PWHL Ottawa LPHF Ottawa (French) | |
---|---|
City | Ottawa, Ontario |
League | PWHL |
Founded | 29 August 2023 |
Home arena | TD Place Arena |
Colours | Red, white and storm |
Owner(s) | Mark Walter Group |
General manager | Michael Hirshfeld |
Head coach | Carla MacLeod |
Captain | Brianne Jenner |
Website | ottawa.thepwhl.com |
Current season |
PWHL Ottawa [1] [2] is a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). [3] Ottawa plays its home games at TD Place Arena.
On August 29, 2023, it was announced that one of the PWHL's first six franchises would be located in Ottawa. [4] Michael Hirshfeld, former executive director of the National Hockey League Coaches' Association, was named the team's general manager, and the Arena at TD Place, its home venue. [5] [6] On September 15, Carla MacLeod, a former member of the Canadian national team and the head coach of the Czech women's national team, was named Ottawa’s first head coach. [7]
Each PWHL team was permitted three signings during the free-agency period, ahead of the 2023 PWHL Draft. Ottawa signed their first three choices, quickly coming to terms with Canadian national team players Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner, and Emerance Maschmeyer on September 5, 2023. [8] Each signed a three-year deal lasting through to the 2025–26 season. [9] Next, 15 players were selected in the league’s September 18 draft, with its first pick being American National Team member Savannah Harmon. [10]
On October 17, it was announced that Haley Irwin and Cassea Schols would be assistant coaches and Pierre Groulx would be the goaltending coach. [11]
The team colours—and jerseys—were officially revealed on November 14, 2023 as red, dark blue (‘Storm’) and white. [12]
Ahead of the start of the 2024 season, Ottawa announced that Jenner would serve as team captain, with Emily Clark and Jincy Roese serving as alternate captains. [13] The first game in franchise history took place on January 2, 2024, when Ottawa hosted Montreal at the Arena at TD Place. With 8,318 fans in place, a new attendance record was set for a professional women's hockey game. [14] Hayley Scamurra scored the first goal in franchise history to give the hosts a 1–0 lead; however, Montreal would go on to win in overtime with a 3–2 score. [14] Ottawa secured its first win at its second game, a 5–1 win in Toronto on January 13. [15] Its first win at home came on January 23, also against Toronto. [16]
No. | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
18 | Malia Schneider | F | R | 25 | 2024 | Millarville, Alberta | |
95 | Audrey-Ann Veillette | F | R | 23 | 2024 | Drummondville, Quebec | |
The 2023 PWHL Draft was held on September 18, 2023, using a "snake draft" format with the selection order reversing after each round. [20] Ottawa made the following selections:
Rd | Pick | Player | Nationality | Position | Previous team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Savannah Harmon | United States | Defence | Team Harvey's (PWHPA) |
2 | 8 | Ashton Bell | Canada | Defence | Minnesota Duluth (WCHA) |
3 | 17 | Jincy Roese | United States | Defence | Team Adidas (PWHPA) |
4 | 20 | Gabbie Hughes | United States | Forward | Minnesota Duluth (WCHA) |
5 | 29 | Hayley Scamurra | United States | Forward | Team Harvey's (PWHPA) |
6 | 32 | Daryl Watts | Canada | Forward | Toronto Six (PHF) |
7 | 41 | Aneta Tejralova | Czech Republic | Defence | Boston Pride (PHF) |
8 | 44 | Katerina Mrazova | Czech Republic | Forward | Connecticut Whale (PHF) |
9 | 53 | Zoe Boyd | Canada | Defence | Quinnipiac University (ECAC) |
10 | 56 | Kristin Della Rovere | Canada | Forward | Harvard University (ECAC) |
11 | 65 | Lexie Adzija | Canada | Forward | Quinnipiac University (ECAC) |
12 | 68 | Sandra Abstreiter | Germany | Goaltender | Connecticut Whale (PHF) |
13 | 77 | Amanda Boulier | United States | Defence | Minnesota Whitecaps (PHF) |
14 | 80 | Caitrin Lonergan | United States | Forward | Connecticut Whale (PHF) |
15 | 89 | Audrey-Anne Veillette | Canada | Forward | Montreal (U Sports) |
Brianne Alexandra Jenner is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of Ottawa of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and a member of Canada women's national ice hockey team.
Laura Rachel Stacey is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for PWHL Montreal, and a member of Canada women's national ice hockey team. She previously played with the Markham Thunder and the Dartmouth Big Green and competed internationally with the Canadian under-18 and under-22 teams. She won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics and a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Place Bell is a multi-purpose arena in Laval, Quebec, Canada. The complex includes a 10,000-seat main arena, which is the home of the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL), and two smaller community ice rinks, one of which has Olympic-size ice. The arena was also home to Les Canadiennes de Montréal for the final season of play in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). The arena is hosting select games for Montreal of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) during the inaugural 2023–24 season.
Emerance Maschmeyer is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for PWHL Ottawa. She is also a member of Canada women's national ice hockey team, with whom she won the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship and the 2022 Winter Olympics gold medal. She first made her debut with Team Canada at the 2014 4 Nations Cup.
Emily Clark is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for PWHL Ottawa of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Clark has competed for Team Canada at the junior and senior level, beginning in 2011. She made her senior debut with Canada at the 2014 4 Nations Cup. She went on to compete with the Canadian national team at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where she helped Canada win a silver medal, and the 2022 Winter Olympics, where she helped Canada win gold. Clark also played four seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey program. Before signing in the PWHL, Clark was a member of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA).
Sophie Shirley is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for PWHL Boston of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She made her debut with the Canadian women's national team in a two-game exhibition series against the United States in December 2016.
The Montreal Force were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), based in Montreal, Quebec. The team was established in 2022 and debuted in the 2022–23 PHF season. The Force played only one season, as the PHF's assets were purchased, and the league dissolved, at season's end. This was part of the creation of a new, unified professional women's league, the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
The Professional Women's Hockey League is a professional women's ice hockey league in North America, wholly owned and operated by the Mark Walter Group. It consists of six franchises, three each from Canada and the United States, who play a regular season to earn one of four places in a postseason tournament that determines the winner of the Walter Cup. Differences between the PWHL and other professional hockey leagues include a 3-2-1-0 points system, terminations of penalties following a short-handed goal, best-of-five shootouts, and greater restrictions on body checking. The league's matches are broadcast nationally in Canada by the CBC and TSN, their French-language affiliates Radio-Canada and RDS, and Sportsnet. In the United States, it is broadcast in syndication, while worldwide it is streamed on YouTube.
The 2023–24 PWHL season was the first season of operation of the Professional Women's Hockey League, and began play on January 1, 2024. Six teams competed during the inaugural season, located in Montreal, Toronto, New York, Boston, Ottawa, and Minneapolis–Saint Paul. The season culminated in a two-round best-of-five playoff including the top four teams to determine the season champion. PWHL Toronto topped the regular season standings with 17 wins and 47 points. In the playoffs, PWHL Minnesota won the inaugural Walter Cup, defeating PWHL Boston in a 5-game series for the title.
PWHL Montreal is a professional women's ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They play home games at the Place Bell in Laval and the Verdun Auditorium in Verdun.
PWHL Toronto is a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
PWHL New York is a professional ice hockey team based in the New York metropolitan area. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
PWHL Minnesota is a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota and the 2024 PWHL Walter Cup Champions. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
PWHL Boston is a professional ice hockey team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
The 2023 PWHL draft was the first draft in Professional Women's Hockey League history, and took place on September 18, 2023, at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
The 2023–24 PWHL Minnesota season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League. They played their home games at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The 2023–24 PWHL Montréal season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League. They played their home games at the Verdun Auditorium in Montreal and at Place Bell in the suburb of Laval.
The 2023–24 PWHL New York season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League. They played their home games at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
The 2023–24 PWHL Ottawa season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played their home games at TD Place Arena in Ottawa.
The 2023–24 PWHL Toronto season was the team's inaugural season of as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League. They played their home games at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto.