Charge sign Gwyneth Philips to two-year contract extension

One of the top performers last season has signed a solid extension in the nation’s capital.

On Monday, the Ottawa Charge announced that the team has signed goaltender Gwyneth Philips to a two-year contract that will carry through the 2027-28 season.

“I’m super excited to be staying in Ottawa. From the very start, I saw how special this city is and how supportive the fans are,” Philips said in a release. “I’m so honoured to play in front of the best fans in the league and represent Canada’s capital city. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continue with this great program and embrace this wonderful city as my own.” 

Philips is coming off a huge coming-out party. After being taken by the Charge in the third round, 14th overall, of the 2024 PWHL Draft, the Athens, Ohio native had a little bit of a slow start to her PWHL career backing up Emerance Maschmeyer. However, after Maschmeyer went down with a season-ending injury in March, Philips took over and never looked back.

The 24-year-old not only helped Ottawa secure its first playoff berth in franchise history, but also stood on her head against the regular-season champion Montreal Victoire in the semifinals, dragging the Charge to the final. Ultimately, the team fell to the Minnesota Frost in a four-game series where every contest went to overtime. With a 4-4 record, where all four of her losses came in extra time, Philips posted a 1.23 goals-against average, a .952 save percentage and one shutout, earning the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award.

Thanks to an overall exceptional rookie campaign, which saw Philips go 8-5-1 during the regular season, with a 2.11 GAA, a .919 SV% and two shutouts, she was named a finalist for both the Rookie and Goaltender of the Year awards.

Philips also experienced success on the international stage, helping the United States win the gold medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship. The former Northeastern star was tasked with coming in cold during the championship game against Canada after Aerin Frankel went down with a concussion.

She returns to the crease in Ottawa, where three goaltenders, including the returning Logan Angers and 2025 draft pick Sanni Ahola. The Charge is the first team to have 23 players signed to standard contracts for the 2025-26 season.