Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast up for PWHL top defender and MVP didn’t think she’d reach this level [Video]

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 …