The Ottawa Charge named Rebecca Leslie, Gwyneth Philips, and Ronja Savolainen as the team's protected players, leaving notable names exposed and some likely to have played their final games in the nation's capital.
The Ottawa Charge completed Phase One of the Expansion Roster Distribution Process by naming forward Rebecca Leslie, goaltender Gwyneth Philips and defender Ronja Savolainen as the organization's three protected players.
Leslie had a remarkable season, during which she found an offensive side to her game that left many surprised and Charge fans delighted. The hometown hero finished the season as the team's second leading scorer with 23 points, good for sixth overall in the league, and carried that offensive momentum straight through the team's run to the Walter Cup Finals, scoring six points and finishing fourth in playoff scoring.
Philips was the lock when it came to protected players, just as she was last offseason, as she proved once again to be the team's most valuable player, both during the regular season and playoffs. Her 2.12 goals against average had her sitting fifth in the league during the regular season, and her .931 save percentage put her in fourth place in the league. And her performance found another gear in the playoffs, where she finished with a 1.99 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Credit: Ellen BondSavolainen, alongside Philips, is protected for a second season in a row and for good reason. She saw growth in almost every statistical category from her first to her second season, including goals scored (two to four), power-play goals (one to two), and shooting percentage (4.3 to 7.3), while also seeing her game mature. And it's that latter piece that makes this a good selection. Savolainen took a major step forward this season in her approach to the offensive side of her game, as evidenced by how often she would activate in the offensive zone and stand net-front to screen the goaltender. She also reduced her penalty minutes, showing her adjustment to the game and a better balance between physicality and penalties taken.
Here's a recap of where the team stands in terms of contracts following Phase One:
Protected: Rebecca Leslie, Gwyneth Philips, Ronja Savolainen
Free Agents Exposed: Maggy Burbidge, Brooke Hobson, Taylor House, Reece Hunt, Brianne Jenner, Jocelyne Larocque, Stephanie Markowski, Brooke McQuigge, Kateřina Mrázová, Vita Poniatovskaia, Kathryn Reilly, Alexa Vasko, Olivia Wallin, Kendra Woodland
Signed Players Exposed: Emily Clark and Rory Guilday (through 2027-28 season); Michela Cava, Emma Greco, Gabbie Hughes (through 2026-27 season).
Rights Retained Exposed: Sanni Ahola, Peyton Hemp, Fanuza Kadirova, Sarah Wozniewicz
Credit: Ellen BondWhen looking over the list of names left exposed, there are, of course, many that jump out, most notably, for a second year in a row, Brianne Jenner. The team's captain and regular-season leading scorer developed strong chemistry on the top line alongside Leslie and Sarah Wozniewicz and returned to her offensive form. It seems all but likely that Jenner has captained her last game in a Charge jersey, and losing her and the veteran leadership will be difficult skates to fill. Beyond her impact on the ice is her impact within the community, specifically with the Capital City Condors, who would attend home games and were always her biggest supporters.
Another notable here is Guilday, who entered this season as the team's fifth overall draft pick from last year's draft and looked anything but a rookie. She developed instant chemistry with Savolainen in training camp and put that on full display during the team's playoff run. Losing her size, physicality, and, most notably, her ability to block shots will be difficult to replace. Guilday finished with a team-leading 35 blocked shots and 57 hits. Those qualities, and a booming shot from the blue line, don't grow on trees.
And for many fans, the other two names that stand out are Kadirova and Clark. The former quickly became a fan favourite for her relentless play on the ice and finished just behind Leslie in playoff scoring. It didn't take her long to adjust to the PWHL, nor to endear herself to Charge fans, and for a team that struggled to score, Kadirova would be missed, especially given the likelihood of her departure. Clark, who was one of Ottawa's protected players during last season's expansion, did not have the season she would have liked. She finished with the lowest point total of her PWHL career and was held pointless in the playoffs. Clark's offensive side may not have been there, but she did do a lot of the little things well, including finishing third on the team in hits. Those intangibles, and her veteran leadership, won't be easy to replace if she has indeed played her last game as a Charge.
Hughes, who the team protected during the Expansion Draft, Wozniewicz, who had a strong rookie season and broke the team's rookie scoring record, and Peyton Hemp, who was an anchor on the defensive side of the puck, round out some of Ottawa's more notable unprotected players.
With Phase One now complete, the focus shifts to the expansion teams who will have the opportunity to sign players and build out four new rosters. For Ottawa, selecting Leslie, Philips and Savolainen means the team has a strong core to build around ahead of the draft and free agency and approach a season in which the organization will be looking to finally get over that Walter Cup Finals hump.