Toronto Six star Brittany Howard deflects pucks and praise

Toronto Six forward Brittany Howard gave a good example Friday of how she intends to celebrate her nod as the Premier Hockey Federation’s player of the month for December.

Howard joined several teammates at a local shopping mall, a reflection of the team-first mindset that has the Six sitting in first place heading into the new year.

“For me, the team is more important than individual awards … I need to keep working hard and stay focused,” Howard said in a telephone interview from the mall. “We want to be that team that’s holding the trophies at the end of the season. We’ve done a good job, but there’s still a lot of work to do.”

The 27-year-old Howard has led the league in scoring since the opener and reached the Christmas break with 12 goals and four assists in 10 games. Her main rivals in the points race will likely be Loren Gabel (13 points) and Jillian Dempsey (12) of the Boston Pride.

In December, Howard notched five goals and three assists in four games with a plus-9 rating. She also became the first player in Six history to record a hat-trick, in a four-point game against the Metropolitan Riveters on Dec. 11.

With wins in their last three games, the Six passed the Pride for top spot in the seven-team league. They return to action on the road against the expansion Montreal Force on Jan. 7.

Six coach Geraldine Heaney’s focus has been on keeping the team committed to a two-way game and improving the power play. And while Heaney, one of the greatest blueliners in Canadian hockey history, has high praise for Howard’s game — “Brittany has developed into one of the best, or even the best player in the PHF” — they both agree there’s still work to do.

“(The two-way game) is something that I’ve tried to work on this year, and over the years,” said Howard, whose 46 shots and three game-winning goals also lead the league. “I think (Heaney) gives me the eye when I exit the zone too soon. She was a super defenceman when she played, and she knows more than anyone about how defence works and wins championships.”

The Six have reached the top of the standings despite a major overhaul of the roster, with 11 new players this season.

“I think we’re all leaders,” said Howard. “We all are starting to know our role on the team, and we’ve built this chemistry in the first half. I try to lead by example on the ice, and you always hope that translates itself into the room.”