Canada's Shift In Roster Philosophy Opens Door For Leslie, Wozniewicz

When Hockey Canada announced the roster for the upcoming 2026 Women's World Championship in Denmark, many fans were surprised by some of the omissions. Players like Brianne Jenner and Jocelyne Larocque had become mainstays on the roster, and with injuries to Marie-Philip Poulin and Sarah Nurse, plus Claire Thompson's recent retirement, this year's Team Canada looks very different.

Speed, strength, and creativity are the name of the game in a distinct shift away from a more methodical, intentional game plan. The team includes defenders who create breakouts with ease and are unafraid to activate offensively, along with a forward group with more balanced scoring who is harder to defend. This new philosophy has opened the door for two players from the nation's capital who both had strong 2025-26 campaigns and will look to carry that into a gold medal-winning team with Canada in Denmark and a Walter Cup-champion Charge group in Ottawa.

The 2025-26 PWHL season brought high expectations, along with question marks, for the Ottawa Charge, coming off their first Walter Cup Finals appearance. Leading scorer Tereza Vanišová, impact forward Shiann Darkangelo, and top defenders Aneta Tejralová and Ashton Bell were gone, among others. But TD Place also welcomed new additions, including defender Rory Guilday and Russian forward Fanuza Kadirova, as well as two pieces who would help define the season.

Rebecca Leslie entered the campaign after an offseason of extensive work with Technical Skating Specialist Shelley Kettles, and the results spoke for themselves. Each shift Leslie took throughout the season looked like a piece of art: effortless skating that unlocked dynamic and elusive speed, resulting in a points-per-game rate that jumped from 0.11 to 0.77, one more point than Vanišová had one season before. Leslie's impact offensively was critical to the team's overall success and run to its second consecutive Walter Cup Finals.

Another key part of that offensive success was the team's third-round selection in the 2025 PWHL Draft: a forward from Cochrane, AB, who would go on to break the team's rookie scoring record. Sarah Wozniewicz arrived in town following a strong collegiate career with the University of Wisconsin and became a mainstay on the team's top line alongside captain Brianne Jenner and Leslie. The "Wizard of Woz" went on to score 13 points during the regular season and, along the way, never looked like a first-year player. The forward finished tied for first in the league with four game-winning goals alongside Minnesota's Kelly Pannek and teammate Leslie. Two of those four game-winning goals were scored in overtime, proving that when the game is on the line, Wozniewicz will likely have it right there on her stick.

The chemistry between Leslie and Wozniewicz was undeniable and instantaneous, giving the Charge an offensive one-two punch up front that gave the opposition headaches and fans kazoo-filled celebrations. It also helped the two finish second and fourth in team scoring, respectively, and, in the process, became unmistakable talent for a Canadian team deep in soul-searching mode.

Both Leslie and Wozniewicz have represented Canada in the past, and both at the U18 level: Leslie helped lead Canada to the gold in 2014, while Wozniewicz brought home silver in 2018. Their additions to this year's group certainly feel long overdue by many, particularly in Leslie's case, and mark a clear shift by the Canadian brass towards a team that will be quicker and more dynamic in transition. That fits Leslie and Wozniewicz's game well, as both play on a Charge team that has become much quicker in all zones and harder to defend, and they'll help the Canadian squad build a more balanced offence, something it lacked in recent tournaments.

While line combinations remain far off at this point, Canada has a unique opportunity to build on the chemistry Leslie and Wozniewicz developed over the prior PWHL season by keeping the two forwards together, especially given the tournament's short duration and the program's high expectations.

This international experience, which will lead right up to the start of PWHL training camps in mid-November, could prove invaluable for a Charge team looking to start the season strong. Last season, the group finished 4-5 in November and December, one season removed from a similar 3-4 start over the same stretch. For a Charge group also looking to finally become Walter Cup champions after back-to-back Finals defeats, experiences like these are something Leslie and Wozniewicz can both lean on come playoff time.

The shift in roster philosophy by Canada's management team may have closed the door on some who have helped define a generation of international success. But while some doors have closed, many others have opened, and for players like Ottawa's Rebecca Leslie and Sarah Wozniewicz, it very well could translate to success both for the national program in its transition and back home with the Ottawa Charge.