Within minutes of Liz Schepers' overtime winning goal and the on ice celebrations for the Minnesota Frost concluding, the mood didn't turn somber, but there was a cloud looming. That cloud faced both the back-to-back Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost, and runners up Ottawa Charge equally.
Whether players were on the winning side or the losing side of the 2024-25 PWHL season, they had one thing in common, with the expansion process set to begin in only a week, celebrations will be short lived as teams prepare to lose key teammates in the expansion draft and exclusive signing window to Seattle and Vancouver.
"This group's so special and it's sad," said Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney. "It's sad to think that we'll never play together again but this is the highest note that we could have gone out on, and to share this memory all together, we'll remember this for the rest of our lives, and the celebrations now to come, we're really just going to be in the moment and enjoy it with one another and our friends and family and wish the best to each other going forward in the coming seasons."
On the other side of the puck, the Ottawa Charge did not get to go out on top. The prospect of heading into a new season without a chance to come back together after their game for PWHL finals loss, was difficult to swallow.
"I think that's the toughest part," said captain Brianne Jenner of knowing their full team will not be back together next season. Ottawa will lose four players in the expansion process, and also have a handful of key free agents who could look elsewhere.
"This was a special group, we went through a lot this season, showed a lot of resiliency, and I think these last couple weeks did something really special."
From a coach's perspective, changes to rosters are inevitable. Minnesota coach Ken Klee acknowledged the fact they'll lose at least four players to expansion, and perhaps more via free agency re-shaping the roster built in the inaugural season that won back-to-back championships.
"I know next year with the expansion draft, it's just a new challenge," said Klee. "It's sad because we're going to lose some great teammates, but it's exciting for the league, it's exciting we're getting 50 new players in the league and two new teams, it's kind of both."
With protected lists due from each of the PWHL's six franchises by June 3, there's only a week for the Frost and Charge to shift gears from fighting to a championship, to working to cushion the cuts to their rosters as they each relinquish four players to the expansion teams.
The expansion draft will be held June 9, followed by the first opportunity for teams to begin filling holes at the 2024 PWHL Draft on June 24, which will be held in Ottawa.