Gwyneth Philips, Ronja Savolainen and hometown hero Rebecca Leslie will all call Ottawa home for another year.
They are the three players the Ottawa Charge protected during Phase 1 of the “expansion roster distribution process,” which means they can’t be signed by one of the PWHL’s four expansion teams.
All three players were top contenders throughout the playoffs, helping the Charge make it to the Walter Cup final against the Montreal Victoire.
Philips finished the playoff run with the best goal against average, and has been a fan-favourite since her emergence at the end of the 2024-25 season for both her on-ice play and off-ice persona.
Leslie was also a powerhouse through the playoffs, tied for first in goals and scored to help the Charge clinch Game 4 in the semifinal series against Boston.
Savolainen, the Finnish defender, has been a staple on the Charge’s blue-line, bringing physicality and her gritty play to each game — something the team’s general manager Michael Hirshfeld said they were looking for at the time they signed her.
Hirshfeld said he spoke with other fan favourites like Gabbie Hughes and Emily Clark to let them know they wouldn’t be protected.
He said these kinds of decisions are difficult because many players have been with the team from the beginning.
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed that they make it through these next few phases and we can bring them back,” he said at a news conference on Thursday.
This protection process is the first of six steps to fill the rosters of the new teams in Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas and San Jose. They will be able to build their rosters with the existing teams unprotected players starting on Fri, June 5.
The expansion teams must sign five players each during the window, which lasts until Mon. June 8 at 1 p.m. ET. If they don’t have five players by that point, there will be a selection process for expansion teams to take players from existing teams.