No team increased their regulation win total by more than the Ottawa Charge, going from eight during the inaugural season to 12 in the 2024-25 campaign while surging all the way into the PWHL Finals.
2024-25 was a truly electric season for the Charge. After finishing three points outside of the 2024 PWHL Playoffs, the Charge won a league-high four more games in regulation and added 12 points to their Season Two total—tied with the Victoire for the highest increase of any team—and clinched their spot in the 2025 PWHL Playoffs on the final day of the regular season with an overtime win in Toronto.
The Charge were the only team to have two three-game winning streaks in regulation, and their four-game win streak on the road to close the season was the longest in the PWHL. They tied for first in game-opening goals (18), had the highest percentage of points by defenders (29.3%), tied for second in percentage of goals scored at even strength (78.9%), and scored a record four shorthanded ‘Jailbreak’ goals. The team's success earned Head Coach Carla MacLeod recognition as a finalist for 2025 PWHL Coach of the Year.
Clinching the playoffs in the final game the way they did, and perhaps being further motivated by the league’s playoff structure, did the Charge wonders. Montréal chose Ottawa as their first round opponent, and MacLeod and her squad embraced the challenge.
A true team effort propelled the Charge to a 3-1 series win over the Victoire, earning them a chance to play for the Walter Cup in their first postseason. Ultimately falling to Minnesota in four games, the Charge fought to the very end. Every game of the 2025 PWHL Finals went to overtime, including a triple-overtime marathon in Game 3. Ottawa also played a PWHL-record four-overtime thriller in the semifinals in what was their only loss against Montréal.
Perhaps most indicative of a team-first approach was the ability of goaltender Gwyneth Philips to go from backup to starter during the team’s important stretch drive. The rookie never lost a game in regulation during the postseason with a sparkling 1.23 goals-against-average and a .952 save percentage to earn the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award.