OTTAWA 鈥� They may have fallen short of their goal but there鈥檚 no denying Ottawa鈥檚 first season in the Professional Women鈥檚 Hockey League was a success.
Ewe fell a little short there on the final stretch, so you鈥檒l reflect on that too,鈥� said coach Carla MacLeod. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 also a lot of excitement that comes with that and recognizing the learning opportunities and opportunities to grow.鈥�
鈥淲e fell a little short there on the final stretch, so you鈥檒l reflect on that,鈥� said coach Carla MacLeod. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 also a lot of excitement that comes with that and recognizing the learning opportunities and opportunities to grow.鈥�
Ottawa had the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a regulation win against Toronto but lost 5-2, ending its season. Not surprisingly, the initial feeling was disappointment, but general manager Mike Hershfeld says he can now look at the bigger picture.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e incredibly proud of what we鈥檝e built,鈥� Hershfeld said. 鈥淎nd again, the footprint we鈥檝e made in this community. The way that our players have been received, the way our players have been out in the community, become a part of the community. I鈥檓 really proud of that.鈥�
Ottawa played out of TD Place, home of the Ontario Hockey League鈥檚 Ottawa 67鈥檚, and had near-capacity crowds for all 12 of its home games.
In a short time, players won over fans of all ages and created a safe space for those looking to support women鈥檚 hockey. Beyond the wins and losses most agree the opportunity to be part of this league and to see it grow and be so widely welcomed has been overwhelming.
鈥淚t was worth the wait,鈥� admitted forward Emily Clark.聽
Clark spoke of the changing landscape in women鈥檚 hockey, the various leagues that came before and how rewarding the past year鈥檚 success has been for players.
鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 always been easy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think the fans have seen it, we鈥檝e all experienced it and you guys even in your field have experienced how amazing this league has been and it鈥檚 only going to get better. I just think every step in women鈥檚 hockey has led us here.鈥�
With just nine players under contract for next season, Hershfeld and his team have a fair amount of work ahead of them.
Hershfeld said there are plans to try to re-sign some current players. However, with the No. 2 overall draft pick, the team will also focus on bolstering the roster through the draft and free agency.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like we have one hole to fill,鈥� admitted Hershfeld. 鈥淲e need to get better up front, we need to score more goals, we need to get better defensively 鈥� and we need to help (goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer) out.鈥�
It鈥檚 a long to-do list but Hershfeld may be able to fill some holes internally.
While Brianne Jenner, who led the team in points (9G, 11A), has two more years remaining on her contract, Hershfeld will likely want to get discussions underway with Katerina Mrazova and Darryl Watts who finished second and third in scoring respectively.
Watts worked her way up the lineup and got glowing reviews from Jenner, who said she hopes to see her return.
Watts, who suited up for the Toronto Six of the now-defunct Premier Hockey Federation last season, said she would be open to exploring the free-agent market.
鈥淚 consider myself an elite goal scorer,鈥� said Watts. 鈥淚n my NCAA career I was an elite goal scorer and where I was drafted (in the PWHL) didn鈥檛 represent where my career statistics put me.鈥�
Ottawa was 1-9 in extra time this season and in hindsight winning a few more of those games would have likely seen them playing in the post-season.
鈥淚 think going through (this) season will be, you know, could be a strength of ours next year,鈥� said Jenner. 鈥淕etting that close and being able to taste that playoff opportunity and falling short. I think that鈥檚 going to be a real big motivator for everybody.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2024.
Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press
