OTTAWA, ON (July 11, 2025) – The Ottawa Charge announced today that defender Stephanie Markowski has signed a one-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement to return to the team for the 2025-26 season. Markowski, who hails from Edmonton, AB, was a fourth-round pick (20th overall) in the 2024 PWHL Draft.
The 23-year-old left shot defender played in all but two of the Charge’s 30 games in her rookie season. She tied for fourth in scoring among rookie rearguards with one goal and four assists for five points in 28 games, then suited up for all eight playoff games in Ottawa’s run for the Walter Cup.
“Stephanie is a competitive and tough defender who will have a strong presence on the back end,” said Charge General Manager Mike Hirshfeld. “With the expansion teams taking a few of our rearguards, she will have an opportunity to play more important minutes this season.”
Standing tall at 5’9’’, Markowski was an NCAA champion with Ohio State University in 2023-24. She was a force in her fifth year of collegiate eligibility, collecting 27 points over 39 games with the Buckeyes following four productive seasons at Clarkson University. Her resume also includes a gold medal representing Canada at the 2019 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Ottawa and reuniting with my teammates to keep building on our accomplishments from last season,” said Markowski. “The league will have a different look with the expansion, so I will do everything I can to be ready to take on more responsibilities in my second season in the PWHL.”
Markowski joins a defensive squad that has six other players under contract for the upcoming season: Ronja Savolainen, Jocelyne Larocque, Brooke Hobson, Sam Isbell, Jessica Adolfsson and Emma Bergesen.
Season Ticket Memberships for the 2025-26 season are available via the Ottawa Charge website .
Click here for a full list of PWHL offseason transactions.
ABOUT OTTAWA CHARGE
Ottawa Charge is one of eight teams in the newly launched Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), which was founded in 2023. The PWHL began its inaugural season in January 2024 and features the best women’s hockey players in the world. The PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide record for a women’s hockey game. For the latest news and information on Ottawa Charge, visit ottawa.thepwhl.com or follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial. PWHL, the PWHL Logo, and PWHL team names and logos are trademarks of the PWHL. © PWHL 2024. All Rights Reserved.