Wednesday, April 1, 2026 | 7:30 p.m. MT | Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary
WATCH LIVE: TSN 5, TSN.ca, TSN App, Scripps Sports, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com (U.S. / International), More
Daniella Ponticelli (Play-by-Play), Becky Kellar (Analyst), Kelly VanderBeek (Reporter)
TORONTO SCEPTRES
8-1-5-10 | 31 PTS | 5TH PLACE
Top Scorer: Daryl Watts – 21 GP, 8-9-17 PTS
Last Game: 3-2 L vs. VAN on Mar. 29
OTTAWA CHARGE
6-7-1-9 | 33 PTS | 4TH PLACE
Top Scorer: Rebecca Leslie – 23 GP, 12-7-19 PTS
Last Game: 2-0 W at SEA on Mar. 29
2025-26 SEASON SERIES: TORONTO LEADS 4-2 IN POINTS (OTTAWA LEADS ALL-TIME SERIES 20-19 IN POINTS)
Dec. 4 at TOR: 3-1 TOR | Dec. 23 at TOR: 4-3 OTT (OT) | Apr. 1 at OTT (CALGARY) | Apr. 11 at TOR | Apr. 25 at OTT
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
This will be the first-ever Takeover Tour game in Calgary and the penultimate Takeover Tour game this season – Boston will face Vancouver in Edmonton on Tuesday. By the end of the season, Alberta will have hosted four Takeover Tour games all-time, tied with Michigan for the most by any state or province.
Toronto beat Ottawa, 3-2 in overtime, in the province’s first-ever PWHL game in Edmonton on Feb. 16, 2025, before a crowd of 17,518. Daryl Watts led the Sceptres with two goals, including the winner, Renata Fast had two assists, and Gabbie Hughes had a goal and an assist for the Charge.
This is Toronto’s third Takeover Tour game this season, tied with Boston and Minnesota for the fewest in the league. The Sceptres lost in shootouts to Montréal in Halifax and to Seattle in Hamilton. They have just one shootout in 22 non-Takeover Tour games this season (4-3 loss to the Victoire at home).
The Charge have won all three of their Takeover Tour games this season, each one in extra time, defeating Minnesota in Chicago (OT), Boston in Halifax (SO), and Montréal in Winnipeg (OT). Ottawa is a league-best 7-1 in OT/SO games this season after going a combined 3-10 in them over the first two seasons.
Three of the league’s seven Albertans play for these teams: Sceptres defender Jess Kondas (Calgary), Charge defender Stephanie Markowski (Edmonton) and forward Sarah Wozniewicz (Cochrane). Alberta roots extend to both team staffs: Charge Head Coach Carla MacLeod (Spruce Grove), Sceptres General Manager Gina Kingsbury calls Calgary home and was an assistant coach with the CWHL’s Calgary Inferno, and Sceptres Goaltending Coach Brad Kirkwood (Red Deer).
Captains Blayre Turnbull (TOR) and Brianne Jenner (OTT) won two Clarkson Cups with the Inferno in 2016 and 2019, the last of which was won at Coca-Cola Coliseum where the Sceptres now call home. Ottawa’s Rebecca Leslie was part of the 2019 squad and will wear her old jersey for walk-ins. Her sister Kathryn moved to Calgary two years ago and will attend with their father who made the trip from Ottawa. Jenner has lived in Calgary approximately six years between her CWHL tenure and Hockey Canada centralizations. She scored 121 points in 114 games with the Inferno, second to Rebecca Johnston, who now works in Player Development for the Calgary Flames.
The PWHPA’s 2021 Canada Showcase took place in a closed environment in Calgary with the final three games played at Scotiabank Saddledome. Ottawa’s Emily Clark and Leslie were on the winning Team Bauer, defeating Team Sonnet which featured Jenner and Jocelyne Larocque, and the Sceptres’ Fast, Ella Shelton and Natalie Spooner. Turnbull played for Team Scotiabank and tallied six points in two games (3G, 3A).
Turnbull scored twice in Toronto’s loss to Vancouver on Sunday and has five goals in her last six games, which ties her total across 30 games during the 2024-25 season. Leslie has been Ottawa’s hottest player post-Olympics, scoring four goals and five points with 27 shots on goal in seven games. She scored the overtime winner in Winnipeg and had a team-high six shots on goal in Seattle on Sunday. Penalty-free in her first 19 games, she has four minor penalties in her last four games.
Wozniewicz scored what ended up being the game winner in Ottawa’s 2-0 win at Seattle on Sunday. Her four game-winners (on five goals) ties Leslie for the league lead and ties the rookie record set by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in the inaugural season. The third-round pick spent Monday night with friends and family at home with a smoked brisket buffet on the menu. She’s expecting a group of 50 supporters for this game.
Gwyneth Philips made 25 saves in Seattle to pick up her first shutout of the season, also the Charge’s first regulation win on the road this season. The 2025 Playoff MVP has faced 630 shots in 21 games, 59 more than the next highest goaltender. Elaine Chuli has made consecutive starts for the Sceptres. Her first of three wins this season was against Ottawa (16/17). Should Raygan Kirk return to action, the Manitoban would extend her 120:00 shutout streak upon puck drop.
Ottawa leads the league with a 20.9% power play efficiency, while Toronto ranks seventh at just 9.6%. The Sceptres lead the league with eight goals scored in the game’s first five minutes, while the Charge have allowed the third-most (6).
These Ontario rivals have split two games this season, both in Toronto – the Sceptres won 3-1 on Dec. 4 and the Charge won 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 23. They’ll meet two more times after this game, on April 11 in Toronto and then on April 25 in Ottawa in the final game of the regular season.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“Coaching in Calgary is going to be special. When I look at my life, my career and the impact that Calgary had on me as I developed as a young player and then obviously through the later part of my career. I’m going to have somewhere north of 200 family and friends there, so it's going to be special for me to be able to stand behind the bench and coach in the Saddledome with our group out there. I have lots of ties to the community in Calgary. I'm certainly looking forward to soaking it all up.” – Charge Head Coach Carla MacLeod
“I’m super proud to show the people around Calgary what we’ve been talking about since this league started. I think the game itself is going to have a pretty high intensity—both teams are going to be playing playoff-type hockey, obviously we’re battling for that spot. In the past, our games against Ottawa have been pretty chippy, physical, quick transitions and I think this game is going to be all that, plus more. If we focus on playing our game and don’t let them get comfortable and settle in, I think we’re in a good spot.” – Sceptres defender Jess Kondas
WEDNESDAY’S GAME: The PWHL makes its Calgary debut in the DoorDash PWHL Takeover Tour™ with an all-Ontario matchup between the Toronto Sceptres and Ottawa Charge who are in the thick of a playoff race, separated by just two points. This is the 15th of 16 games on the 2025-26 Tour, and Calgary is one of seven new markets along with Chicago, Dallas, Halifax, Hamilton, Washington D.C. and Winnipeg to host games, and one of six Canadian markets along with returning hosts Edmonton and Québec City. Scotiabank Saddledome is one of 33 venues to host a PWHL game all-time, including one of 19 venues with a current NHL team, with both of those numbers to increase by two by season’s end with Boston’s TD Garden and New York’s Madison Square Garden. When Calgary hosted the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship at WinSport, a total of 57 current PWHL players competed behind closed doors in the 20th edition of the top division tournament, including 22 who won gold with Canada in a 3-2 overtime thriller against the United States on Aug. 31, 2021. Eight of those gold medalists, Toronto’s Renata Fast, Ella Shelton, Emma Maltais, Natalie Spooner and Blayre Turnbull, along with Ottawa’s Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner and Jocelyne Larocque, now have the opportunity to experience a Stampede City crowd in their home country. The PWHL is proud to welcome Ottawa native and proud Calgary resident Isabelle Weidemann, one of Canada’s most accomplished speed skaters, to perform tonight’s ceremonial puck drop. The four-time Olympic medalist won gold in women’s team pursuit at Milano Cortina 2026, adding to her incredible legacy of three long track medals in Beijing 2022. The PWHL has partnered with local nonprofits for today’s game, including the Hockey Alberta Foundation, Kids Up Front, and Women of Colour Hockey Collective to promote gender equity and empower the next generation of female leaders by offering access to live women's sports experiences. At today’s game, Scotiabank clients can access priority entry into the Scotiabank Saddledome via the Scotia Perks Priority Entrance, located at the West Entrance. The first 500 Scotiabank clients to present their debit or credit card at the Scotia Perks popcorn activation will receive free popcorn. Scotiabank clients can present their debit or credit card at any PWHL merchandise stand to receive a 10% discount on PWHL gear, and Scotia Perks will also surprise two lucky fans with a seat upgrade.