Latest news with #GabbieHughes
National Post
10-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
For PWHL star Brianne Jenner, it wouldn't be summer without a hockey camp or two
Brianne Jenner doesn't have to look far at all these days for examples of the impact the PWHL is having on society. Article content The captain of the Ottawa Charge is heading into hers and the league's third year. Article content Article content She's also a long-time player on the summer hockey camp circuit — first as a participant, then tagging along with her father to his camps as a helper — and now running her own, with one this week just outside of Oakville where she grew up and another next month in Ottawa. Article content Jenner loves the camps for the opportunities they provide for young women and the skills they teach. She loves the time she gets to spend with her friends and fellow PWHLers who help out with the camps, too. Article content In Oakville this week, that list included Gabbie Hughes, Zoe Boyd, Alexa Vasko, Emma Buckles and Jesse Eldridge just to name a few. Article content But Jenner also loves the feedback she gets from the young women participating in the camp and seeing how much attitudes are changing within the women's game. Article content Article content Talking on the phone following a long day of on-ice instruction on Tuesday at Joshua's Creek Arena, Jenner recalled when she first started her own camp back around 2016 the conversations about who the campers' favourite players or favourite teams almost always ended up in a discussion of then present-day NHLers and that league. Article content That's no longer the case. Article content 'I think the first year, two summers ago, when the league launched and I would ask who is your favourite hockey player?' Jenner recalled. 'We would have those conversations at lunch hour, or what is your favourite team and it was almost always an NHL team and an NHL player. You would get the odd Team Canada (women's) player but now you never get a male player. It's always a female and that's cool. Article content Article content 'The coolest change is it's talked about. It's cool to be a fan of the women's game and that is really exciting.' Article content Article content Jenner admitted she was taken a bit aback by the forwardness and confidence of one particular camper this week who suggested maybe Jenner could bring national team teammate and the PWHL's rookie of the year this past season, Sarah Fillier of the New York Sirens, to camp next summer. Article content 'I had one kid say today, 'Can you have Sarah Fillier coach next year because she is young enough, that, you know, I might play in the PWHL with her.' But that's cool, right,' Jenner said after she stopped laughing about the request. 'They all have that dream now. They all want to play in the PWHL. It's awesome.' Article content As mentioned, Jenner has one more camp on her schedule in her now-home city of Ottawa in August, but that will be it. Jenner's primary focus remains her playing career and that means getting ready for a third PWHL season while simultaneously preparing for a potential fourth consecutive Olympic games with Canada's national senior women's hockey team.
CBC
24-06-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Ottawa Charge has big skates to fill as PWHL draft looms
Come Wednesday morning, the Ottawa Charge's roster will look vastly different following the PWHL draft. In the month since falling to the Minnesota Frost in the PWHL Championships, the Charge have lost nine players in the expansion draft and to free agency. Tuesday night's draft, which will be hosted at Ottawa's new Hard Rock Casino, will be the answer to filling some of those gaps. Each of the league's eight teams will add six new players to their roster Tuesday night. Altogether, 199 prospects are up for grabs and 48 will be selected. Who has Ottawa lost? At the end of the PWHL season, the league announced it's adding teams in Vancouver and Seattle for the 2025-2026 season. Those new teams now need to fill their rosters. Off the hop in early June, each of the six original teams lost four players to the expansion teams. But before the new teams could get their pick of the crop, the Charge protected Emily Clark, Gwyneth Philips, Ronja Savolainen and soon after, Gabbie Hughes. The Charge lost goalie Emerance Maschmeyer and defender Ashton Bell to Vancouver, and forward Danielle Serdachny and defender Aneta Tejralová to Seattle. Shortly after, when the free agency period opened up, these players also left the team: Tereza Vanišová, F: PWHL Vancouver. Shiann Darkangelo, F: Montréal Victoire. Zoe Boyd, D: Boston Fleet. Jincy Roese, D: New York Sirens. Natalie Snodgrass, F: PWHL Seattle. In total, the Charge have lost four defenders, four forwards and one goalie in the post-season — many of them key players. "There's a little bit of disappointment obviously when you lose players ... through expansion draft, particularly players that have been with us since Day 1. But also, [there's] a ton of excitement for the growth of women's hockey in this league," said Mike Hirshfeld, general manager of the Ottawa Charge. Hirshfeld said he "made very compelling offers to some of the players that left," but noted that some decided to move on based on their personal and family situations. What talent is Ottawa looking for? The Charge will get the fifth overall pick Tuesday night. "We're looking at all options, to be honest. We have a lot of spots still to fill, just because expansion really thinned us out," Hirshfeld said. Forwards and strong defenders are on their radar, but the team is not looking for a goalie, he said. "Size and physicality is important to us, but at the same time we need to improve our power play next year, and so puck-moving offensive defenders are also of interest," Hirshfeld noted. The Ottawa Charge have recently re-signed forwards Taylor House and Rebecca Leslie. Other recent additions include forward Élizabeth Giguère and defender Brooke Hobson from the New York Sirens, who have each signed for one year. The Charge have also signed defender Emma Bergesen for one year — the first player from Norway to sign with the league. Even after Tuesday's draft, Hirshfeld said the team "is talking to, and there's some trade discussions going on" with some free agents.
Ottawa Citizen
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
The Ottawa Charge players have never been closer. Now, they're about to break up
Article content Just hours after the Ottawa Charge was dealt heartbreak in a third consecutive overtime loss to the Minnesota Frost, its players gathered in a nearby Saint Paul restaurant — sharing one of their last meals together before reality set in. Article content Their season was over after losing the PWHL finals 3-1. And with the league's expansion draft looming in just two weeks' time, the Charge players weren't pretending otherwise. In fact, forward Gabbie Hughes leaned right into it. Spotting general manager Mike Hirshfeld's unattended overcoat and arena credentials, she threw it on and said as gruffly as she could: Article content Article content Article content 'It's what you sign up for when you become a pro,' Hughes said in the team's season-end media availability. 'You don't know what the road is going to bring you.' Article content That uncertainty is especially poignant for the Charge, which stunned the league with its run to the playoff finals. But with expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver entering the fold, rosters across the league are about to change dramatically. Article content 'It's exciting for the league, but as players, there's a lot of emotions that go with it,' forward Emily Clark added. 'You want (the Walter Cup) so bad, and you come so close, and you look around the room and you know the reality is that that exact group won't be together.' Article content Article content As the players shared laughs that night in Saint Paul, Hirshfeld and the Charge had already finalized the three players they intend to name on their protection list for June 3. Thursday, those players will be notified of their protection status during their exit meetings with Hirshfeld and coach Carla MacLeod. Article content Article content From there, this underdog team that came together at the right time will splinter as many players accept that they won't be reporting to Ottawa in the fall for training camp. While select players may be seeking an opportunity to play a more significant role elsewhere, the sense from the team's season-end press conference was that nobody wanted to leave. Article content Conversations about the draft have become commonplace among players, even as the nerves associated with it kick up another notch with the season having ended. Article content 'It's fun in its own right, to talk about what you think might happen around the league,' Clark said. 'Everyone you know wants to put their GM hat on.'
Calgary Herald
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
How family helped Ottawa Charge star Gabbie Hughes on her journey to PWHL final
Article content Gabbie Hughes had more than 60 reasons for wanting to shut down the best women's hockey player on the planet over an eight-day stretch that concluded last Friday. Article content The list included her burning desire to help the Ottawa Charge become the first Canadian team to reach the PWHL's Walter Cup final, the wish to be reunited and play before dozens of relatives when the championship series against the Minnesota Frost — which begins Tuesday at TD Place — moves to her home state for games 3 and 4, and, consciously or not, to give the U.S. national team decision makers something to think about when they're picking the squad for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Article content Article content While everyone insists it was a 'team effort' that limited the prolific Marie-Philip Poulin to just a goal and an assist when the Charge eliminated the Montreal Victoire in a best-of-five opening-round set that lasted four games, Ottawa coach Carla MacLeod leaned heavily on a five-player shutdown group of Hughes, Emily Clark, Mannon McMahon, and defenders Jocelyne Larocque and Ashton Bell whenever she had a chance. Article content Article content As a centre, Hughes could probably tell you the flavour of toothpaste used by Poulin, who plays the same position, by the time the series was over. Article content The checking role was embraced by Hughes, who was tied for second on the Charge scoring list last season, had 43 goals in 25 games in 2015-16 at Centennial High School in Minnesota, and netted 33 in 40 games as a senior for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs six years later. Article content Article content Asked on Sunday if shutting down Montreal's top guns gave her greater satisfaction than scoring goals of her own, Hughes was emphatic with her response. Article content Article content 'Yeah, 100 per cent,' she said. 'I think the moment Carla sat us down and told us what our job was, we were pumped, we were amped for it. It takes a lot of pride in the D-zone to do the job that we did, and to know that we did it well, that it gave the rest of the team the opportunity to run with their game … and on top of how great we did defensively, we produced, too … I'm just so proud of my linemates, and how much pride we do take in the D-zone. That's the greatest feat we took away from the series, for sure.' Article content The contributions haven't gone unnoticed by Charge fans, who have incorporated a chant of 'Hughesss' (that outsiders might mistake for boos) during a game. Article content 'It's so cool,' said the 25-year-old. 'I try to keep my composure, I'm like, OK, we're going to do a faceoff with MPP here soon, so we gotta dial it in, and then they do that, and I can't help but just smile ear to ear. It's just so cool.'
Vancouver Sun
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
How family helped Ottawa Charge star Gabbie Hughes on her journey to PWHL final
Gabbie Hughes had more than 60 reasons for wanting to shut down the best women's hockey player on the planet over an eight-day stretch that concluded last Friday. The list included her burning desire to help the Ottawa Charge become the first Canadian team to reach the PWHL's Walter Cup final, the wish to be reunited and play before dozens of relatives when the championship series against the Minnesota Frost — which begins Tuesday at TD Place — moves to her home state for games 3 and 4, and, consciously or not, to give the U.S. national team decision makers something to think about when they're picking the squad for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. While everyone insists it was a 'team effort' that limited the prolific Marie-Philip Poulin to just a goal and an assist when the Charge eliminated the Montreal Victoire in a best-of-five opening-round set that lasted four games, Ottawa coach Carla MacLeod leaned heavily on a five-player shutdown group of Hughes, Emily Clark, Mannon McMahon, and defenders Jocelyne Larocque and Ashton Bell whenever she had a chance. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. As a centre, Hughes could probably tell you the flavour of toothpaste used by Poulin, who plays the same position, by the time the series was over. The checking role was embraced by Hughes, who was tied for second on the Charge scoring list last season, had 43 goals in 25 games in 2015-16 at Centennial High School in Minnesota, and netted 33 in 40 games as a senior for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs six years later. Asked on Sunday if shutting down Montreal's top guns gave her greater satisfaction than scoring goals of her own, Hughes was emphatic with her response. 'Yeah, 100 per cent,' she said. 'I think the moment Carla sat us down and told us what our job was, we were pumped, we were amped for it. It takes a lot of pride in the D-zone to do the job that we did, and to know that we did it well, that it gave the rest of the team the opportunity to run with their game … and on top of how great we did defensively, we produced, too … I'm just so proud of my linemates, and how much pride we do take in the D-zone. That's the greatest feat we took away from the series, for sure.' The contributions haven't gone unnoticed by Charge fans, who have incorporated a chant of 'Hughesss' (that outsiders might mistake for boos) during a game. 'It's so cool,' said the 25-year-old. 'I try to keep my composure, I'm like, OK, we're going to do a faceoff with MPP here soon, so we gotta dial it in, and then they do that, and I can't help but just smile ear to ear. It's just so cool.' Hughes, meanwhile, isn't one to take her work home with her, despite how easy that would be. On the Charge roster are five former UMD Bulldogs (six if you count assistant coach Haley Irwin) and she lives with two of them — Bell and McMahon. 'We're such good friends,' said Hughes. 'But once we leave the rink, there's not much hockey talk. We're just trying to enjoy life, enjoy each other's presence. After some big minutes (against Montreal, especially in Game 2's four overtimes) not much is being said. You're kind of just recouping in silence with your roommates and trying to fuel your bodies, and get back to being game-ready.' Line matching won't be as important against the Frost, which has a dynamic first unit that includes Taylor Heise (the playoffs' top offensive producer with seven points in four games), captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and Michela Cava. But along with a backend that includes Sophia Jaques and Claire Thompson, who are up for the PWHL's Defender of the Year award with Toronto's Reneta Fast, Minnesota, like Ottawa, relies on its depth. Still, both Hughes and Bell, a Manitoban, did enough against Poulin to warrant the attention of their respective national rosters, which they weren't included on in the recent world championship despite both previously being part of the respective programs. If anything, the slight has helped the Charge, which benefited from the fact both Hughes and Bell have the added incentive of proving they belong in Italy. 'Any time you don't make that team, it obviously hurts a little bit and stings a bit,' said Bell. 'So I definitely use that as motivation.' Said Hughes: 'It's obviously tough when you don't make those rosters. But when we have a league like (the PWHL), it's not how it used to be. Hockey is not done. You have a team to come back to, and a family to come back to, and I really have had Ottawa to lean on throughout this journey and this year. So this is my team, and these are my family members here. It's fun and it's exciting, but I do it for the people here in this locker room, and we've been chasing after this (Walter Cup), and it's fun that it's right here.' Meanwhile, Hughes' blood family is a big one. Her dad, Terry, is one of seven kids and, along with mom Miki's side, there's 'probably about 50-60' relatives who are quite active in a group chat when she's playing. 'We're super close,' said Hughes. 'They like to commentate throughout the game, so when I come back to my phone, I have about 100 messages to go through. It's great. We do it for Wild games, too. We just love talking to each other. We miss one another, and the group chat keeps us connected.' That connection will be evident with the entire clan in attendance at the Xcel Energy Center when the Walter Cup final switches venues. 'It's unbelievable to have that support system to lean on,' said Hughes. 'It's not just my mom and dad, and my two brothers. I've had 60 other people behind me throughout my high school years, my college years, and now in the professional years. So they've really driven me to give it my all every single day. 'They believe in me, and it helps me believe in myself. So I'm just so lucky to have them.'
