With 29 seconds left in the third period, the Ottawa Charge pulled ahead 2-1 and secured a second straight win over the Boston Fleet in front of a PWHL playoff record crowd of 13,112 fans at Canadian Tire Centre on Friday night. Ronja Savolainen was credited with the game winner on an unusual play, taking a shot that went wide of the net but bounced off the boards and deflected off Aerin Frankel who tried to cover the puck in the crease. Gwyneth Philips continued to shine between the pipes for the Charge, stopping 36 of 37 shots to earn the win. The Charge now have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five semifinal series, one win away from reaching the finals in consecutive seasons. Boston faces an early exit for the first time, previously reaching the finals in their 2024 postseason campaign. Fanuza Kadirova scored first at 13:33 of the first period when she launched a wrist shot down the middle lane, capitalizing just seconds after a power play. Just over five minutes into the second period, Liz Schepers tied the game for the Fleet when she found the back of the net, putting away the rebounded puck on the rush from a Shay Maloney shot on goal. The third period remained an even, scoreless affair through 19 and a half minutes before Ottawa iced the game. Frankel turned away 20 of 22 in the loss. The teams will play Game 4 of the series on Sunday afternoon.

NOTABLES 

Tonight’s attendance of 13,112 set a new PWHL playoff record, surpassing the crowd of 13,104 at

Grand Casino Arena on May 26, 2024, for Game 4 of the inaugural PWHL Walter Cup Finals between Minnesota and Boston. 

Ottawa won for the first time in three games at Canadian Tire Centre, previously losing twice to Montréal, 2-1 on Dec. 6, 2024, and 3-0 on Apr. 3, 2026.

In PWHL playoff history prior to 2026, the team that wins Game 3 of a series tied 1-1 has gone on to win all four series. Last season, Ottawa defeated Montréal, 1-0 in Game 3 of the semifinals before winning Game 4 by a 2-1 score, both at TD Place. Then, after splitting the first two games of the finals with Minnesota, the Frost went on to win the next two games. In the inaugural season finals, Boston fell to Minnesota in Game 3 before ultimately losing in five games.

Six of the seven head-to-head games this season have been decided by one goal, but all three playoff games have been decided in regulation after all four games in the regular-season series required overtime.

Ottawa has limited its opposition to one or fewer goals in six of their last seven games.

Before tonight, Boston had been limited to one goal in only two true road games all season but won both of those contests, including a 2-1 shootout victory in Seattle on Jan. 18 and a 1-0 regulation win in New York on Mar. 5.

Despite leading the league with 23 game-opening goals during the regular season, Boston has yet to score first in the series. Ottawa now has 17 games with the first goal across the entire season after opening scoring in all three games of the semifinal series. The Fleet have now allowed their opponent to score first in 10 games this season, still good for the fewest times in the league. 

Ahead of tonight, Boston (4-2) had twice as many wins in six games as Ottawa (2-3) had in five games where they were tied with their opponent after two periods.

Over the three games of the series, the Fleet outshot the Charge 96-61, including 37-22 tonight. Boston is now 11-8 when outshooting their opponent and Ottawa is 13-6 when outshot. This is the only time in PWHL playoff history that a team has had three straight games with a double-digit shot on goal differential.

Ronja Savolainen added one goal and an assist for points in consecutive games, following her game-opening goal last Saturday. Her three points in three games have tripled her production in Ottawa’s 2025 playoff campaign (1A). The Finnish defender recorded her first multi-point performance of the season for 13 overall points (6G, 7A), one more than her combined output from the 2024-25 season (2G, 10A). 

Fanuza Kadirova recorded her third multi-point game of the season (1G, 1A). She also has goals in back-to-back games, after scoring the Game 2 winner, for her first goal streak since Jan. 24-28. The Russian forward became just the ninth player to score 12 goals across the regular season and playoffs, the most among first-year PWHL players.

Gwyneth Philips’ 36-save performance marked her 13th game with at least 30 saves this season—the most in a single PWHL season—and her second-straight in the semifinal series. Boston’s 37 shots on goal were the most Philips has faced in a playoff game decided in regulation. The 2025 Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP’s 1.34 goals-against average and .958 save percentage are best among playoff goaltenders.

Liz Schepers netted her fourth career postseason goal, and first as a member of the Fleet, recording her first four shots on goal of the series tonight. Of her 11 career goals between the regular season and postseason, five have counted as game winners, including the Walter Cup-clinching goals for Minnesota in 2024 and 2025.

Shay Maloney tallied her first-ever playoff point with a primary assist in her third postseason game. The second-year Fleet forward recorded seven points (3G, 4A) with appearances in all 30 regular-season games. Tonight’s helper made for her sixth point earned away from Boston’s home venues (1G, 5A).

Ella Huber notched a secondary assist for her first point in three career postseason games. The Fleet rookie forward has seven points this season, almost half of which were game-winning goals (3). Six of her points have come in games away from the state of Massachusetts (3G, 3A), including tonight’s helper.

Aerin Frankel made 20 saves for the first time this series, after previously recording at least as many saves in all eight of her starts during the 2024 playoffs. She has allowed two goals in back-to-back games, after allowing one or fewer goals in 19 of her 27 prior starts in 2025-26, including Game 1. The last time she suffered consecutive losses in a playoff series was Games 2 and 3 of the 2024 finals against Minnesota.

Michela Cava notched her first playoff point as a member of the Charge, previously recording 13 (7G, 6A) with Minnesota in back-to-back Walter Cup championships. Her primary assist moved her into sole ownership of the second-most postseason points all-time, with only Taylor Heise holding more (6G, 11A). The third-year forward now has 50 points scored through 105 career games (22G, 28A).

Kateřina Mrázová recorded her first postseason point in nine career games with her fourth assist on a Kadirova goal this season and fourth primary helper overall. The Czech forward has now reached the double-digit points mark during 33 games in 2025-26, after recording two goals and seven assists during the regular season.

Jessie Eldridge led all skaters with seven shots on goal, her highest total as a member of the Fleet, but a number she’s reached on three other occasions. 

Alina Müller led all skaters in faceoff wins for the third straight game of the series, going 13-for-21 at the dot to bring her playoff efficiency to 66.7%.

THREE STARS  

1. Gwyneth Philips (OTT) 36/37 SV  
2. Ronja Savolainen (OTT) 1G, 1A  
3. Liz Schepers (BOS) 1G 

NEXT GAME

Game 4: Sunday, May 10 at Ottawa (Canadian Tire Centre) at 3 p.m. ET 

Sidney Morin scored twice in less than four minutes midway through the third period to tie the game and give the Minnesota Frost a lead they would not relinquish, skating to a 3-1 win over the Montréal Victoire to stave off elimination Friday night at Grand Casino Arena. After two games in two nights in St. Paul, the series will be decided in Game 5 of the best-of-five semifinal on Monday night at Place Bell, with the winner advancing to the PWHL Walter Cup Finals. Scoreless through two periods, Maureen Murphy gave the Victoire the lead early in the third period when she buried a rebound on a Hayley Scamurra wraparound chance at 1:13. Both of Morin’s goals were seeing-eye shots from long range at 8:05 and then on the power play at 12:01, giving the defender a playoff-high four goals in the series. Kelly Pannek iced the game with a nearly 200-foot shot into the empty net at 18:43, her second point of the night to share the playoff lead with four, after leading the regular season with a record 33. Frost defender Mae Batherson also had a two-point game with a pair of helpers, and Maddie Rooney picked up her first career assist to go along with a 29-save victory for the two-time champions. Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 28 shots in defeat after limiting the Frost to one goal for a stretch of 212:07 in three games as the Victoire are still one win away from their first finals appearance. 

NOTABLES

Minnesota is now 5-0 all-time in the playoffs when facing elimination, previously erasing a 2-0 deficit in the 2024 semifinals against Toronto and winning the decisive Game 5 of the inaugural season finals against Boston. 

Monday will be the third Game 5 in PWHL playoff history with Minnesota winning each of the previous two on the road in 2024 against Toronto and Boston. 

The Frost improved to 8-2 in playoff games at Grand Casino Arena, while the Victoire are 1-4 all-time in playoff road games. 

This was the first game of the series decided by multiple goals. During the regular season, Minnesota ranked third with 11 multi-goal wins, while Montréal suffered just one multi-goal loss in their season opener to Boston. 

Including tonight, the Frost are 14-3-2-1 this season when scoring three or more goals in a game, while the Victoire are 0-1-2-3 when allowing three or more goals. 

The Victoire scored first for the second time in the series and are tied with Boston with 23 total game-opening goals in the entire season. 

Minnesota went 1-for-3 on the power play tonight after 13 scoreless opportunities with the player advantage since midway through Game 1, including a record 0-for-7 in Game 3. 

Sidney Morin’s four goals in four games of the series tied her total across 84 career regular-season games, scoring her pair on a game and season-high six shots on goal. The native of Minnetonka, MN, became the first defender to score four goals in a playoff series, tying the four goals Frost alternate captain Lee Stecklein had in eight postseason games in 2025. It’s also the third two-goal playoff performance by a rearguard, following Stecklein in Game 2 of the 2025 semifinal series against Toronto and Sophie Jaques in Game 2 of the inaugural season finals against Boston. 

Maddie Rooney became the first goaltender in PWHL history to record 10 career playoff wins and the first to record an assist in postseason action. Four of her 10 wins have come when the Frost have been facing elimination, with the previous three earned in the 2024 semifinals against Toronto. Including tonight, she has allowed one or fewer goals in nine of her 14 career playoff starts. 

Kelly Pannek recorded her first goal and second multi-point game of the series after contributing two assists in Game 1. The league’s top regular-season scorer is up to 10 multi-point games across the entire campaign, most in the PWHL, and has surpassed double-digits in career playoff points with 11 (3G, 8A) in 22 games. 

Mae Batherson picked up her first two career playoff points with a pair of assists, including one on the power play for her seventh this season with the player advantage. The second-year defender had three multi-point games during the regular season, including two assists in the Frost’s final game against Vancouver. 

Maureen Murphy snapped a seven-game goalless drought with her first point of the series and now has goals in three straight playoffs. Her last playoff goal came in Montréal’s 2-1 loss in Game 4 of last season’s semifinal series against Ottawa. The Victoire forward now has six career playoff points, including four goals in 11 games. 

Hayley Scamurra has points in consecutive contests with an assist tonight following her goal and an assist in Game 3, marking her fifth point streak as a member of the Victoire. Her three playoff points in four games with Montréal triples the lone assist she recorded in four playoff games last season with Toronto. 

Ann-Renée Desbiens surrendered two goals against the Frost for the first time in four games this season at Grand Casino Arena. Despite the loss, tonight’s .933 save percentage was still her sixth best in 11 career playoff starts and one of 27 games in 29 total starts in 2025-26 where she limited the opposition to no more than two goals. 

Britta Curl-Salemme chipped in her first point of the series and first career playoff assist after setting a PWHL single-season record with 18 helpers in 30 games. The second-year forward had three goals in seven playoff games for the Frost in 2025. 

Samantha Cogan recorded her first point in 10 games as a member of the Frost, signing with the team in March ahead of the roster freeze. This was also her first career playoff point in nine appearances after playing in all five games of the inaugural season semifinals for Toronto against Minnesota, and first PWHL point since scoring a goal with Toronto on May 5, 2024. 

Taylor Heise, Laura Stacey and Grace Zumwinkle all had four shots on goal tonight and are tied for the playoff lead with Boston’s Alina Müller with 16. Victoire rookie Nicole Gosling also had four to bring her playoff total to 12, three behind Morin’s 15 for most by a defender. 

Natalie Buchbinder was left off the Frost lineup for a fourth straight game, listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. 

THREE STARS

1. Sidney Morin (MIN) 2G 
2. Maddie Rooney (MIN) 29/30 SV 
3. Maureen Murphy (MTL) 1G 

NEXT GAME

Game 5: Monday, May 11 at Montréal at 7 p.m. ET 

A Poulin goal ended the fourth longest game in PWHL history at 104:02 and evened the series 1-1, in what was just the second playoff victory in Montréal’s team history. Both goaltenders were exceptional, trading saves through three periods of regulation and three periods of extra time. Ann-Renée Desbiens secured her first career playoff shutout and eighth in 27 total games this season with a 38-save performance. Maddie Rooney did all she could despite the loss, stopping a career-high 51 of 52 shots on net. Momentum swung throughout regulation with shots even at 27 apiece through 60 minutes, then the Victoire took a commanding lead in overtime, outshooting the Frost 25-11. Poulin called game by drifting from one knee to hammer home the winner on a play set up by a cross-ice feed from Abby Roque, following a pass from Laura Stacey. 

Minnesota will host Game 3 of the series at Grand Casino Arena on Thursday night, followed quickly with Game 4 on Friday. 

After announcing on May 6 that Detroit will be the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)’s newest expansion city and host of the 2026 Draft and Awards, the PWHL is sharing additional details surrounding the events, which will celebrate elite performances across the league from the 2025-26 season and usher in the next generation of PWHL talent.

The 2026 PWHL Awards presented by Ally Financial will take place on Tuesday, June 16. Attendance is limited to invited guests and accredited media. In addition to the awards, Detroit-based Ally — home to the nation’s largest all-digital bank and a leading brand in women’s sports sponsorship — was also introduced as the inaugural partner and Official Bank of PWHL Detroit.

The 2026 PWHL Draft presented by Upper Deck will follow on Wednesday, June 17 at Fox Theatre, beginning at 5 p.m. ET, and will be open to ticketed fans. Ticket presales for the draft open Tuesday, May 12, at 10 a.m. ET for fans who make an early deposit for PWHL Detroit ticket packages, with the public on sale beginning at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, May 13. Additional ticketing information is provided below.

PWHL Awards Finalists — Schedule of Announcements:

Tuesday, May 19: Forward of the Year

Awarded to the forward who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.

Wednesday, May 20: Defender of the Year

Awarded to the defender who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.

Thursday, May 21: Goaltender of the Year presented by Rogers

Awarded to the goaltender who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.

Friday, May 22: Coach of the Year

Awarded to the head coach whose contributions most impacted their team’s on-ice success throughout the regular season.

Tuesday, May 26: Rookie of the Year presented by Ally Financial

Awarded to the player who showcases the most outstanding ability throughout their first regular season of professional play. Players eligible must be competing in their first season of professional hockey in North America and begin the season in their 25th birth year or younger. For Season Three, 2000-born players are eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award.

Wednesday, May 27: Billie Jean King MVP Award

Awarded to the player considered most valuable to their team’s success throughout the regular season.

PWHL Awards Selection Committee:

The awards selection committee features a cross-section of representatives and a weighted model for tabulating votes:

• 50% of voting points from media across North America, including all PWHL markets

• 25% from PWHL General Managers and Head Coaches

• 15% from PWHL broadcast talent

• 10% from the PWHL Players Association (PWHLPA)

Ballots were submitted following the conclusion of the regular season and prior to the start of the playoffs. Voters ranked their top three selections for each award, with five points awarded for a first-place vote, three points for a second-place vote, and one point for a third-place vote. Media ballots were developed in consultation with the Women’s Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Additional Awards:

• In addition to the six major awards, the selection committee also voted on the league’s First and Second All-Star Teams, which will be announced at the ceremony, and an All-Rookie Team, which will be announced prior to the event and recognized during the ceremony on June 16.

• The Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award will be presented at the conclusion of the PWHL Walter Cup Finals to the player deemed most valuable to their team’s success in the postseason.

• The league’s Top Goal Scorer Awardand Points Leader Award — both won by Kelly Pannek (MIN) — will also be recognized during the ceremony.

• The PWHL’s “Hockey for All” Award presented by Scotiabank, recognizes the player who has made the greatest impact in their community during the 2025-26 regular season. The annual recipient is selected by PWHL executives based on nominations from all eight teams. Scotiabank will donate $10,000 to a Canadian charity of the winner’s choice that supports youth or grassroots hockey, with a focus on accessibility, diversity, and inclusion.

• The Intact Impact Awardrecognizes players who make a meaningful impact through their leadership, support of others, and overall positive influence on team culture. Nominations are evaluated based on excellence, leadership, and integrity. Intact Insurance donates $5,000 on behalf of each of the four winners to a Canadian charity of their choice. The 2025-26 recipients, previously announced throughout the season and will be honored at the ceremony, are Ashton Bell (VAN) – HEROS Hockey (Hockey Education Reaching Out Society); Marlène Boissonnault (MIN) – Hockey 4 Youth Foundation; Shiann Darkangelo (MTL) – LS7; and Emma Woods (TOR) – Grindstone Award Foundation.

Fans can stay up to date on all 2026 PWHL Draft and Awards announcements at thepwhl.com and by following @thepwhlofficial across all social media platforms.

2026 PWHL Draft Ticket Information:

Ticket presales for the 2026 PWHL Draft presented by Upper Deck begin Tuesday, May 12 at 10 a.m. ET, with the public on sale starting Wednesday, May 13 at 10 a.m. ET.

A limited-time presale offering 20% off will be available to current Season Ticket Members across the PWHL’s eight teams, as well as PWHL Detroit Season Ticket Member depositors who purchase by Monday, May 11, ahead of the presale window. Deposits for PWHL Detroit season tickets can be made here.

Fans can also purchase a limited-availability “Early Access Experience Package,” which includes:

• Early entry with advanced premium Red Carpet access

• Exclusive photo opportunities on the Draft stage and with the Walter Cup

• Autographed Official Draft Collectibles

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced expansion to Detroit, Michigan, with the newest team to begin play for the 2026-27 season with home games to be played at Little Caesars Arena. PWHL Detroit is joined by Ally Financial as the team’s inaugural partner, with team jerseys to feature an exclusive Ally patch on the chest. In celebration of the PWHL’s newest market, Detroit will host the 2026 PWHL Awards Ceremony presented by Ally on Tuesday, June 16, and the 2026 PWHL Draft presented by Upper Deck on Wednesday, June 17, with the Draft taking place at Fox Theatre as a ticketed event open to fans. 

Bringing professional women’s hockey to Hockeytown is an undeniable next step for the PWHL and the storied hockey market. Detroit has welcomed the PWHL from the very beginning, starting with hosting the league’s first-ever neutral-site game at Little Caesars Arena during the league’s inaugural season in 2024, drawing 13,736 fans. Since then, local support has only grown, with Detroit hosting four PWHL games over three seasons — the most of any neutral-site city. Among those games were crowds of 14,288 fans, setting a then-U.S. arena attendance record for women’s hockey on March 16, 2025, and a Little Caesars Arena women’s hockey attendance high of 15,938 at the city’s last Takeover Tour™ game on March 28, 2026, cementing Detroit fans’ demand for a PWHL team to call their own. 

As part of today’s team announcement, the league revealed PWHL Detroit’s primary colors — black and silver — complemented by white as a secondary color and red as an accent. The palette is distinct from any other team in the league, with the primary colors intended to evoke Detroit’s innovative and industrial spirit, matched with the resilient identity of Metro Detroiters. Meanwhile, the red accent is a nod to the city’s celebrated sports history, in particular, the Red Wings’ and Hockeytown’s hockey stewardship in the United States for more than 100 years. The permanent brand identity, including the team’s name and logo, will be announced at a later date. Visit DetroitPWHL.com to learn more; PWHL Detroit merchandise is available now at thePWHL.com/shop for both U.S. and Canadian fans. 

The decision to expand to Detroit reflects the league’s long-term vision for strategic growth. Detroit’s bid was led by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, the business arm of the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, and operators of Little Caesars Arena. Started through an initial investment by Mike and Marian Ilitch and strengthened by Ilitch Companies’ long-standing commitment to the sport — including the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club, which has developed generations of players since 1968 — the Detroit-based global organization has a long history of advancing hockey at every level. This commitment includes expanding opportunities for women and girls while building a strong foundation for the sport’s continued growth.

The stage is set for the 2026 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Walter Cup Playoffs, presented by SharkNinja, featuring best-of-five semifinals between the Montréal Victoire and the Minnesota Frost, and the Boston Fleet against the Ottawa Charge. Montréal finished as the league’s first-place team in the regular-season standings, earning the opportunity to select their opponent between third-place Minnesota and fourth-place Ottawa. The Victoire announced their selection, the Frost, Sunday evening on team social media platforms, which made both semifinal matchups official.

Montréal (16-6-2-6) will face Minnesota (13-3-5-9), the two-time Walter Cup champions, for the first time in playoff history, beginning Saturday, May 2 at 2 p.m. ET at Place Bell. This season, the Victoire won all four games of the head-to-head season series against the Frost, including two overtime victories. This is the third straight season the Victoire have qualified for the playoffs and second straight season they finished in first and selected the third-place team as their opponent.

Boston (16-5-4-5) earned home ice advantage by finishing in second place in the standings and will take on Ottawa (9-8-1-12) for the first time in playoff history, beginning Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. ET at the Tsongas Center. This is the second playoff appearance for both teams after each advanced to the finals in their playoff debuts (Boston in 2024, Ottawa in 2025). All four games of this season’s head-to-head series required extra time, including three shootouts, with the Charge winning three of the four matchups against the Fleet.

The lower seed has won all four playoff semifinals in PWHL history. The winners of each series will advance to the PWHL Walter Cup Finals to compete in a best-of-five championship series.

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has announced schedule information for three more games of the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs, presented by SharkNinja,

• Game 3 of the semifinal series between the first-place Montréal Victoire and the third-place Minnesota Frost will be hosted by Minnesota and played at Grand Casino Arena on Thursday, May 7 at 7 p.m. ET.
• Game 3 of the semifinal series between the second-place Boston Fleet and fourth-place Ottawa Charge will be hosted by Ottawa and played at Canadian Tire Centre on Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. ET.
• Game 4 between Boston and Ottawa, if necessary, would be played at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday, May 10 at 3 p.m. ET.

The first two games in each series were announced upon confirmation of playoff matchups on Sunday and will begin Thursday night in Boston and Saturday afternoon in Montréal. The winners of each best-of-five series will advance to the PWHL Walter Cup Finals to compete in a best-of-five championship series.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE (FIRST SEVEN GAMES)

Thursday, April 30, 2026
Game 1: Ottawa at Boston (Tsongas Center) at 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, May 2, 2026
Game 1: Minnesota at Montréal (Place Bell) at 2 p.m. ET
Game 2: Ottawa at Boston (Tsongas Center) at 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Game 2: Minnesota at Montréal (Place Bell) at 7 p.m. ET

Thursday, May 7, 2026
Game 3: Montréal at Minnesota (Grand Casino Arena) at 7 p.m. ET*

Friday, May 8, 2026
Game 3: Boston at Ottawa (Canadian Tire Centre) at 7 p.m. ET

Sunday, May 10, 2026
Game 4: Boston at Ottawa (Canadian Tire Centre) at 3 p.m. ET**

*subject to change pending NHL playoff scheduling

**if necessary

In the series between Montréal and Minnesota, Game 4 (if necessary) would be hosted by Minnesota and played at Grand Casino Arena, and Game 5 (if necessary) would be hosted by Montréal and played at Place Bell. Dates and times for the final two games are to be determined.

In the series between Boston and Ottawa, Game 5 (if necessary) would be hosted by Boston, with a date/time and venue to be determined.

Click the following links for team-specific ticket information: Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, Ottawa, and visit shop.thepwhl.com to shop new playoff collections.

Canadian coverage of the series between Montréal and Minnesota will be available exclusively on Prime Video in both English and French, and the series between Boston and Ottawa will be available exclusively on TSN. Live coverage of both semifinals is available to fans in the United States through local and regional broadcast partners including NESN/NESN+ for Boston games and FOX 9+ for Minnesota games, the Scripps Sports Network, select over-the-air networks, and on thepwhl.com and the league’s YouTube channel.