Sceptres acquire Ella Shelton from Sirens for two picks
A huge trade for one of the best blueliners in the game.
On Tuesday, during the first round of the 2025 PWHL Draft, the New York Sirens traded defender Ella Shelton to the Toronto Sceptres. In return, the Sirens received the Sceptres’ third and 27th-overall picks in this year’s draft.
With the third-overall selection, the Sirens took the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award winner, Wisconsin star Casey O’Brien. It came right after New York took Colgate star Kristyna Kaltounkova with the No. 1 pick.
The addition of Shelton is a huge pickup for the Sceptres, who have been desperate for more top-end talent on the back end. After trading Jocelyne Larocque to the Ottawa Charge last year, Savannah Harmon wasn’t quite able to play in that No. 2 role next to MVP and Defender of the Year Finalist, Renata Fast.
Shelton has spent the first two seasons with New York, the team that took her with the fourth overall pick in the inaugural draft two years ago. She made history by scoring the first goal in PWHL history on July 1, 2024, coincidentally against Toronto. She had a great first season in the league, scoring seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points, and was a finalist for Defender of the Year.
Year two with the Sirens started off inauspicously for the Ingersoll, Ontario native, as Shelton suffered an early-season injury that led to her being placed on LTIR. Yet, she only missed seven games, setting a career high with eight goals, notching eight assists and 16 points as well.
Along with her professional accolades, Shelton has been a key rearguard for Team Canada for the past few years. She’s helped her country win three gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, taking home silver twice. Shelton was also an important player for the Canadian squad that won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
With Shelton, the Sceptres have a blue line consisting of her, Fast, Kali Flanagan and Jess Kondas.