Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast — up for PWHL top defender and MVP — didn't think she'd reach this level

For hockey player Renata Fast, the last two years of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) have been "more than we ever imagined," and an opportunity to grow as a player in ways she never thought possible.

Fast, who's from Burlington, Ont., and lives there today, plays defence for the Toronto Sceptres. Though her team was eliminated from the playoffs on May 14, Fast distinguished herself in the league's second year, becoming a finalist for two awards.

Alongside Minnesota Frost teammates Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, Fast is up for the PWHL's top defender distinction. And alongside Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Boston Fleet forward Hilary Knight, she's also in the running for league MVP. 

Speaking before the league announced her MVP candidacy, the 30-year-old told CBC Hamilton it was a "huge honour" to be named one of the defenders of the year.

"It's always nice to have a little bit of individual acknowledgement," she said. 

"I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates for the compete that they've shown every day in practice to push me to be better, as well as my coaches. I think they've put a big investment in me as a person and a player to see how far my game can go."

Fast had six goals and 16 assists in 30 games this season, tying Jaques for the scoring lead among defenders. She led the league in hits (63). With a total of 739 minutes and 45 seconds of play, she was on the ice more than any player in the league, averaging 24:39 per game. 

According to a PWHL news release, award winners will be announced June 25 at an event in Ottawa.

The league's finals are still underway, with the defending champions Minnesota Frost playing the Ottawa Charge in a best-of-five series. 

"Obviously, we wanted to win that Walter Cup so it was a disappointing finish [for the Sceptres]," Fast said, but it was a "great" regular season with her team coming in second. 

"Every night's a battle," Fast said. "I think we learned a lot and we'll be ready to go for year three as well."

Next year is set to be another big one for the league, which is rapidly growing in popularity, averaging 7,500 fans per game last season compared to last season's 5,500, according to the PWHL.

This past season, teams had names and unique brands for the first time, games became viewable on more platforms with Prime Video streaming some, and PWHL teams became a big part of the latest instalment of the popular NHL video game franchise, with playable rosters that include Fast.

The league is now expanding to add two teams in Vancouver and Seattle for next season. The six existing teams will each lose four players as part of a June expansion draft, meaning rosters will look quite different next season. The coming change has been the source of some consternation for players left wondering where they'll be next year.