OTTAWA, ON (June 21, 2025) – The Ottawa Charge announced today the addition of Emma Bergesen who has signed a Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement for the 2025-26 season. The 25-year-old left shot defender hails from Stavanger, Norway, and becomes the first player from her country to sign in the PWHL.
The 5’8” rearguard is no stranger to Canadian hockey, stemming most recently from her five-year tenure at Mount Royal University. With the Cougars, Bergesen won a U SPORTS National Championship in 2023 and earned two straight First Team All-Canadian honours in 2023 and 2024, posting back-to-back seasons with 22 points in 28 games. She turned pro in 2024-25 with SDE HF of the SDHL and tallied 19 points in 33 games.
“Emma is a young defender that our group thinks has a good upside,” said Charge General Manager Mike Hirshfeld. “She is a puck moving defender with strong offensive instincts. Her hockey sense and her vision are excellent. We truly like her potential.”
Bergesen first came to Canada in 2017 and played two seasons with the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall before making the jump to U SPORTS. Internationally, she has represented Norway in six IIHF D1A Women’s World Championships, winning 2024 gold to earn her country promotion to the tournament’s top division for the first time since 1997. At April’s Women’s Worlds in Czechia, Bergesen scored a goal and an assist in four games. In February, she contributed three assists in four games at an Olympic Qualifying tournament in Sweden. In 2022-23, Bergesen was honoured with the prestigious Gullpucken Award in recognition of the Norwegian Player of the Year.
“I’ve had a hard time to calm down since getting this contract to play in the PWHL. It was a huge goal of mine to play in this league once it got started,” said Bergesen. “Ottawa was attractive to me because I’ve been following the league. I saw how well this team did last season. I witnessed the enthusiasm of the fan base. The atmosphere at the rink and around this team is unreal. There’s a comfort level in joining a team and coaching staff that has confidence in European players. I can’t wait to bring my offensive game to Ottawa and fight for every battle.”
Bergesen was eligible for the current signing period given her declaration for the 2024 PWHL Draft. She joins an Ottawa blue line that already features Ronja Savolainen, Jocelyne Larocque and Brooke Hobson under contract for the 2025-26 season.
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.