Latest news with #Hirshfeld


Ottawa Citizen
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Charge expects second Russian player drafted in PWHL to be a 'superstar'
Article content Only one Russian ever had been chosen in the PWHL draft before the Ottawa Charge selected two on Tuesday night. Article content Naturally, Mike Hirshfeld expects much better luck with his picks — especially forward Anna Shokhina — than the Boston Fleet had with Ilona Markova last year. Article content 'We had her as probably the fourth-most talented player in this draft,' the Charge GM said of the team's second-round pick during a recap of the evening's events at Ottawa's new Hard Rock Casino & Resort as Tuesday night turned into Wednesday morning. 'That's how highly we thought of her, so to get her at 13 was really exciting for us. Article content Article content 'We think she's going to be a superstar in this league and we're excited to get here and have her show her skills.' Article content Article content Initially, Boston might have had similar aspirations for Markova, a skilled, then-22-year-old forward the team selected in the seventh round in 2024. But after attending training camp, she was released and returned to play in her homeland. Article content 'Sometimes you swing (and miss) and we swung a couple times last year,' Fleet GM Danielle Marmer said. 'I think of Markova, for example, as one of those.' Article content Largely because of the homework they've done on the 28-year-old, who had 30 goals and 73 points in 42 games with Dynamo-Neva St. Petersburg 'A' last season. Article content Also, the recommendation of Mel Davidson — the former head coach and GM of Canada's national team — who gave a thumbs up to both Shokhina and her former Dynamo linemate Fanuza Kadirova, the Charge's sixth and last pick on Tuesday. Article content Article content 'We put a lot of work in on both of them,' Hirshfeld said. 'Over the last month, we have talked to both of the players themselves. We have scouted some film that we found of them. We've talked to coaches and people who played in that league. Article content Article content 'We hired Mel as a consultant and she started working with us early in the new year. Mel has actually coached them as part of the IIHF international growth program, so she knows both the players really well. Article content 'Fanuza is a very talented player, lots of skill, a goal scorer. We think she's going to have to deal with the physicality in this league and that's going to be a learning curve for her. But we think the upside, where we picked her in the sixth round, is incredibly high.' Article content Hirshfeld said the Charge's lawyers envision no problems obtaining work visas for the two Russians. Article content 'For us, it was definitely worth a shot bringing them both together,' he said. 'They're definitely not fluent, but they are learning English. But we're comfortable (with their overseas transition) because of the skill level and the talent level. Our organization has focused on international players for a long time, so we think they'll fit in really well in our culture.


Ottawa Citizen
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Could Ottawa Charge trade up in PWHL draft that GM expects to get 'six terrific players'?
Article content If the Ottawa Charge had first pick in Tuesday's Professional Women's Hockey League draft, the decision would probably come down to University of Wisconsin centre Casey O'Brien and Clarkson University defender Haley Winn. Article content With the New York Sirens choosing first, does coach Greg Fargo urge them to take Kristyna Kaltounkova, who played four seasons for him at Colgate? Article content Article content Since consensus No. 1 pick Abbey Murphy opted out to put off a pro career to finish her collegiate playing days at the University of Minnesota, O'Brien, Winn and Kaltounkova could very well be the first names called when the league holds its third draft at Ottawa's Hard Rock Live inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Article content Article content And it's also quite likely Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld, the PWHL's most active trader, has inquired about moving up from fifth in the draft order to fill a glaring hole by taking O'Brien, who scored an NCAA-leading 88 points in 41 games last season to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top female player in the United States, or Winn, the best defender in the class of '25 who could answer Ottawa's need on a depleted blue line and, with 14 goals and 46 points in 38 games for the Golden Knights in 2024-25, for a power play quarterback. Article content As it stands, Hirshfeld will have to broaden his scope at No. 5. Article content Article content 'We're looking at all options,' he told reporters attending a media availability Monday at TD Place. 'To be honest, we have a lot of spots to fill just because expansion really thinned us out. So I think we're looking at defenders and forwards. I can tell you we're not looking at a goalie.' Article content Article content Star puck-stopper Gwyneth Philips might be relieved to be reminded that the blue line has been a priority for the Charge on draft day. Article content In 2023, Ottawa's first three picks were defenders, and, last season, Hirshfeld focused on the position with three of seven picks. Article content After losing four defenders in the off-season — Ashton Bell and Aneta Tejralova through the expansion draft and Zoe Boyd and Jincy Roese to free agency — the Charge signed two in the last few days: Norway's Emma Bergesen and Brooke Hobson, who spent the past two seasons with the Sirens. Article content 'Emma was someone we looked at in last year's draft,' said Hirshfeld. 'We felt like she had a little more maturity in her game, and I think (last) year in Sweden, playing consistent minutes and the top line pairing was really good for her. When we look at this year's draft, I don't think it's quite as deep as last year's, and we have a third-round value on Emma for this year's draft, so the opportunity to sign her ahead of time really gives us another extra third-round pick.


Calgary Herald
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Could Ottawa Charge trade up in PWHL draft that GM expects to get 'six terrific players'?
Article content If the Ottawa Charge had first pick in Tuesday's Professional Women's Hockey League draft, the decision would probably come down to University of Wisconsin centre Casey O'Brien and Clarkson University defender Haley Winn. Article content With the New York Sirens choosing first, does coach Greg Fargo urge them to take Kristyna Kaltounkova, who played four seasons for him at Colgate? Article content Article content Since consensus No. 1 pick Abbey Murphy opted out to put off a pro career to finish her collegiate playing days at the University of Minnesota, O'Brien, Winn and Kaltounkova could very well be the first names called when the league holds its third draft at Ottawa's Hard Rock Live inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Article content Article content And it's also quite likely Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld, the PWHL's most active trader, has inquired about moving up from fifth in the draft order to fill a glaring hole by taking O'Brien, who scored an NCAA-leading 88 points in 41 games last season to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top female player in the United States, or Winn, the best defender in the class of '25 who could answer Ottawa's need on a depleted blue line and, with 14 goals and 46 points in 38 games for the Golden Knights in 2024-25, for a power play quarterback. Article content As it stands, Hirshfeld will have to broaden his scope at No. 5. Article content Article content 'We're looking at all options,' he told reporters attending a media availability Monday at TD Place. 'To be honest, we have a lot of spots to fill just because expansion really thinned us out. So I think we're looking at defenders and forwards. I can tell you we're not looking at a goalie.' Article content Article content Star puck-stopper Gwyneth Philips might be relieved to be reminded that the blue line has been a priority for the Charge on draft day. Article content In 2023, Ottawa's first three picks were defenders, and, last season, Hirshfeld focused on the position with three of seven picks. Article content After losing four defenders in the off-season — Ashton Bell and Aneta Tejralova through the expansion draft and Zoe Boyd and Jincy Roese to free agency — the Charge signed two in the last few days: Norway's Emma Bergesen and Brooke Hobson, who spent the past two seasons with the Sirens. Article content 'Emma was someone we looked at in last year's draft,' said Hirshfeld. 'We felt like she had a little more maturity in her game, and I think (last) year in Sweden, playing consistent minutes and the top line pairing was really good for her. When we look at this year's draft, I don't think it's quite as deep as last year's, and we have a third-round value on Emma for this year's draft, so the opportunity to sign her ahead of time really gives us another extra third-round pick.


Vancouver Sun
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Could Ottawa Charge trade up in PWHL draft that GM expects to get 'six terrific players'?
If the Ottawa Charge had first pick in Tuesday's Professional Women's Hockey League draft, the decision would probably come down to University of Wisconsin centre Casey O'Brien and Clarkson University defender Haley Winn. With the New York Sirens choosing first, does coach Greg Fargo urge them to take Kristyna Kaltounkova, who played four seasons for him at Colgate? Since consensus No. 1 pick Abbey Murphy opted out to put off a pro career to finish her collegiate playing days at the University of Minnesota, O'Brien, Winn and Kaltounkova could very well be the first names called when the league holds its third draft at Ottawa's Hard Rock Live inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. 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. And it's also quite likely Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld, the PWHL's most active trader, has inquired about moving up from fifth in the draft order to fill a glaring hole by taking O'Brien, who scored an NCAA-leading 88 points in 41 games last season to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top female player in the United States, or Winn, the best defender in the class of '25 who could answer Ottawa's need on a depleted blue line and, with 14 goals and 46 points in 38 games for the Golden Knights in 2024-25, for a power play quarterback. As it stands, Hirshfeld will have to broaden his scope at No. 5. 'We're looking at all options,' he told reporters attending a media availability Monday at TD Place. 'To be honest, we have a lot of spots to fill just because expansion really thinned us out. So I think we're looking at defenders and forwards. I can tell you we're not looking at a goalie.' Star puck-stopper Gwyneth Philips might be relieved to be reminded that the blue line has been a priority for the Charge on draft day. In 2023, Ottawa's first three picks were defenders, and, last season, Hirshfeld focused on the position with three of seven picks. After losing four defenders in the off-season — Ashton Bell and Aneta Tejralova through the expansion draft and Zoe Boyd and Jincy Roese to free agency — the Charge signed two in the last few days: Norway's Emma Bergesen and Brooke Hobson, who spent the past two seasons with the Sirens. 'Emma was someone we looked at in last year's draft,' said Hirshfeld. 'We felt like she had a little more maturity in her game, and I think (last) year in Sweden, playing consistent minutes and the top line pairing was really good for her. When we look at this year's draft, I don't think it's quite as deep as last year's, and we have a third-round value on Emma for this year's draft, so the opportunity to sign her ahead of time really gives us another extra third-round pick. 'Brooke is a seasoned veteran defender who's tough. She exemplifies the type of hockey that we want to play.' Among the defenders the Charge will consider with the fifth pick are offensive-minded Nicole Gosling, who was Winn's D-partner at Clarkson, and Rory Guilday, a 5-foot-11 defensive stalwart who was the captain at Cornell. 'Elite defenders are hard to find, we've said that since Day 1,' said Hirshfeld. 'We drafted three defenders right at the top of that draft because we identified early that's where there was a shortage. I don't think that's changed into Year 3. I think there's still a shortage of elite defenders.' While Hirshfeld and coach Carla MacLeod will handle the drafting, they've been 'very collaborative' in assessing talent with their scouts for the last two months. They are also being advised by Mel Davidson, who coached Canada's women's hockey team to gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. With the Charge roster currently standing at 15 players, Hirshfeld believes the team will wind up with six good ones from the draft. 'We are working hard at this,' he said of restocking a roster that also lost goalie Emerance Maschmeyer and last year's second overall pick, forward Danielle Serdachny, in the expansion draft, and top scoring forward Tereza Vanisova as well as veteran centre Shiann Darkangelo to the open market. 'We are doing everything we can to field a competitive team. We want to get back to the Walter Cup final this year and win it. No one is sitting back and feeling sorry for themselves. We are all working hard. We've been on the phone a lot. We've been doing meetings a lot. We've talked to a lot of different players. We've got a lot of scenarios that are still in play. 'We're really excited about the draft. We think we're going to get six terrific players. There are some free agents that are available and we're still talking to, and there's some trade discussions going on. So I feel very confident that by early November, when training camp starts, we're going to have a really competitive team. I understand the disappointment of the fans, but I would ask them to stick with us and trust us. I think they're going to be really happy with the team that's on the ice when we start getting the next season.' Live coverage of the first three rounds of the six-round draft will be available across Canada on TSN, and the TSN app. Full draft coverage will be available live on TSN+ and globally on the PWHL's YouTube channel.


Ottawa Citizen
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Charge signs forward, GM tells fans all good after roster exodus: 'Let's not react to two days'
Article content False is any notion that Ottawa Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld has been twiddling his thumbs while all other PWHL teams — as well as league owner Mark Walter, who reportedly is buying the Los Angeles Lakers for a deal that values the NBA franchise at $10 billion — have been actively spending money the past few days. Article content Hirshfeld is also, as Will Smith would say, 'gettin' Jiggy with it.' Article content Article content On Thursday, the Charge announced the signing of free agent Elizabeth Giguere, a right-shooting forward who has spent the past two seasons with the New York Sirens. Article content Article content Giguere, who is no relation to former NHL goalie J.S. Giguere, has scored just five goals and three assists in 53 PWHL games, but there's reason to believe she has yet to tap the surface of her potential. Article content In 2020, the 5-foot-10, 28-year-old Quebec product won the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top female college player in the United States, and was a finalist in two other seasons. Article content As a junior at Clarkson, she was a member of the NCAA national champion Golden Knights, and in 2019-20, she was the country's leading scorer with 37 goals in 37 games. Article content Upon transferring to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for her final season, she had 62 points in 40 games to finish one-two in team scoring with current Charge star Gabbie Hughes to wrap up her collegiate career with 295 points in 177 games, sixth in all-time NCAA Division 1 scoring. Article content Article content She went on to play for Team Canada at the 2022 Rivalry Series while racking up 22 points in 18 games with the Boston Pride of the now-defunct Premier Hockey Federation. Article content 'We think she's incredibly talented and offensively gifted,' Hirshfeld said. 'We're really excited about her and we just think that there's incredible upside in her game.' Article content The Charge does have a history of developing scorers such as Daryl Watts, Tereza Vanisova and Shiann Darkangelo — each of whom was lost to free agency. Article content It's believed Hirshfeld made competitive offers for all three players, but money wasn't the determining factor. Article content While Watts left to play with her hometown Toronto Sceptres last season, Vanisova opted to join a star-studded PWHL Vancouver expansion squad this week, just as Darkangelo was deciding she wanted to play with Marie-Philip Poulin in Montreal.