Lexie Adzija and Shiann Darkangelo were part of a trade on the PWHL's first ever trade deadline. Here's an in depth look at the anatomy of how the trade came to be, and reflections from Ottawa and Boston's general managers, and the players involved.

On March 18, 2024, Lexie Adzija found a chance to relax. Then a member of the Ottawa Charge, or PWHL Ottawa as they were called, Adzija had a contest in Connecticut looming, but four days off between games allowed her to take a well-earned day off.

For some well-deserved rest halfway through the PWHL's inaugural season, Adzija and Ottawa teammates Emma Buckles and Daryl Watts took to the Virgin Hotel’s spa in New York City.

After their session, Buckles left to meet a friend, leaving Adzija and Watts in the lobby of the Virgin Hotel. Soon after, Adzija received a text from Ottawa's general manager, Michael Hirshfeld.

"He sent me a text saying, 'Hi Lexie, I know you're in the city, but call me when you're available,'" Adzija said.

Hirshfeld called her soon after, and Adzija says a day meant for rest and relaxation turned into a "whirlwind."

"Anytime you get a call from your GM on trade deadline day, it's pretty clear that you've probably been traded," Adzija said.

The chaos and commotion of the New York hotel lobby she stood in fell silent once she heard Hirshfeld's voice. After Hirshfeld gave her the news, the Big Apple's hecticness resumed.

"Once I got off the phone, the busyness of New York City hit me figuratively and literally."

Fortunately, having a familiar face around helped Adzija come to terms with the news.

"Daryl is just very chill and calm. I needed someone like that in that moment," Adzija said. "She reassured me that I was going to be okay."

Adzija went from New York to Connecticut to grab her equipment. Then, an Uber to the airport followed. She landed in Ottawa hours later, where her mom and aunt helped her pack up her entire apartment before a drive to Toronto capped off a "whirlwind" 24 hours.

But when the trade happened, Adzija was thankful Watts was there.

"I was super lucky to have a close friend by me."

While Adzija was shipping off to Boston — along with the rights to forward Caitrin Lonergan — 30-year-old Shiann Darkangelo was the player Hirshfeld was bringing to Canada’s capital.

The trade deadline fell on an off-day for the veteran. With no pregame routine in place, Darkangelo spent her morning at the rink, getting a workout in and skating before heading home — and home is where her phone rang.

Just after five o'clock in the afternoon, Boston Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer called Darkangelo to inform her that she was getting traded to Ottawa.

"We knew that trades were going to happen," Darkangelo said. "We all know that being a part of the league that it was possible."

While they were trading places, both Adzija and Darkangelo experienced similar feelings after phone calls with their respective organizations.

"It's just a lot at once, right," Darkangelo said. "You have your routine as an athlete, and all of a sudden, you're told to pack and move everything and join this team as quickly as possible."

"People are super reasonable — like the general managers — but it is a lot at once."

On the other end of the line was Marmer.

"My heart rate was up. I was quite nervous for that call," Marmer said.

Marmer says she spent the 24 hours leading up to the deadline checking in with the other general managers. But she says she wasn’t expecting Ottawa to be a trade partner that day.

Still, in past conversations with Hirshfeld throughout the season, she made it clear that Adzija was a player of interest to her. Marmer also understood Hirshfeld had been interested in Darkangelo.

"The deadline is funny because as you get closer to it, the pressure is on," Marmer said. "It's now or never."

Boston's general manager was in her apartment fielding calls on deadline day. She had her laptop open with tabs and notes spread across her screen, ready just in case. And at "the eleventh hour," Hirshfeld reached out to Marmer, suggesting an Adzija for Darkangelo swap.

"I knew that he liked Shiann, so he suggested that," Marmer recalled. "I said I'd do it if you throw in the rights to Caitrin (Lonergan)."

At the end of the day, both parties got the players they wanted. But for Marmer, there was also a personal element to trading Darkangelo. The two played together at Quinnipiac University during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.

"That was a different and unique challenge," Marmer said about having to tell Darkangelo about the trade. "I played with Shiann in college, and I consider her a good friend. So that added a layer of difficulty."

"It's never a conversation I was looking forward to or even felt like I knew exactly what to say," Marmer added.

Despite the conversation, Marmer says Darkangelo handled it with grace. Boston’s general manager also acknowledged the tricky situation trades during the PWHL’s inaugural season placed on players.

"This is quite new for these players," Marmer said. "They're not on these million-dollar contracts where it's quite easy to up and leave and go find a nice comfy apartment and pay someone to move them in. It's more challenging than that."

After speaking with Darkangelo, Marmer reached out to Adzija. She says the then 23-year-old was expecting her call.

"I was impressed with her ability to say I enjoyed my time in Ottawa, but I am ready for the next thing and ready to be an impact player in the lineup for Boston."

"I told her we couldn't be more excited to have her."

Adzija made her Boston debut two days after getting traded. She stayed cooped up in a Toronto hotel, met her new teammates once they arrived and took the opening draw in her debut in green and white.

Adzija was a fan favourite in Ottawa. The forward appeared in 17 matches, notching five goals and three assists. Her gritty on-ice play caught fans' attention, and her off-ice presence only heightened how beloved she was.

The 24-year-old went viral for surprising a young fan on her thirteenth birthday with a hockey stick as an added birthday gift.

While Ottawa failed to make the playoffs, Adzija, the former fan favourite in the nation's capital, reached the PWHL finals with Boston before falling in five to the Minnesota Frost.

Adzija didn't know at the time of the trade she'd be joining a PWHL finalist. She didn't even know when her work Visa would be all sorted. However, one belief stood firm despite the uncertainty and chaos that ensued on March 18.

"I'm one that believes that everything happens for a reason."