With its season officially underway on Saturday, the Ottawa Charge has added the grit it believes it needs to play the physical game in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
The Charge hope to be able to put on a good show for the more than 7,000 fans on average who showed up to every game last year at TD Place.
Training camp opened on Nov. 11 with 29 attendees, to be cut down to 23 before the team’s first game in Montreal against the Victoire on Nov. 30.
A New Game
The physical play of the league in its first year surprised players and fans alike. The team known only as PWHL Ottawa last year finished just short of the playoffs and General Manager Mike Hirshfeld says the Charge must embrace the new tough PWHL style.
Over the summer he brought in players to do exactly that. These additions include drafted players Danielle Serdachny and Mannon McMahon, both forwards, and defender Ronja Savolainen. Forward Rebecca Leslie was added through free agency.
“You just look at the battles going on out there in training camp, [you can see that] we’re a lot more competitive, we’re a lot tougher than we were last year,” Hirshfeld told Capital Current at training camp.
The style of play in the PWHL surprised McMahon. The Minnesota native was drafted 26th overall by the Charge after putting up 31 points in 39 games for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs of the NCAA.
“Just the size of everyone out here, everyone is my size if not bigger, most of them are bigger and stronger. In college I could get away with not having to bump someone on my way to the puck. Here … I wouldn’t be able to do that,” said McMahon after a recent practice.
Give The People What They Want
With Ottawa finishing only three points out of the playoffs last year, expectations for the new-look team are very high.
“I felt like we were so close to getting that last playoff spot last year, that the Charge will be coming back even more hungry for a chance at the Walter Cup,” said Courtney Crowder, a fan who attended a handful of games last season.
Crowder will be cheering on the Charge at their home opener on Dec. 6 against the Toronto Sceptres.
“Obviously, we’re going in with more of an individual identity as the Ottawa Charge. New threads to rock. As a fan, I’m just as excited as I was [at] the inaugural game. Women’s sports is getting deserved recognition and I hope it just keeps growing bigger and bigger,”said Crowder
The Charge say the additions to the team hold promise for a better result this season.
“Our new players look great out there,” said Charge captain Brianne Jenner. “Obviously we got some size and great physicality but also a lot of experience and smarts from those players too, so it’ll be very exiting to have them in the lineup.”
The Charge expects tickets for the home opener to sell out before Dec. 6. The team will play 30 games this season, an increase of six from last year. Fifteen will be at home.
