Brampton blueliner Tara French gets new start in Toronto as rivals engage in trade
For the crowd pouring into Waterloo’s RIM Center, it must have been a surprise for the CWHL’s hardcore fans to see Tara French wearing an opposing team’s sweater. A reliable and steady blueliner for the Brampton Thunder, Tara French now has a new home with the Toronto Furies. Exchanged for rookie blueliners Leah Whittaker and Candice Styles, it must have been a visceral experience for French to wear the colors of a Furies team she has only known as a rival. Suiting up for the Furies as the Brampton Thunder challenged them in a neutral site game; the Furies would emerge with a hard fought 2-1 victory in the shootout. On the surface, it would appear to be a win-win trade for both sides. Styles and Whittaker, selected 17th and 27th overall in the 2014 CWHL Draft are a pair of talented blueliners with plenty of potential. Raised in Cambridge, Ontario, Whittaker competed at the NCAA level with the now-defunct Niagara Purple Eagles program. A stay at home defender, her presence shou...