5 Takeaways from Week 6 of the PWHL: Ottawa continues to Charge, What’s wrong with Montreal?

With the calendar turning to 2026 last week, some people like to begin anew. In the PWHL, some teams are hoping the New Year brings new fortune, while others want the good times to keep rolling.

From thrilling finishes to impressive performances, there’s plenty to discuss about what happened in the week that was across the league.

CHAAAARGE

Watch out, but the Charge are doing their namesake at a crucial point of the season. Similar to what Ben Steiner mentioned last week, but this Ottawa team is picking up steam. Starting off with that overtime win over the Minnesota Frost in Chicago, the Charge have used grit and skill to keep racking up the wins. After extra-time wins over the Toronto Sceptres and Boston Fleet, Ottawa finally picked up its second regulation win of the season, knocking off the Frost, 5-2, on home ice this past Saturday.

Sarah Wozniewicz was incredible against the two-time defending Walter Cup champs, posting three points in the win. Captain Brianne Jenner stayed hot, scoring a couple more goals, giving her five this season, placing her tied for second in the league. Obviously, we have to give props to Gwyneth Philips. Another great performance for the second-year netminder on Saturday, though you might be shocked to learn that her 24-save outing against the Frost was the second-fewest saves she’s made in her nine starts.

While the Charge comes into the week last in the PWHL, they are now just three points out of a playoff spot.

Montreal…you good?

Of all the teams I was concerned about heading into the season, the Montreal Victoire wasn’t one of them. However, how this team has played over the holidays, I have to question if something is up with the team that finished with the league’s best record last season. After scoring just two goals in losses to the Seattle Torrent and Toronto Sceptres the week before, the Victoire then slipped up against the New York Sirens last Friday. Yes, they heavily outplayed the Sirens, but the uncharacteristic mistakes led to a third straight loss for Montreal.

On Sunday, the Victoire welcomed the Frost to Laval on the second half of a back-to-back for Minnesota. Even with the odds in their favor, Montreal missed an opportunity to grab three points. They didn’t pounce on the weakened Frost team, needing Abby Roque and Marie-Philip Poulin’s heroics to give the home side an OT win.

The win was enough to get the Victoire out of last place in the PWHL, but there needs to be more from this talented and experienced group in order to be considered one of the best in the league. You can tell there is some pizzazz with this team, but the inconsistency that the Victoire have shown has been holding them back.

Gauging Detroit’s expansion possibility

During that busy tripleheader of action on Saturday, the first of two Takeover Tour games in Detroit took place. Fans at Little Caesars Arena were treated to an exciting game, with the Goldeneyes scoring three unanswered goals to pull out a 4-3 win over the league-leading Fleet. The attendance was certainly far below the standard Hockeytown had set during the league’s first two stops in the city. In 2024 and 2025, the venue broke the record for the largest crowd for an American pro women’s hockey game. However, on Saturday, just 9,624 viewed the game inside the home of the Detroit Red Wings.

Multiple factors could have contributed to the low attendance at the game. It was at the tail end of Winter Break for many families, with some potentially still traveling home from vacation. Also, with Detroit being the only market to have had Takeover games in each of the first two seasons, the hype of the PWHL coming to town for a special game might’ve worn off with the fanbase. Yet, every time the league arrives in the Motor City, interest for a team rises.

Fans will have a second chance to see some of the best women’s athletes in the world later this season, as the Victoire will take on the Sirens at LCA on March 28. The league still has interest in coming to Detroit, a solidified hockey market with a growing grassroots system. A turnout of 10,000 or more should push the PWHL to expand to Detroit.

We see you, Hamilton

Speaking of Takeover Tour games, how about the atmosphere in Hamilton on Saturday? Sure, the thrilling game between the Torrent and Sceptres was ruined by a skills competition (or shootout), but the atmosphere was lively for the first game held in the renovated TD Coliseum. With the actual PWHL Takeover Tour logo draped across center ice, and 16,012 fans hollering for whoever they wanted to cheer for, it was an incredibly lively barn for an afternoon game.

Unlike Detroit, Hamilton had just the one neutral-site game, but there’s no question it made an impression on people around the league. While it’s unknown whether the PWHL’s brass has interest in expanding to the southern Ontario market, especially given its proximity to Toronto, there’s a certain interest in the city of Hamilton to be in the running for a franchise.

Currently, Hamilton doesn’t have a high-end hockey franchise. Since the Ontario Hockey League’s Bulldogs permanently moved to Brantford a couple of years ago, the city has been without a team due to renovations at the arena. While there’s a possibility that Hamilton might get another American Hockey League franchise, the market might be more open to bringing in a major professional franchise.

Roque you like a Hurricane

One player who has been impressive this season and has been red hot over the past couple of weeks is Abby Roque. The Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. native has fit in her new home in Montreal very well. Playing alongside Poulin and Laura Stacey has given the former Olympian new life after a couple of rough seasons with the Sirens. She’s currently riding a five-game point streak, posting nine points over that span. Roque was the one who scored the tying goal against the Frost on Sunday, leading to a second straight two-point performance.

After scoring 30 points over the league’s first two seasons, Roque is currently on pace to eclipse that. Through nine games, she has notched four goals and six assists for 10 points. Not only is she second on the team in scoring behind Poulin, but the 28-year-old is also tied for fourth in the PWHL in points. Her presence on the Victoire has given the team some bite and another offensive weapon to compliment Poulin and Stacey.

Read more PWHL stories on DFO