Following the final roster announcements on Thursday, the Ottawa Charge held their first team practice ahead of the home opener against the New York Sirens.
It’s clear that a priority for the team this year will be speed, and that begins with their transition game: how quickly the defenders can turn defence into offence. It’s the identity they want to lean on from day one and the theme that shaped most of the work in this final practice. This is an area where new assistant coach Juuso Toivola will play an important part, as his defensive mindset and international experience offer the team a unique perspective.
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Practice began with drills built around that part of their game plan. The forwards started by passing the puck back to their defender, who would then transition the puck up the ice and return it to the forward. In doing so, the defender opened themselves up as a shooting option and, at times, provided a screen on the goaltender. It was something the team used at times last season, especially with defender Ronja Savolainen and her 5’10” frame in front of the net.
In their first preseason game against Toronto, their transitions and outlet passes were a strength, and it was an element that went missing in their shutout loss in game two. Getting back to that helps speed up the game and better match the skill set of the forward group, along with the offensive potential on the back end.
Special teams were also a major point of emphasis as the team tried to tighten the finer details before opening night. Following a preseason in which the team went a combined 0 for 7 with the player advantage, and given that it was a weak spot throughout the 2024 to 2025 season, the team understandably shifted their focus to player advantage scenarios. Their power play units were Savolainen, Mrázová, Kadirova, Jenner and Wozniewicz, as well as Clark, Larocque, Guilday, Meixner and Leslie.
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Quotables
“I’m super excited,” said Rory Guilday. “These past few days, working with this group just makes me really excited to play in this building, this city, this crowd. I couldn’t be more excited.”
The Ottawa Charge open their 2025 to 2026 season on Saturday at TD Place against the New York Sirens.
