcomer of the Year and league MVP, the Toronto Six re-signed Mikyla Grant-Mentis, who returns to the team for her second season.
Rejoining the first Canadian franchise, Mikyla cited unfinished business and home ice as her driving components. “It was important for me to re-sign because first, we didn’t win the cup, which is definitely something we want to do next year, and we never really got to play at home, so I haven’t really played in my hometown yet, and that’s really what I wanted to do, so I had to sign to make sure I can do that for next year,” said the Brampton native.
A standout in the team’s inaugural season, Grant-Mentis tied for the NWHL lead in Lake Placid scoring, amassing nine points in six games, including a league-high five goals to help guide Toronto to a regular season title.
The 22-year-old added two more points in the Isobel Cup Semifinals while playing on the top line with Emma Woods and captain Shiann Darkangelo.
In addition to becoming the first Black player to earn MVP and Newcomer of the Year honours in NWHL history, the five-foot-eight forward also set a league record, as she collected four accolades for her stellar performance. She was one of six recipients to win the NWHL Foundation Award for actively applying the core values of hockey to her community, as well as growing and improving hockey culture, and also earned one of the Fans’ 3 Stars of the season.
“Mikyla Grant-Mentis is our secret weapon! Regardless of playing her on the wing or in the middle, she is an offensive threat, she anticipates well and is a constant threat to opponents,” said Digit Murphy, President of the Toronto Six. “She is one of the more prolific, natural goal scorers I have ever coached. She has a special talent that you can’t teach! She’s only getting started and we’re excited to have her back for Season seven.”
Grant-Mentis began her NWHL career at the end of the 2020 campaign, signing with the Buffalo Beauts and hitting the ice in three games. Despite limited action, she made an immediate impact, earning VEDA Player of the Week after scoring her first goal and amassed a total of five points, including a goal and an assist during their Isobel Cup Playoff run.
Graduating with a degree in criminology, Grant-Mentis spent four NCAA seasons at Merrimack College, where she put up 117 points as an inaugural member of the Warriors women’s hockey program. In her Senior year, she was named an alternate captain, and with collegiate career totals of 56 goals and 61 assists, the Canadian remains the program’s all-time leading scorer.
Growing up just west of the city, Grant-Mentis played junior hockey in the PWHL between Toronto and Mississauga. While advancing to the playoffs in each season, Mikyla, in 2015-16, played with T6 forward Natalie Marcuzzi and finished second in points.
Anxious to hit the ice before her loved ones, Grant-Mentis can’t wait to pick up where she left off in Season six.
“I’m just looking forward to playing at home, getting the Toronto fans and everyone behind us and then going for that Isobel Cup that we missed out on last year.”
RMU Petition:
It was announced, that the funding for the Division 1 Men’s and Women’s hockey programs of Robert Morris University was cut. Here is the statement from RMU:
If you have the time, please consider signing the petition to help save RMU’s hockey programs, link provided:
Bring Back the RMU Hockey Programs Change.org Petition
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-rmu-hockey
TXHT will continue to provide NWHL coverage as more signings and news are announced.
Sponsored by:
