Toronto Staff

Ownership Team

Johanna Neilson Boynton

Ownership

Johanna Neilson Boynton, has been a women’s hockey pioneer since she started playing pond hockey with the boys in first grade. She played on the first women’s team at St. Paul’s School and was recruited to play at Harvard where she was a 2-time captain and winner of the Ivy League championship in 1987 and 1988. She served as co-chair of the Friends of Harvard Hockey for nearly two decades during which time she was instrumental in attracting funding and supporting the growth of the women’s program. She and her family coordinated billets for the 2014 US Women’s Olympic Team that trained near her home in Concord, Massachusetts, and she worked with USA Hockey to establish the Sochi Family Fund which enabled the families of US players to travel to Sochi, Russia to see their daughters realize their Olympic dreams. Hockey has been a central part of her life and she was thrilled by the opportunity to get involved with the Toronto Six.

When she’s not in a rink, she runs a residential building company in Concord, serves as President of the Harvard Varsity Club, and sits on the board of Middlesex School.

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Front Office

Sami Jo Small

President

Sami-Jo Small enters her second year as president of the 2023 Isobel Cup champion Toronto Six for the 2023-24 Premier Hockey Federation season. Small proudly served as a member of Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games where she earned a silver medal, then won two Olympic gold medals in 2002 and 2006. She is also a five-time IIHF World Champion, backstopping her country to gold at the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, and 2007 tournaments that included back-to-back Top Goaltender honors in 99-00. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native played 19 years of professional hockey winning National Championships in 2003 and 2004 with the Toronto Aeros, a 2008 title with the Mississauga Chiefs, and a 2014 Clarkson Cup with the Toronto Furies. The CWHL co-founder also served as general manager of the Furies following the completion of her playing career. Small has been speaking professionally for more than 20 years and authored the book titled ‘The Role I Played: Canada’s Greatest Olympic Hockey Team’.

Angela James

General Manager @AngelaJames8

Widely considered the first superstar in women’s hockey, Angela James is a pioneer and trailblazer, being the first and only Black woman to captain Canada’s National Women’s team. On the ice representing her country, James is a four-time gold medalist and was named a recipient of the Order of Hockey in Canada. Additionally, she played 18 years in the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League, where she was named MVP six times and led the league in scoring eight times. Following a transition to the National Women’s Hockey League, she earned MVP honours in her first season and won a league championship the next year with the Beatrice Aeros. Retiring from competitive hockey soon after, James was tabbed to coach by Hockey Canada, winning a gold medal as an assistant at the 1999 Canada Winter Games. As a head coach in 2001, she led Team Canada en route to a gold medal at the U18 National Championship. Leaving an illustrious mark behind her, James broke a barrier in 2010 as the first woman to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Among the most decorated in the game, she’s also a member of the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame, as well as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Now, as she helps to push the game further, James says she’s honoured to have the chance to join the Six. “It means a lot to me to have an opportunity to coach the girls and be a part of the progression and advancement of the women’s game to pro status and beyond," she said. "I grew up playing elite hockey after college and all women should have that same opportunity. Hockey is Hockey. We have a talented team, great coaches and a great administration. I look forward to working with everyone and being apart of the Toronto Six and more especially, winning.”

Geraldine Heaney

Head Coach

Geraldine Heaney enters her second year at the helm of the Toronto Six coaching staff for the 2023-24 Premier Hockey Federation season. Responsible for scoring one of the most famous goals in women’s hockey history that clinched the first IIHF Women’s World Championship title for Canada in 1990, Geraldine Heaney represented Canada in seven-straight World Championships and is the only player to have played in all seven of those gold medal wins. She competed alongside T6 General Manager Angela James during the first four wins in 1990, 1992, 1994, and 1997 and was named the tournament’s Best Defenceman by the IIHF directorate in 1992 and 1994. Heaney would also win gold in the 1999, 2000, and 2001 events. Adding to her perfect World Championship record, Heaney is a two-time Olympian, earning silver in 1998 and winning gold in 2002. She is the highest scoring defenceman in Canada’s National Women’s Team history, recording 93 points, including 27 goals and 66 assists, in 125 games played between 1990-2002. Additionally, she played 1,000 games with the Toronto Aeros over an 18-year period. She won six provincial titles and was named top defenceman across the Ontario Women's Hockey Association (OWHA) on three occasions. She also played in every national championship from 1987 to 2001, was named the tournament’s top defender three times, MVP once, and captured a total of four gold medals with the Aeros, including a final victory in 2004 when she scored the overtime winner. Retiring from competitive hockey following the 2003-04 season, Heaney assumed her first job behind the bench, coaching at the collegiate level with the University of Waterloo Warriors, where she led the women’s hockey program for six seasons from 2005-11. Since then, she has been actively coaching her kids throughout their minor hockey careers, including daughter Shannon with the Ancaster Avalanche and son Patrick with the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs. Among the most decorated in the game, Heaney became just the third woman to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame back in 2013, following the 2010 class that included James and U.S. Olympian Cammi Granato. The trio were the first women to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2008. Heaney also became a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and received the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2016. Most recently, Heaney helped lead the T6 en route to their first Isobel Cup championship in franchise history.

Mark Joslin

Associate Coach

Mark Joslin returns to the Toronto Six coaching staff as an Associate Coach for the 2023-24 Premier Hockey Federation season. Joslin has been involved at elite levels of the game for over 20 years, collecting the majority of his experience with over a decade spent in men’s junior hockey. He previously spent four seasons with the Toronto Patriots of the Ontario Junior Hockey League between 2016-20. The first two seasons were in the general manager’s role before adding head coach to his title prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, Mark accepted a front office role as Assistant GM of the Brantford 99ers.

Jessica Turi

Associate Coach

Jessica Turi enters her second year on the Toronto Six coaching staff, being appointed as an Associate Coach for the 2023-24 Premier Hockey Federation season. Turi has been predominantly involved in girls hockey for more than 12 years, including the last three seasons spent with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. During her tenure with the U SPORTS hockey club, Turi assisted head coach Vicky Sunohara in leading the program to an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship, winning the McCaw Cup title for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign. They carried an overall record of 17-4-1-2, compiling a conference best 52 points across 24 regular season contests, and this past season finished atop the OUA standings with a 12-0-2-2 record. Her earlier coaching experience includes a seven-year tenure in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League, where she worked to develop young athletes from 2012-2019. She served stints with the Mississauga Chiefs and Etobicoke Dolphins, earning recognition as the league’s Coach of the Year in 2015. Most recently, Turi was a member of Geraldine Heaney’s coaching staff who helped the T6 en route to their first Isobel Cup championship in franchise history.

Nick Grainger

Goaltending Coach

Nick Grainger enters his second year on the Toronto Six coaching staff, assuming the role of Goaltending Coach for the 2023-24 Premier Hockey Federation season. Grainger has been involved at various levels of the game for 16 years, including the last seven spent as Goaltending Coach with the Hamilton Bulldogs. During his tenure with the Ontario Hockey League program, he has helped the team capture two championship titles and two top-three finishes at the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup tournament. During the 2021-22 season, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 51-12-3, won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, and secured a second-place finish in the 2022 Memorial Cup. His earlier coaching experience includes instructing goalies to the highest levels of hockey for the past decade across Ontario, working with over 15 NCAA goaltenders, under 18 national goalies, and pro goalies as both a coach and consultant. Nick is also the owner and head instructor of Grainger Training Centre and Grainger Goaltending Development, which he has owned and operated since relocating to Hamilton in 2006. In 2000, he began operating his own goaltending camp at the young age of 18. In addition to his role with the Bulldogs, Grainger also serves as a goaltending consultant for all the principle minor hockey associations surrounding the GTHA. This includes the Stoney Creek Sabres (PWHL), Ancaster Avalanche (OWHA) and Hamilton Hawks (HGHA), as well as the Glanbrook Raiders, Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs and Hamilton Huskies.

Cam Borody

Head Therapist

Dr. Cam Borody is a husband and father of two boys, a chiropractor at Cleveland Clinic Canada, and an assistant professor at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. A practicing chiropractor for over 20 years, Dr. Borody has worked with athletes of all varieties including Bobsleigh/Skeleton Canada, Canada Soccer, Volleyball Canada (Beach), Athletics Canada and differently-abled athletes. He is a passionate hockey fan, continues to play as much as he can and is very proud to support the Toronto 6ix!

"I joined this team to work with great hockey players, help a new franchise grow, and make new connections in sport. As head athletic therapist, I define success as a complete season of healthy players, coaches, and staff.

"The players are great athletes and people. Professional hockey isn’t just for boys/men, women’s hockey is just as exciting. The players and staff are passionate, you will feel good supporting this group."

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Kris Franzoi

Equipment Manager

Kris Franzoi enters his third year on the Toronto Six support staff, assuming the role of Equipment Manager for the 2023-24 Premier Hockey Federation season.

Dr. Alex Francella

Team Physician

Alessandro Francella, MD, is a Sports Medicine Physician at Cleveland Clinic Canada. As Team Physician, he works closely with the players to keep them safe, healthy and performing at their best. Dr. Francella has a strong interest in sport and exercise medicine, physical activity promotion, emergency medicine, and sideline and event coverage.

He is actively involved with the Canada Soccer and Canada Basketball programs, and previously held the role of team physician for the Toronto Wolfpack Rugby League Football Club. He is also a sports medicine physician at the University of Toronto and Seneca College. Over his career, he has provided medical care to teams such as Toronto FC, Toronto FC II, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL), Toronto Rock (NLL), the Nutcracker Ballet, NHL Referees Association, the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Toronto Triathalon.

Dr. Francella is proud to be supporting the women of the Toronto Six as they help to inspire future generations of professional female hockey players.

“It’s a great honour to be involved with such an incredible organization that is at the forefront of promoting gender equality and inclusivity in sport.”

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Vanessa Decesare

Team Physiotherapist

Vanessa Decesare is a Physiotherapist at Cleveland Clinic Canada.

She graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2016 with a Doctorate of Physiotherapy degree. She has a strong passion for working with athletes, and heavily relies on evidence-based practice and clinical experience to rehabilitate patients.

Since graduation, she has been working in a private practice setting whilst working as a sports trainer/physiotherapist for a variety of teams including soccer and the Australian Football League (AFL). This is Vanessa’s second season supporting the Toronto 6ix and she is very proud to be part of the team.

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Saba Seda

Team Physiotherapist

Saba Seda is a physiotherapist at Cleveland Clinic Canada. Having played sports all his life, he understands the mechanics required and the strict timeline required for his patients to return to their sports. Saba has experience assessing and treating a variety of orthopaedic conditions, particularly high-performance volleyball, baseball, soccer, and football players. He believes that consistency is key for training and for injury prevention and is dedicated to developing treatment plans for symptom relief as well as comprehensive injury prevention programs.

Previously, Saba was a member of the Canadian national lifesaving team, which competed in Australia in 2012. Saba also spends his free time coaching 17u and 14u girls’ volleyball out of York Region three times a week, with tournaments on weekends.

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Alice Sobiesiak

Team Athletic Therapist

Alice Sobiesiak is an Athletic Therapist at Cleveland Clinic Canada. Passionate about the world of athletics, Alice is dedicated to helping her patients get back to their top performance level, and tailors their rehabilitation plans to match their individual physical demands. She has been involved with numerous professional organizations and events, including the National Ballet of Canada, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats football team and the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Previously, she has leant her skills to the Aurora Panthers PWHL Team, the Sheridan College Powerlifting meet and the Varsity Football, Junior Varsity Hockey, and U16 Rugby teams at St. Andrew’s College. In addition to supporting the health of athletes and patients at the Toronto 6ix and Cleveland Clinic Canada, Alice supports high performance athletes at the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO).

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