PWHL Roundup: Week Six
Okay, wow. It's time to talk about the Ottawa Charge - for real.
If you’re not already talking about the PWHL’s Ottawa Charge, now is the time to start. With a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Goldeneyes on January 9 and a 2-1 shootout win in Halifax over the Boston Fleet on Sunday, the Charge are now carrying a six-game winning streak that dates back to December 21.
The streak has catapulted the Charge up the standings, and all of a sudden, they’re in fourth place and just six points (two wins) out of first overall. Just one point ahead of Ottawa are the New York Sirens, who hold a three-game winning streak but are off until Friday. They’ll then have three games in five days.
League Standings
Boston Fleet | 23 points (7-0-2-2)
Minnesota Frost | 19 points (5-1-2-3)
New York Sirens | 18 points (6-0-0-5)
Ottawa Charge | 17 points (3-4-0-5)
Montréal Victoire | 16 points (4-2-0-4)
Toronto Sceptres | 15 points (4-0-3-4)
Seattle Torrent | 12 points (3-1-1-5)
Vancouver Goldeneyes | 12 points (3-1-1-7)
Highlights of the Week
New York, New York
Finally, the New York Sirens are headed to the city - for real! The PWHL announced its first game at Madison Square Garden, to be held April 4 between the Sirens and Seattle Torrent. It’ll be the second pro women’s hockey game at MSG following a PWHPA game that was held (without fans) during the pandemic.
This is NOT a Highlight…
Many women’s hockey fans are also big supporters of social justice, and staff at Grand Casino Arena were reportedly confiscating anti-ICE signs. Thanks, I hate it. I know that an NHL team/arena would probably do that, and Minnesota’s arena is indeed an NHL rink so they’re probably following the same standards, but ugh. Do better.
Debbie, You Rock
If you haven’t seen this yet, check out what PWHL superfan Debbie created:
Who’s Hot
🔥 The Ottawa Charge: The Charge just keep finding ways to win. Eight different players registered a point in their 4-2 win over the Goldeneyes, with Gwyneth Philips stopping 23 of 25 shots faced. Not to be outdone, Sanni Ahola nabbed her first PWHL win in her first game back after illness, making 31 saves in the shootout win over the Fleet.
🔥 Kristýna Kaltounková: The Sirens rookie had her first two-goal game on January 6 in a 2-0 win over the Sceptres. With seven goals on the season, she’s tied for the league lead among rookies in points and has four more goals than any other rookie. Her 16 hits are third-most among rookies, too.
🔥 Brianne Jenner: Jenner was named the player of the week after potting two goals last week, including the game-winning goal against the Goldeneyes. She’s on a three-game scoring streak, with four goals since the new year. Jenner now has 12 points in as many games this season and is just one point back of the league lead. She’s in position to break her total from last season (15 points in 28 games) and set a new PWHL career high (her current best: 20 points in 24 games in 2024.)
What’s Next
PWHL action returns Tuesday, with a slew of games over the next few days. This week includes a Toronto/Vancouver game at Scotiabank Arena that I’ll be covering, as well as a Takeover Tour game in Washington, DC between the Victoire and Sirens on Sunday.
Further Reading
The IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships are underway. Check out this preview from Shrinking the Game for an in-depth look at the teams, and read Nicole from The Victory Press’ daily recaps from onsite.
The PWHL keeps expanding the Takeover Tour - but when is too much of a good thing truly too much? From yours truly, at The Ice Garden.
After missing the first third of the season recovering from surgery, Dayle Ross is back and ready to provide a new element to New York's defense.
Halifax keeps showing up for women’s hockey. After two sold out games, when could the city get its own PWHL team?