OTTAWA, ON (June 19, 2025) – The Ottawa Charge announced today that forward Élizabeth Giguère has signed a one-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement for the 2025-26 season. The 28-year-old native of Québec City joins the team following two PWHL seasons with the New York Sirens and a decorated NCAA career as a National Champion and Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient.
“Élizabeth Giguère accomplished a lot during her five-year NCAA career and we are extremely excited about her offensive upside. She’s a former NCAA Player of the Year,” said Charge General Manager Mike Hirshfeld. “She’s also played on a line with Gabbie Hughes at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She’s offensively gifted and she will get the opportunity to showcase that in Ottawa.”
The 5’10” right-shot forward began her collegiate career with a National Championship in 2018 at Clarkson University. She won the Patty Kazmaier Award during her junior season with the Golden Knight in 2020, recording 66 points including 37 goals in 37 games. She was also a finalist for the prestigious honour as a sophomore in 2019, a senior in 2021 while serving as a captain at Clarkson, and again in 2022 when she transferred to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. In her final NCAA season, Giguère collected 22 goals and 62 points in 40 games for the Bulldogs, finishing her five-year career with 295 points in 177 games, which ranks sixth all-time.
Giguère turned pro with the Boston Pride (PHF) in 2022-23, recording 22 points (6G, 16A) in 18 games. She was selected by New York in the fifth round (28th overall) in the inaugural PWHL Draft and went on to score five goals and three assists in 53 games across two seasons with the Sirens.
“The absolute craziness of the fans in Ottawa came immediately to my mind when the opportunity to sign with the Charge was presented to me,” said Giguère. “Let’s be honest, the fans are incredible! Ottawa is five hours away from my hometown and I have friends in the city who will offer lots of support. I’ve only heard good things about the team and the players. I’ve spoken with Head Coach Carla MacLeod and it was a really good meeting. I can tell she loves hockey and wants to keep improving this team like they did last season. I felt like I needed a new challenge and I’m ready for it. I want to help bring a championship to Ottawa.”
Giguère is the first new player to sign with the Charge this offseason and joins a lineup that has nine returning players under contract for the 2025-26 season, including Rebecca Leslie and Taylor House who re-signed with the team on Wednesday.
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 broadcasted 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 to the general public 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.