The Charge scored a PWHL-record eight goals, but that was “secondary” on a special night for Hughes and Leslie

The Ottawa Charge claimed the single-game PWHL goal record in their 8-3 walloping of the Minnesota Frost and head coach Carla MacLeod and her team knew exactly what the difference was.

“I would certainly say there was an energy in this game that allowed us to elevate,” she said.

The palpable electricity on this occasion was entirely the influence of Sophie’s Squad and Do It For Daron, two mental health initiatives championed by Charge players Gabbie Hughes and Rebecca Leslie. The two players were front and centre in their advocacy ahead of the team’s mental health awareness night.

And then Hughes, who came into the game with just two goals in 15 games, netted two goals to lead the team to a decisive win in Ottawa, while Leslie chipped in a pair of assists.

It couldn’t have been scripted better, and the moment was surreal for Hughes. She helped start Sophie’s Squad in 2021 after the suicide of 14-year-old Sophie Wieland, a Minnesota minor hockey player. Hughes’ father and the president of Sophie’s Squad, Terry Hughes, joined the Charge and Frost for the game’s ceremonial puck drop.

“It's hard to put into words,” she said. “For [Sophie’s Squad] to travel all the way here to Ottawa and for our support staff to reach out to our president of Sophie’s Squad to say they wanted to have us here. You can't even put into words how special that is to know the kind of community we have here in Ottawa and the staff we have.”

Hughes’ stick hasn’t been hot as of late, but her pair of goals carried more weight than most.

“Today’s were a little special for Sophie and for Daron, so pretty cool to get those two today,” she said.

Meanwhile, Leslie is a key player for Do It For Daron. Leslie was teammates with 14-year-old Daron Richardson when she tragically took her own life in 2010. Team members from Do It For Daron took part in the pre-game ceremonies, receiving a cheque for mental health research.

“Daron was a great friend of mine and I think that it just shows how strong the hockey community is and how you all band together,” Leslie said.

“It's pretty crazy to think that [Hughes] and I have both experienced something similar, but the outcomes of tragedy have been to raise awareness for youth mental health, and I think that’s what's really important.”

Charge head coach Carla MacLeod said the night was a rare occasion where the hockey is completely “secondary.”

“What wholly made today special is the purpose of the day with Do It For Daron and Sophie's Squad,” she said. “When you can start to realize what's real out there and you look at [Hughes and Leslie] and how real it is, you just remember it's just a group of people trying to achieve something and do something pretty neat in sport.”

“I think that energy was really what elevated us to where we wanted to go tonight.”