Toronto Scepters sign Jess Kondas to a 10-day contract

The Toronto Scepters are making a move to fill a spot before returning from the holiday break.

On Friday, the team announced that it had signed defenseman Jess Kondas to a 10-day standard player deal. The move comes after fellow forward Rylind MacKinnon received a one-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head on Montreal Victoire defender Amanda Boulier on Saturday.

Kondas is expected to make his PWHL debut on Friday when the Scepters host the Boston Fleet. The 24-year-old could also be in line for Toronto’s New Year’s Eve clash against the Ottawa Charge. MacKinnon would also be eligible to return to game action next Tuesday.

Kondas was invited to the Scepters’ training camp in October and performed well enough to at least earn a spot on the team’s reserve list. She joined the PWHL after spending the 2023-24 campaign with SDE HF in the SDHL in Sweden. In 32 games with SDE, she scored one goal and three assists.

Before turning pro, the Calgary native played five years at Minnesota State and scored a career-high 19 points spanning 33 years during her final season with the Mavericks. During her time in Mankato, serving as an alternate twice, Kondas appeared in 154 games, scoring 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points.

Under PWHL rules, players are eligible to be signed off the reserve roster to 10-day contracts twice during the regular season and can be used for one series in the playoffs.

The Scepters (1-0-1-3) are currently tied for last in the PWHL with the Charge. Since winning their season opener against the Fleet, Toronto has lost four straight games, including a 4-3 shootout loss to Montreal Victoire in their final game before the holiday break.

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