The Ottawa Charge were the first team in the PWHL to state openly they knew who they planned to protect in the 2025 PWHL expansion draft.
According to general manager Mike Hirshfeld, his team is very comfortable with the players they've selected, a decision they based on a number of factors.
"It's a variety of factors, there's a lot of things that go into that decision, chemistry is part of it 100%, how they fit with their teammates, how they fit in the clubhouse, how they fit in the community," Hirshfeld explained.
"I feel like we've put a lot of work into choosing our three players, we feel very comfortable about who we're going to protect."
The Ottawa Charge have several options in who they will protect for the upcoming PWHL expansion draft, with the protected and exposed players all being informed several days in advance, while other teams still mull over their final choices.
Many believe the Ottawa Charge will protect rookie netminder Gwyneth Philips, who despite being on the losing end of the series, was named the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP. Other candidates for protection in Ottawa include Emily Clark, Ashton Bell, Gabbie Hughes, Brianne Jenner, and rookies Danielle Serdachny and Mannon McMahon.
All teams must submit their list of three protected players to the PWHL by June 3. Following the expansion teams either signing during the exclusive signing window, or selecting two players in the expansion draft, each team will be eligible to protect a fourth player.