OTTAWA, ON (June 18, 2025) – The Ottawa Charge announced today that forwards Rebecca Leslie and Taylor House have both signed Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreements to return to the team. Leslie, an Ottawa native, has signed a two-year extension through the 2026-27 season and House, who hails from Joliet, Illinois, has signed a one-year contract for the 2025-26 season. They are the first two players to sign with the Charge this offseason.
In her first PWHL season in her hometown, Leslie notched a goal and two assists in 27 games during the regular season, then tied for fourth in team scoring in the playoffs with two goals and one assist in eight games. The 29-year-old winger played in Toronto during the inaugural season, recording two goals and nine points in 24 games.
“Since joining our team last season, Rebecca has been an instrumental part of our team on and off the ice,” said Charge General Manager Mike Hirshfeld. “She’s been heavily involved in the community, and she was one of our best forwards during our run to the PWHL Finals. She’s an experienced leader in the locker room. She’s got good hockey sense and she’s been great on the penalty kill. We’re thrilled to keep her home for the next two seasons.”
A graduate of Boston University, Leslie signed with the Charge during the last offseason. At BU, she was the first player in program history to record 20 goals and 30 assists in the same season in 2017-18. After graduation, she was part of the Calgary Inferno that won the Clarkson Cup during the 2018-19 Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) season. She then played in the PWHPA from 2019-23 and won the Secret® Cup as part of Team Bauer in 2021.
“I’m excited to be back in Ottawa and play in front of our fans for the next two seasons,” said Leslie. “It’s my first two-year deal in the PWHL. It shows that the team believes in me and that I can still grow as a player. I want to continue where I left off. Collectively, our team had a slow start, but we all finished the season on a strong note. We want to take it from there.”
House came to the Charge as a training camp invite and began the 2024-25 season on the team’s Reserve Player list. Once activated, she held her spot in the lineup for most of the season. The 26-year-old suited up for 15 regular season games, scoring one goal and adding one assist. The Quinnipiac University graduate played in five of the Charge’s eight playoff games.
“Taylor was a nice addition out of training camp. She always remained positive and worked hard in the practices until she could get into the lineup,” said Hirshfeld. “She has a physical presence during the games and we like her compete level. We think there’s still a lot of upside to her game in this league.”
The 5’10” forward played for MoDo Hockey in Sweden (SDHL) in 2023-24 where she was second on the team with 13 goals. She added four assists for a total of 17 points (6th in team scoring) in 35 games prior to joining Ottawa. House also played one year with the PHF’s Boston Pride in 2022-23, recording six points in 24 games.
“I haven’t gone home yet. I’m still here in Ottawa because I love this city and I want to spend more time in it,” said House. “I’m super excited to be back next year. This organization has been amazing to me. I trust the coaching staff and I’m looking forward to training camp to try to solidify my spot in the lineup. It was also hard to turn down an offer that gave me a chance to play in front of 8,000 fans. I love their energy, and it will be fun to soak it all up next season.”
Leslie and House return to a Charge lineup that has seven other players under contract for the 2025-26 season, including fellow forwards with captain Brianne Jenner, Emily Clark, Gabbie Hughes and Kateřina Mrázová, defenders Jocelyne Larocque and Ronja Savolainen, and goaltender Gwyneth Philips.
This week was the first opportunity, following the Expansion Draft, for teams to sign players on expiring contracts. The Charge will also continue adding to its roster with six picks in the 2025 PWHL Draft, including the fifth overall selection. The 2025 PWHL Draft presented by Upper Deck will take place on Tuesday, June 24 at 7 p.m. ET at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Ottawa, with the first three rounds broadcast live on TSN and in its entirety on TSN+ and on the league’s YouTube channel.
Season Ticket Memberships for the 2025-26 season are available via the Ottawa Charge website.
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.