The Ottawa Charge were one of the teams hit particularly hard by the PWHL expansion draft and free agency.
Defenders Ashton Bell (Vancouver) and Aneta Tejralova (Seattle) were the first two picks in the expansion draft, while 2024 second-overall pick Danielle Serdachny signed in Seattle.
Goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer and forward Tereza Vanisova both inked deals with Vancouver, and forward Shiann Darkangelo, as well as defenders Jincy Roese and Zoe Boyd, all departed in free agency.
The Charge protected goaltender Gwyneth Philips, defender Ronja Savolainen and forwards Emily Clark and Gabbie Hughes, who all return for Ottawa this season.
Philips emerged as a breakout star in her rookie season last year. When starter Maschmeyer suffered a season-ending injury on Mar. 11, Philips stepped in and got the Charge to the playoffs as the third seed after a regular season where she went 8-5-1 with a .919 save percentage and 2.11 GAA.
The 25-year-old dialled it up to another level in the playoffs, backstopping Ottawa to the PWHL Finals before losing in four games to the Minnesota Frost. Despite losing, Philips won the Ilana Kloss playoff MVP award after going 4-0-4 in the playoffs with a .952 save percentage and 1.23 GAA.
Clark, 29, had nine goals and 19 points in 30 games last season and was a key player for the Charge in the playoffs with three goals and two assists in eight games, including two game-winners. She inked a two-year contract extension with the organization in August.
Hughes, who was a fourth-round pick by Ottawa in 2023, has become an important player. In the regular season, she had five goals and 16 points in 29 games and added three assists in eight playoff games.
Captain Brianne Jenner also remains in Ottawa after not being selected in the expansion draft. The 34-year-old forward had seven goals and 15 points in 28 games last season. She missed the first two games of the 2024-25 season with a concussion before returning to play.
On defence, Savolainen impressed as a rookie with two goals and 11 points in 28 games as the Finn played her first season in North America. At 27, Savolainen already has two Olympic bronze medals and six Women’s World Championship medals on her resume.
Veteran defender Jocelyne Larocque, who arrived via trade from the Toronto Sceptres in December, will continue to be relied upon to play big minutes and provide leadership heading into her first full season in Ottawa.
At the PWHL draft, the Charge used the fifth-overall pick to select Cornell University defender Rory Guilday.
Guilday, 23, had five goals and nine points in 30 games last season with the Big Red as a senior. Internationally, she has one gold medal and two silvers with Team USA at the Women’s Worlds.
Head coach Carla MacLeod will have the tall task of coaching a team that dealt with significant turnover in the off-season and looks a lot different than the one that went to the finals.
The Charge will have the advantage of their leadership core of Jenner, Clark and Larocque providing stability while Philips gives the team a chance to win every night.
Ottawa starts the 2025-26 regular season at home against the New York Sirens on Nov. 22.
