Renata Fast Bio
Renata Fast is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays defence for the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and represents the Canada women’s national ice hockey team in international competition. A two-time Olympic medallist, she won silver with Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. She has also helped Canada capture multiple medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, including golds in 2021, 2022, and 2024. Off the ice, Fast is widely recognized as one of the top defencemen in women’s hockey, having been named PWHL Defender of the Year in 2024–25.
Early Life and Background
Renata Fast was born on October 6, 1994, in Hamilton, Ontario, and raised in nearby Burlington. She is the youngest of four siblings, with one sister, Lindsey Fast, and two brothers, Christopher and Gregory. Her parents are Sharon and Douglas Fast, and she has spoken about growing up in an active household that encouraged sports and competition.
Fast began playing hockey in grade two after being encouraged by a childhood friend who lived five houses down her street. She was a multi-sport athlete throughout her youth, excelling in volleyball, basketball, track and field, snowboarding, soccer, and hockey. Fast played for the Burlington Barracudas at various levels from 2003 to 2012, and was named Female Athlete of the Year in the Burlington Junior programs from 2006 to 2011. She captured a gold medal with the Barracudas at the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association provincials at the Peewee AA level in 2007, and won the 2012 Junior Women’s Hockey League Challenge Cup with the Intermediate AA Barracudas.
Fast attended M.M. Robinson High School in Burlington, where she was named MVP for both the hockey and soccer teams. She received athletic scholarship offers from American universities in both sports, and ultimately chose to pursue hockey, accepting a scholarship to Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York.
Path to Hockey
Fast’s development through the Burlington Barracudas and her high school program gave her a strong foundation as she moved into elite-level competition. Her multi-sport background helped her build the speed, coordination, and competitive habits that became hallmarks of her defensive game. By the time she finished her junior career in 2012, she had established herself as one of the top young defencemen in Ontario.
Her decision to accept a scholarship to Clarkson University marked her transition to the NCAA ranks. She joined the Clarkson Golden Knights for the 2012–13 season and would spend four years developing her game in one of the strongest women’s hockey conferences in the country. The move also set the stage for her future representing Canada on the international stage.
Renata Fast Career
Early Career (2012–2016)
Fast played four seasons for the Clarkson Golden Knights women’s ice hockey team from 2012 to 2016, recording 13 goals and 44 assists for 57 points in 144 games with a plus-80 rating. As a freshman in 2012–13, she appeared in all 38 games and helped the Golden Knights reach the NCAA quarterfinals, earning a place on the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team, an honor she would receive in all four years at Clarkson.
In 2013–14, Fast played all 41 games and was instrumental in leading the Golden Knights to their first NCAA Championship, a 5–4 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the title game. Clarkson became the first team from outside the Western Collegiate Hockey Association to win the women’s national championship, and Fast was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. She also helped Clarkson win the ECAC Hockey regular season title that year.
Clarkson Breakthrough (2013–2016)
As a junior in 2014–15, Fast was named an assistant captain and earned ECAC Hockey First Team All-Star honors after recording 18 points in 29 games, despite missing the first nine games of the season due to injury. She helped Clarkson capture another ECAC Hockey regular season championship and scored two power-play goals in a 4–1 victory over Dartmouth in the conference quarterfinals.
In her senior season of 2015–16, Fast continued as an assistant captain and appeared in 36 games, recording 17 points. She scored the fastest goal in NCAA Tournament history, netting the game-winner just 10 seconds into Clarkson’s quarterfinal victory over Quinnipiac on March 12, 2016. The Golden Knights advanced to the Frozen Four that year before being eliminated by Boston College in overtime in the semifinal.
Toronto Furies Era (2016–2019)
Fast was selected second overall by the Toronto Furies in the 2016 CWHL Draft. In her rookie season, she competed in 22 of the Furies’ 24 games, recording four goals and five assists for nine points, and led all Toronto defencemen in scoring. The Furies finished fourth in the league standings and reached the Clarkson Cup playoffs, and Fast was a finalist for the CWHL Rookie of the Year and a 2016–17 CWHL All-Star.
Fast missed nearly the entire 2017–18 CWHL season due to her selection to Canada’s centralization roster in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Returning in 2018–19, she recorded two goals and six assists in 26 games as the Furies clinched a playoff spot and reached the semifinals. Fast was named to the 2018–19 CWHL All-Star Team. In March 2019, the CWHL announced it would cease operations effective May 1, 2019. Over three seasons with Toronto, Fast appeared in 48 regular-season games, recording six goals and 11 assists for 17 points.
PWHPA Years (2019–2023)
Following the collapse of the CWHL, Fast was among more than 200 women’s hockey players who announced in May 2019 that they would not compete in existing North American professional leagues for the 2019–20 season as part of the #ForTheGame movement. On May 20, 2019, the group formed the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) as a non-profit organization, and Fast joined Team Sonnet (Toronto) for the inaugural Dream Gap Tour.
Fast competed in PWHPA showcase events across Canada and the United States, including the 2021 Secret Cup in Calgary, where Team Sonnet reached the championship game but fell 4–2 to Team Bauer. She continued with Team Sonnet through 2021–22 and joined Team Adidas for the 2022–23 season and the final Dream Gap Tour events. In May 2022, the PWHPA signed a letter of intent with Billie Jean King Enterprises and the Mark Walter Group, and a collective bargaining agreement was ratified in July 2023, paving the way for the PWHL.
Toronto Sceptres Era (2023–Present)
Following the launch of the PWHL, Fast was one of three players signed to Toronto on September 6, 2023, agreeing to a three-year contract, and general manager Gina Kingsbury described the trio as foundation players for the franchise. In the inaugural 2023–24 season, Fast recorded 3 goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 24 games, and Toronto finished first in the standings before being eliminated by the Minnesota Frost in the semifinals. Fast was named to the PWHL Second All-Star Team.
In 2024–25, Fast recorded 6 goals and 16 assists for 22 points in 30 games, tying for the league lead in points among defenders. She led the league in assists, hits, and average time on ice, and her 13 power-play points set a PWHL single-season record. She was named PWHL Defender of the Year and became the first defender nominated for the Billie Jean King Most Valuable Player award. In the 2025 PWHL playoffs, Toronto again faced Minnesota in the semifinals and was eliminated in the best-of-five series.
Driving Style and Strengths
Fast is widely regarded as a complete two-way defenceman whose game combines smooth skating, smart puck movement, and physical play. Her ability to log heavy minutes, quarterback the power play, and contribute offensively has made her a foundational piece for both the Toronto Sceptres and Team Canada, and her 2024–25 statistics reflect her elite-level production and durability.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Fast’s signature achievements are scoring the fastest goal in NCAA Tournament history in 2016, winning an NCAA Championship with Clarkson in 2014, and helping Canada capture Olympic silver in 2018 and gold in 2022. She has also earned multiple World Championship medals and was named Best Defender at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, cementing her status among the top international defencemen of her generation.
Renata Fast Career Wins
Renata Fast has built a decorated resume that includes an NCAA national championship, two Olympic medals, and multiple IIHF World Championship titles. Her victories span collegiate, professional, and international play, reflecting her longevity and consistency at the highest levels of women’s hockey.
NCAA and Professional Highlights
Fast won the 2014 NCAA National Championship with the Clarkson Golden Knights and was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. She went on to play professionally with the Toronto Furies of the CWHL from 2016 to 2019, reaching the Clarkson Cup playoffs in two of her three seasons and earning CWHL All-Star recognition in 2016–17 and 2018–19.
Since joining the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres in 2023, Fast has helped the franchise finish atop the standings in its inaugural season and has continued as a top defenceman in 2024–25, when she was named PWHL Defender of the Year and became the first defender nominated for the Billie Jean King Most Valuable Player award.
International Highlights
Fast has represented Canada at numerous international events, including the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics and multiple IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning gold in 2021, 2022, and 2024 and silver in 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2025. She was named Best Defender and a Media All-Star at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
Renata Fast Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Renata Fast is the youngest of four children, with one sister, Lindsey Fast, and two brothers, Christopher and Gregory. Her parents, Sharon and Douglas Fast, raised her in Burlington, Ontario, and supported her early development as a multi-sport athlete.
Personal Life
Fast majored in business at Clarkson University and continues to make her home in Burlington, Ontario. In November 2023, she married Paul Geiger, a financial analyst whom she met in 2012 while attending Clarkson.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025–26 PWHL season represents the third year of Renata Fast’s tenure with the Toronto Sceptres and the second year of her three-year contract. She is again expected to anchor the Sceptres’ defence corps and play a leading role on the power play, where she set a PWHL single-season record with 13 power-play points in 2024–25.
Early in the 2025–26 season, Fast missed two games with an upper-body injury and later missed three games in December with a lower-body injury, but she has continued to log significant minutes when healthy. The Sceptres remain a championship contender, and Fast’s leadership will be central to their push for a Walter Cup title.
Looking ahead, Fast was named to Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan on January 9, 2026, giving her a chance to add to her already impressive collection of Olympic medals. With her combination of experience, two-way ability, and competitive drive, she enters 2025 as one of the most influential figures in the PWHL and a cornerstone of Canada’s national team program.
