Highlights and Press Conferences available on Montréal and Ottawa YouTube channels
WINNIPEG, MB (March 22, 2026) – The Ottawa Charge and Montréal Victoire put on a thrilling showcase of PWHL action at Canada Life Centre in front of a sold-out crowd of 15,225 fans experiencing the league’s first-ever game in Winnipeg, during the 12th stop of the DoorDash PWHL Takeover Tour. The Charge came out on top over the Victoire for the first time in three games this season, winning 2-1 after Rebecca Leslie’s league-leading third overtime winner of the season. Ann-Renée Desbiens turned away 26/27 shots in regulation, but Gwyneth Philips had one of her best performances of the season in a bounce-back game, stopping 20/21. After a back-and-forth scoreless first period, Gabbie Hughes recorded the first PWHL goal on Manitoba ice, putting the puck in the bottom right corner off a behind the net pass from Peyton Hemp at 5:37 of the second period. Just over five minutes later, Montréal came even when Abby Roque won an offensive zone faceoff and fed the puck back to Nicole Gosling who fired a shot five hole from the high slot at 11:20. Despite two huge breakaway chances in the third period, first by Winnipeg local Kati Tabin with eight minutes to go, followed by a 2-0 shorthanded breakaway by Brianne Jenner and Emily Clark, the game stayed knotted at one goal apiece after 60 minutes. With an Ottawa power play to start overtime four-on-three, Leslie played heartbreaker once again, ripping a shot past Desbiens just 12 seconds in.
Montréal’s single point from the overtime loss keeps them in third place with 40 points, two behind Minnesota and Boston. Ottawa’s two points bring them to 30, just one point behind Toronto for the fourth and final playoff spot. The Charge have the next week off before returning to action on the West Coast at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena next Sunday, while the Victoire head to Minnesota on Wednesday looking to regain their spot at the top of the standings against the Frost at Grand Casino Arena.
QUOTES
Ottawa’s Rebecca Leslie on scoring the winning goal in the first-ever PWHL game in Winnipeg: “I think it was just overall a great team win. My teammates bailed me out there with my last-minute penalty. So, I’m glad that we were able to kill that off. Also, I just look at Jocelyne (Larocque), and she's had such an amazing career. She's someone that I look up to, and a lot of the girls in this team look up to as a role model. So, to be able to come to Winnipeg and spend some time with her and her family, it's just an honor. There are people like Joce (Larocque) and Carla (MacLeod) that paved the way for us, so I’m just really happy that she's had this moment to play in her home province today.”
Charge alternate captain Jocelyne Larocque on where the Winnipeg game stands in her career: “It definitely sits pretty high. Growing up, I wasn't sure if this day would come. I looked up to NHL players. I did look up to Carla (MacLeod) and Team Canada, but to have a pro women's hockey league and to be able to be a part of it, it's pretty special. A lot of my family, friends, just Manitobans in general, to be able to see us live, it's pretty special.”
Victoire defender Kati Tabin on playing in her hometown of Winnipeg: “Fans were great, and it was so cool having family and close friends here today. To be able to play in front of people I haven't played in front of since high school, so almost 11 years now, it's been a long time. I'm grateful I am in this position, and it's great that so many little girls get to look up to us and dream to be in the spot that I am.”
Montréal Head Coach Kori Cheverie on the team's play: “I don't think it was our best, and I think the players would agree with that. I believe that there's never one moment that decides a game. There are different moments throughout a game that create momentum, kill momentum. And I think that there were moments when we created a lot of momentum, and I thought there were moments when we lost the momentum, and that kind of stuff is going to happen. And all year we've been a team that has been saying let's learn from it. We don't want it to happen again.”
NOTABLES
Today’s sold-out crowd of 15,225 is the eighth highest of the PWHL season and fourth highest through the first 12 games of the 2025-26 PWHL Takeover Tour.
Six of the 12 games on the Takeover Tour have been decided beyond regulation, including three in overtime and three in a shootout. Today’s teams have now been a part of four of those games with Ottawa previously winning in overtime against Minnesota in Chicago (3-2 on Dec. 21) and in a shootout over Boston in Halifax (2-1 on Jan. 11), and Montréal previously winning in a shootout over Toronto in Halifax (2-1 on Dec. 17).
The Charge (0-3-0-0) and Victoire (1-1-1-1) each have six points in Takeover Tour games this season, with one more game each. Montréal will face New York in Detroit on Mar. 28, and Ottawa will take on Toronto in Calgary on Apr. 1.
Ottawa became the first team in PWHL history to win five overtime games in a season and remain perfect in the extra frame. Their seven wins beyond regulation (five overtime and two shootout wins) ties the 2024-25 Victoire (four overtime and three shootout wins) for the most in a single season.
Montréal extended their point streak to nine straight games (5-2-2-0) since Jan. 21, the longest point streak in the PWHL this season and tied for the second longest in league history.
The Victoire scored fewer than three goals for the first time since Jan. 21, snapping a seven-game offensive streak.
This was the eighth time in 22 games in which Ottawa has outshot its opponent, second fewest in the league, and just the sixth time in 21 games in which Montréal has been outshot by its opponent, fewest in the league. The Victoire’s 21 shots were a season-low after outshooting the Charge in both of the previous meetings by a differential of 25.
Rebecca Leslie scored her second overtime goal in the last three games, while her three overtime winners and four overall game-winners are the most in the league. Her 12th goal of the campaign maintains her spot at the top of the league leaderboard, keeping pace with the Frost’s Kelly Pannek. With the secondary assist from Brianne Jenner, Leslie has scored seven goals assisted by Jenner, surpassing the six goals Marie-Philip Poulin has scored this season from Abby Roque.
Jenner’s assist brought her one point away from her career high of 20, set during the inaugural PWHL season. With nine goals and 10 assists, the Ottawa captain maintained her position at the top of the Charge’s scoring leaderboard with Leslie, with the pair tied for fourth in the league.
Gwyneth Philips allowed just one goal for the second time this season, putting up her second best save percentage of the campaign at .952 (Dec. 21 vs. Minnesota, .953) after being pulled in her toughest start of the season on Wednesday in Minnesota. The U.S. Olympian became the second netminder to start 20 games this season and third to win 10 games, recording her third career win against the Victoire.
Gabbie Hughes notched her fourth goal of the season and first point of the season series against the Victoire. Hughes’ 12th point of the season places her third in Charge scoring and brings her career point total to 40 (18G, 22A) in 73 games.
Nicole Gosling scored her second career PWHL goal, with her first recorded in a Takeover Tour game in Québec City, lifting her to 10 points on the campaign and in a tie for sixth in rookie scoring. Since Jan. 21, the defender has not been left off the scoresheet for more than one straight game, recording seven points (1G, 6A) across nine games.
Ann-Renée Desbiens has now allowed one or fewer goals in regulation 12 times this season, with tonight’s game the first in a losing cause. Her 1.27 goals-against average and .950 save percentage remain atop the goaltender leaderboard.
Peyton Hemp recorded her sixth assist of the season, the eighth most among the league’s rookies. While all of her points have come as helpers, it’s the first time she’s combined with Hughes and the first time on the scoresheet against Montréal.
Michela Cava has hit the scoresheet in three of four contests against the Victoire this season as a member of the Charge and Goldeneyes, including her first point for Ottawa with an assist against Montréal on Jan. 24. The Thunder Bay, ON native has three points, all assists, in nine games since being traded to the Charge, and eight points overall on the season (1G, 7A).
Ronja Savolainen picked up her fifth assist of the season and third in five games. The Finnish defender’s eight points in 22 games are tied for the lead among Charge blue liners, and three points shy of last season’s total across 28 games (2G, 9A).
Roque tallied her 18th point tonight for a new career high, surpassing the 17 points she scored across 30 games last season for New York. The point moved her ahead of Poulin for sole possession of the team lead in scoring, sixth in the league overall. This has been the most productive three-game stretch of the forward’s career with six points (1G, 5A).
Jocelyne Larocque from Ste. Anne, MB had a night to remember with five hits, two blocked shots, and two shots in front of 280 family and friends in attendance.
Kati Tabin led the Victoire with 23 minutes and 48 seconds of ice time in front of her hometown crowd.
Fanuza Kadirova led all skaters with a career-high five shots on goal for the Charge.
Poulin missed her third game of the season, scratched due to a lower-body injury.
Amy Martin, a Winnipeg native, served as one of tonight’s referees.
THREE STARS
1. Rebecca Leslie (OTT) OTG
2. Nicole Gosling (MTL) 1G
3. Jocelyne Larocque (OTT)
STANDINGS
Montréal: 40 PTS (10-4-2-5) – 3rd Place
Ottawa: 30 PTS (5-7-1-9) – 5th Place
UPCOMING SCHEDULES
Montréal: Wednesday, Mar. 25 at Minnesota at 6 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. ET
Ottawa: Sunday, Mar. 29 at Seattle at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET