2025-26 PWHL team preview: Ottawa Charge
LAST SEASON
After missing the playoffs in the PWHL’s inaugural season, the Ottawa Charge clinched a postseason berth on the last day of the 2024-25 campaign with Katerina Mrazova scoring in overtime against the Toronto Sceptres.
It was an exciting and dramatic way for the Charge to close out the regular season, earning four wins in their last five games and finishing with a 14-2-4-12 record and 44 points, third in the league standings. The first-place Montreal Victoire chose Ottawa as their first-round opponent, but the Charge eliminated them in four games, advancing to the PWHL Final.
After an OT-win over the Minnesota Frost in Game 1, the Charge would lose the next three games by one goal, giving the Frost their second Walter Cup championship in as many years.
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KEY ADDITIONS & DEPARTURES
Additions
Emma Bergesen, D
Elizabeth Giguere, F
Rory Guilday, D
Brooke Hobson, D
Fanuza Kadirova, F
Anna Shokhina, F
Departures
Ashton Bell, D (SEA)
Zoe Boyd, D (BOS)
Shiann Darkangelo, F (MTL)
Emerance Maschmeyer, G (VAN)
Jincy Roese, D (NYR)
Danielle Serdachny, F (SEA)
Natalie Snodgrass, F (SEA)
Aneta Tejralova, D (SEA)
Tereza Vanisova, F (VAN)
OFFENSE
The Charge lost several key players in the offseason, including Vanisova, whose 15 goals was tied for second in the league and 22 total points put her in the top 10. Darkangelo signing with the rival Montreal Victoire also stings, as she broke out with eight goals and 17 points, third on the team in both categories. On the backend, Ronja Savolainen will try to increase her point total after Roese, who finished with 14 points and averaged nearly 22 points, signed with the New York Sirens.
Replacing that offense is a tall task for a group that was already tied for last in goals for in 2024-25 and possessed the league’s worst power-play percentage at 14.9%. Ottawa will also need to get off to a better start, as it took the club 16 games to score more than three goals in a game.
Emily Clark signed a two-year extension in the summer and will be relied on to fill the gap. So will Gabbie Hughes, who only had two assists through her first 14 games but ended up with 14 points in the next 15 games. A full season from a healthy Mrazova could make a huge difference; after posting just seven points in 14 games, the Czech forward will try to replicate her 18-point 2023-24 campaign.
One thing to watch for is what kind of Brianne Jenner the Charge get to start the season. Last year, the Ottawa captain scored just twice in her first 19 games — then proceeded to score five times in her last nine contests, helping push Ottawa into the playoffs. If she can stay consistent through the season, they’ll stay in the playoff hunt.
DEFENSE
Just like up front, the Charge lost key pieces on their blue line. Bell and Tejralova were taken No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the PWHL Expansion Draft and Boyd signed with the Boston Fleet. As mentioned earlier, Roese’s departure leaves a huge gap in production on the blue line, so Savolainen and veteran defender Jocelyne Larocque, who wound up being a major factor in Ottawa’s postseason run, will have more opportunity to produce.
We’ve spent a lot of time on how this team will score goals, but how they’re going to prevent them is just as important, as they were tied with the Sirens for the most goals allowed. That is why the player I’m most excited for on Ottawa’s blue line is Guilday, the team’s first-round pick. During her time at Cornell, she was one of the NCAA’s most reliable players in her own end, and her defensive skills earned her a spot on the U.S. National team in three World Championships.
The Charge also signed Bergesen in the summer, making her the first Norwegian-born player to ink a PWHL deal. She spent last season playing in Sweden, recording 19 points in 33 games. Beyond the point-scoring potential, the 26-year-old has a chance to play big minutes with the number of departures.
GOALTENDING
The Charge protected Gwyneth Philips ahead of the expansion draft, signalling that Maschmeyer’s time with the club was up. Philips stepped up after Maschmeyer suffered a season-ending injury in March, leading the team to within two wins of a Walter Cup championship. For her efforts, she was named Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP.
Philips finished her rookie campaign with an 8-5-1 record, a 2.11 goals against average (GAA) a .919 save percentage (SV%), and was named a finalist for both the Rookie and Goaltender of the Year awards. She also helped the U.S. win the World Championship last April, coming in late during the gold medal game to replace an injured Aerin Frankel. The team signed Philips to a two-year contract extension through the 2027-28 season.
As for the backup role, Logan Angers, who was the team’s No. 3 netminder last season, hasn’t seen PWHL action. However, she was a standout at Quinnipiac, posting a .936 SV% and 1.88 GAA in her final season. Their most recent fifth-round pick, Sanni Ahola, will also compete for the backup role after posting a .917 SV% and 2.22 in her fifth season at St. Cloud State last season.
ROOKIES
We’ve already mentioned a few rookies in Guilday and Ahola, with the former expected to be a major asset right away. The player who may take the league by storm — and if you’re inclined to make a bet, could be a sneaky choice for Rookie of the Year — is Shokhina, the team’s second-round pick.
The Russian winger was one of the most productive players in her country’s domestic league, leading the ZHL with 73 points in 42 games. Through 13 seasons, Shokhina has 371 goals and 462 assists for 833 points in 430 games.
The Charge already signed Shokhina to a one-year deal, as they did with sixth-round pick and fellow Russian forward Kadirova, who last season set career highs in Russia with 26 goals and 31 assists for 57 points.
How long it will take the two forwards to adjust to the North American professional game is anyone’s guess, but if they can replicate some of the production they found in Russia, the Charge may have struck gold in the draft.
COACHING
Cara MacLeod returns for her third season with the Charge, hoping to continue improving after her group advanced to the PWHL Final. Despite a late-season surge and nearly winning a league championship, Ottawa was near the bottom of the PWHL in many categories, including power play (last), penalty kill (second last), goals forward (tied for last) and goals against (tied for last).
As mentioned earlier, the team struggled to score in the first half of last season, and if they expect to clinch another playoff berth, that can’t happen two years in a row. MacLeod will need to get more out of her top players early and often.
PREDICTION
No one wants to be the killjoy at the party, but it’s difficult to see how the Charge can replicate last season’s success. The loss of two of their top-three scorers and half their blueline feels like too much to overcome, and their rookies and offseason additions don’t inspire enough confidence to see them making the playoffs.
Philips may be turning into one of the league’s best netminders, but as we saw with Corinne Schroeder and the Sirens, elite goaltending isn’t always enough. A lot of things will need to go right for Ottawa to keep their heads above water, especially with the league’s two expansion franchises overflowing with talent. Unless we see increased production from their forward group and better results on special teams, the Charge may not have a chance to avenge last spring’s championship loss.