Latest news with #JocelyneLarocque
CBC
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
For PWHL stars, expansion process serves as a reminder that hockey is a business first
For Sarah Nurse, the shocking trade of former Toronto Sceptres teammate Jocelyne Larocque last New Year's Eve was a bit of a wake-up call. Larocque is a veteran, shutdown defender who's seen, and won, just about everything. She's the teammate that everyone wants to have. Her teammates in Toronto thought she was untouchable before she was sent to Ottawa in a four-player trade. It was a reminder that the PWHL is a business first, even if it hasn't always been that way, historically, in women's hockey. Now, Nurse is moving across the country to Vancouver, where she signed a one-year contract earlier this week, after Toronto left her unprotected ahead of the expansion draft. As the process unfolded, Nurse found herself having to separate emotions and business. Many of those emotions were tied to the fact that Toronto is home. It's one of the only cities Nurse has ever lived in, and a city where she always dreamed of playing professional hockey. "Being one of the foundational players that kind of helped build the program [in Toronto], it means so much to me," Nurse said. "But at the end of the day, when you think of an opportunity to go to an expansion team and to be able to bring what I bring off of the ice, but to be able to bring the level of play that I also bring on the ice, I think is something really special and something that [Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey] had recognized and identified with me, and something that I really appreciated." Nurse is one of 10 players who signed with expansion teams in Vancouver or Seattle this week, as both prepare to begin play next season. By the end of Monday's expansion draft, both new teams will have 12 players each, and all the existing teams will have lost four players each. Difficult conversations So far, both Vancouver and Seattle have accumulated an embarrassment of riches. In addition to Nurse, Vancouver has signed Defender of the Year nominees and Walter Cup champions, Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, as well as goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer and hometown forward Jennifer Gardiner. Seattle, meanwhile, started by signing former Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight to lead the new team. She was joined by 2024 first-round draft picks Cayla Barnes and Danielle Serdachny on Thursday, followed by two stars from the New York Sirens on Friday: starting goaltender Corinne Schroeder and sniper Alex Carpenter. Existing teams were only able to protect three players each, initially, with a fourth to be added after the team lost two players. It means all six existing teams have big holes to fill. In Toronto, fans will miss Nurse, a forward who's done a lot for hockey both on and off the ice. Nurse missed time due to an injury last season, but in 2024, tied for second in the league in both points and goals. She was one of the Sceptres' first three signings in 2023. Toronto opted to protect star defender Renata Fast, leading scorer Daryl Watts and captain Blayre Turnbull, which left Nurse eligible for an expansion team. Nurse had conversations with both Seattle and Vancouver, but was drawn to the culture Gardner Morey is building in Vancouver. That all came after what Nurse described as a difficult and emotional conversation with Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury, who Nurse has known for years and respects. WATCH | How the PWHL's expansion process works: The PWHL expansion draft: Explained 15 days ago Duration 0:55 "There are a lot of players who are worthy of being protected and all the power to their group moving forward because they do have a great group," Nurse said about her former team. A chance to own the net Like Nurse, Maschmeyer was one of the first players signed by the Ottawa Charge when the league launched. Maschmeyer was having a strong season before an injury in March took her off the ice. In her absence, backup goaltender Gwyneth Philips seized the net and didn't let go, backstopping the Charge all the way to the Walter Cup final. Even though the Charge didn't win the Cup, Philips was named playoff MVP. "She's obviously an incredible goaltender and had a standout playoff series, and so I have no ill will against her," Maschmeyer said. "Honestly, I'm very happy for her. I think that we both deserve starting roles, and so this is the best scenario where we're not competing for ice time, where we both get to own the net." For Maschmeyer, this season has been an emotional rollercoaster that culminated with a two-year deal to go to Vancouver. The move will bring Maschmeyer's young family, including baby Beckham, closer to Maschmeyer's family in Alberta. "It's quite awesome to see how our extended family has rallied around us," Maschmeyer said. "They're already offering babysitting, flying in every couple of weeks. Everyone just wants to help." A builder Knight has often found herself building things throughout her hockey career, whether it was fighting for better conditions from USA Hockey or creating the PWHL. She'll have that chance again in Seattle, where she will get to help grow women's hockey from the ground up in the Pacific Northwest. The 35-year-old recently announced that the 2026 Olympics will be her last. She signed on with Seattle for only one season, but don't expect to see her hang up her skates any time soon. "My plans professionally as of now are to continue to play," she said, adding that the length of her contract doesn't reflect how long she'd like to be in Seattle. Knight also doesn't plan to stop playing for the American team immediately after the Olympics. But there is a world now where a player can continue to play professionally even if they're done with their national team. In the past, the top players planned their careers around Olympic cycles. That it's an option speaks to how far women's hockey has come over Knight's career. It's only fitting that the next chapter is on an expansion team, in a place where she can keep building. "I think things aligned for me personally in the right way and I cannot wait for puck drop," Knight said. "I cannot wait to play in front of Seattle fans." Top talent still available in expansion draft Monday's expansion draft is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the league's YouTube channel. Even with 10 players already off the board, there's still lots of talent up for grabs for Vancouver and Seattle. The new teams will also have to be compliant with the salary cap, which could limit just how many more stars the new GMs can add. Top players available on Monday range from young players with high ceilings, like Julia Gosling (forward, Toronto), Ashton Bell (defender, Ottawa) and Hannah Bilka (forward, Boston), to hard-to-play against forward Emma Maltais (Toronto), and back-to-back Walter Cup champion and faceoff ace Kelly Pannek (forward, Minnesota).
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Britta Curl-Salemme plays villain as Frost pull even with Charge in PWHL Finals: Takeaways
OTTAWA — The PWHL Finals is now a best-of-three after the Minnesota Frost defeated the Ottawa Charge in a dramatic 2-1 overtime win on Thursday night. Ottawa's Jocelyne Larocque, the 37-year-old veteran shutdown defender who was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Toronto in December, appeared to score the game-winner with less than three minutes remaining in the third period. But Britta Curl-Salemme scored on the power play — with Tereza Vanisova in the penalty box — with just 16 seconds remaining, sending a second-straight game to overtime. Advertisement Curl-Salemme scored the game-winner 16:24 into the extra frame for her third goal of the playoffs. Maddie Rooney was excellent, making 37 saves on 38 shots for her third win of the playoffs. 'We look at this game and probably say it was not our best,' said Rooney postgame. 'But the fact that we were able to score with 15 seconds left and then get it done in overtime says a lot about the grit we have.' With the win, the series is now tied 1-1 with Game 3 heading to Minnesota on Saturday. Here are four takeaways from the game. Another low-scoring affair Through two games of the Finals, Minnesota and Ottawa have combined for just six goals, and have been tied – either 0-0 or 1-1 – for the majority of play. Both games have gone to overtime. Advertisement Despite some wild shot discrepancies, like in the second period of Game 2 (16-6 in favor of Ottawa), it's been a really evenly matched series between two teams getting excellent goaltending behind strong defensive systems. 'They're very well structured and they have great sticks,' said Ottawa defender Jocelyne Larocque on Wednesday. 'Everything that we get, we definitely have to earn.' Minnesota had similar thoughts on their Finals opponent. 'Ottawa is a great team,' Frost defender Lee Stecklein said. '(A) fast team, physical team. Relentless. We were prepared for that.' For games without much offense, they've been fast, physical and as entertaining as 0-0 hockey games can be. Rooney draws in Rooney looked great in her first start since Game 3 of the semifinals on May 11, especially in the first two periods when Ottawa outshot the Frost 24-9. Advertisement At one point in the second period, Ottawa fired off 10 shots over five minutes — including three while on the penalty kill — which were all stopped by Rooney, who was able to keep the game tied. The Frost had played Nicole Hensley over the last two games, after Rooney allowed five goals on 23 shots in Minnesota's 7-5 win against Toronto. She won the series clincher against Toronto, and was fine in Game 1 of the Finals on Tuesday night, save for the sharp-angle overtime-winner by Emily Clark. It was probably fair to expect Rooney back in tonight — not completely due to the soft goal against, but just because this is what Minnesota does. They have a tandem, and head coach Ken Klee manages it well, riding the hot hand and switching it up when needed. Advertisement 'It's a great luxury for us to have two goalies that our team feels super confident in,' he said. Minnesota's top line shut out In the first round against Toronto, Minnesota's top line of Taylor Heise, Michela Cava and Kendall Coyne Schofield combined for six goals and 16 points. But they've been shut out through two games against Ottawa — almost the entire team has, thanks largely to the play of Philips. It's not all about the goalie, though. Through two periods on Thursday, neither Heise, Cava nor Coyne Schofield managed a shot on goal. In the third period, Klee changed the lines around, swapping Grace Zumwinkle and Cava. But Coyne Schofield still didn't register a shot on goal until overtime. Heise — who has been told to shoot more by Klee — did not get one puck through on Philips. Advertisement The Frost aren't a super top-heavy team, with a mix of star power and depth that has gotten them to a second-straight PWHL Finals. And in the first two games of this series, it was their depth players getting the job done, with all three Minnesota goals scored by Klára Hymlárová and Curl-Salemme. But if Minnesota is going to win back-to-back Walter Cups, it's probably going to need its top players to show up more meaningfully on the scoresheet. Mrázová misses Game 2 The Charge had to play without key depth centre Kateřina Mrázová, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury. On Tuesday night, Mrázová collided knee-on-knee with Curl-Salemme and then took a massive hit along the boards by defender Maggie Flaherty. Advertisement After the game, head coach Carla MacLeod said she 'didn't like the hits on her,' and called the knee-on-knee collision a dangerous play. There were no penalties called on either play and no supplemental discipline. It's been a tough, injury-riddled season for Mrázová, who missed more games (16) than she played (14). 'She's been weathering a lot this season, but she's a tough gal,' MacLeod said Thursday afternoon before Game 2. 'We'll try to get her healthy and keep her going in the right direction. When healthy, Mrázová has been a critical piece of Ottawa's core. Last season, she was second in team scoring with 18 points in 23 games. This year, in just her third game back from long-term injured reserve, Mrázová scored the overtime winner against Toronto to send the Charge to the playoffs — the team needed a win of any kind on the final day of the season to clinch. Advertisement Through the playoffs, Mrázová has centered the third line between Rebecca Leslie and Anna Meixner, a trio that has contributed crucial secondary scoring and reliable play in all three zones. Taylor House drew into the lineup on Thursday night, her first game of the PWHL Finals. Before Game 2, House had played just over one minute in the playoffs over two appearances in the semifinals. She logged over 10 minutes on Thursday night and looked just fine beside Leslie and Meixner. 'We have a lot of confidence in every player,' Leslie said before the game. 'So no matter the lines and who we're playing with, I think we're going to be able to work really well together.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Advertisement Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, NHL, Women's Hockey 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Curl-Salemme scores twice in Frost's 2-1 OT win over Charge in Game 2 of PWHL championship series
Minnesota Frost forward Michela Cava (86) runs into Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips (33) as she reaches for a high puck as defense Ronja Savolainen (88) looks on during the third period of a PWHL hockey final game, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Minnesota Frost goalie Maddie Rooney looks at the puck in the net as Ottawa Charge defense Jocelyne Larocque (23) celebrates her goal with forward Taylor House during the third period of a PWHL hockey final game, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Ottawa's Jocelyne Larocque (23) celebrates her goal against the Minnesota Frost with Rebecca Leslie (37) during the third period of a PWHL playoff hockey game in Ottawa, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP) Minnesota Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney (35) squares up for a shot by Ottawa Charge's Emily Clark (26) during the first period of a PWHL playoff hockey game in Ottawa, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP) Minnesota Frost forward Britta Curl-Salemme (77) scores on Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips (33) during the third period of a PWHL hockey final game, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Minnesota Frost forward Britta Curl-Salemme (77) scores on Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips (33) during the third period of a PWHL hockey final game, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Minnesota Frost forward Michela Cava (86) runs into Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips (33) as she reaches for a high puck as defense Ronja Savolainen (88) looks on during the third period of a PWHL hockey final game, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Minnesota Frost goalie Maddie Rooney looks at the puck in the net as Ottawa Charge defense Jocelyne Larocque (23) celebrates her goal with forward Taylor House during the third period of a PWHL hockey final game, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Ottawa's Jocelyne Larocque (23) celebrates her goal against the Minnesota Frost with Rebecca Leslie (37) during the third period of a PWHL playoff hockey game in Ottawa, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP) Minnesota Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney (35) squares up for a shot by Ottawa Charge's Emily Clark (26) during the first period of a PWHL playoff hockey game in Ottawa, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP) Minnesota Frost forward Britta Curl-Salemme (77) scores on Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips (33) during the third period of a PWHL hockey final game, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Britta Curl-Salemme tied it with 16 seconds left and scored at 16:24 of overtime to give the Minnesota Frost a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Charge on Thursday night, evening the PWHL championship series at a game apiece. Ottawa opened the best-of-five series with a 2-1 overtime victory Tuesday night. Game 3 is Saturday in St. Paul, Minnesota. Advertisement After Jocelyne Larocque broke through for Ottawa with 2:35 left in regulation, Curl-Salemme tied it off a rebound on a power play with 16 seconds remaining with goalie Maddie Rooney also off for an extra attacker. In overtime, the puck went to Curl-Salemme in the high slot off a scramble and she swatted it past Gwyneth Philips. Rooney stopped 37 shots. Philips made 22 saves. ___ AP Women's Hockey:
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Britta Curl-Salemme plays villain as Frost pull even with Charge in PWHL Finals: Takeaways
OTTAWA — The PWHL Finals is now a best-of-three after the Minnesota Frost defeated the Ottawa Charge in a dramatic 2-1 overtime win on Thursday night. Ottawa's Jocelyne Larocque, the 37-year-old veteran shutdown defender who was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Toronto in December, appeared to score the game-winner with less than three minutes remaining in the third period. But Britta Curl-Salemme scored on the power play — with Tereza Vanisova in the penalty box — with just 14 seconds remaining, sending a second-straight game to overtime. Advertisement Curl-Salemme scored the game-winner 16:24 into the extra frame for her third goal of the playoffs. Maddie Rooney was excellent, making 37 saves on 38 shots for her third win of the playoffs. 'We look at this game and probably say it was not our best,' said Rooney postgame. 'But the fact that we were able to score with 15 seconds left and then get it done in overtime says a lot about the grit we have.' With the win, the series is now tied 1-1 with Game 3 heading to Minnesota on Saturday. Here are four takeaways from the game. Through two games of the Finals, Minnesota and Ottawa have combined for just six goals, and have been tied – either 0-0 or 1-1 – for the majority of play. Both games have gone to overtime. Despite some wild shot discrepancies, like in the second period of Game 2 (16-6 in favor of Ottawa), it's been a really evenly matched series between two teams getting excellent goaltending behind strong defensive systems. 'They're very well structured and they have great sticks,' said Ottawa defender Jocelyne Larocque on Wednesday. 'Everything that we get, we definitely have to earn.' Minnesota had similar thoughts on their Finals opponent. 'Ottawa is a great team,' Frost defender Lee Stecklein said. '(A) fast team, physical team. Relentless. We were prepared for that.' For games without much offense, they've been fast, physical and as entertaining as 0-0 hockey games can be. Rooney looked great in her first start since Game 3 of the semifinals on May 11, especially in the first two periods when Ottawa outshot the Frost 24-9. At one point in the second period, Ottawa fired off 10 shots over five minutes — including three while on the penalty kill — which were all stopped by Rooney, who was able to keep the game tied. The Frost had played Nicole Hensley over the last two games, after Rooney allowed five goals on 23 shots in Minnesota's 7-5 win against Toronto. She won the series clincher against Toronto, and was fine in Game 1 of the Finals on Tuesday night, save for the sharp-angle overtime-winner by Emily Clark. EMILY CLARK WINS IT IN OT FOR THE CHARGE ⚡ THEY LEAD THE WALTER CUP FINALS 1-0! — Jocks In Jills (@JocksInJills) May 21, 2025 It was probably fair to expect Rooney back in tonight — not completely due to the soft goal against, but just because this is what Minnesota does. They have a tandem, and head coach Ken Klee manages it well, riding the hot hand and switching it up when needed. 'It's a great luxury for us to have two goalies that our team feels super confident in,' he said. Advertisement In the first round against Toronto, Minnesota's top line of Taylor Heise, Michela Cava and Kendall Coyne Schofield combined for six goals and 16 points. But they've been shut out through two games against Ottawa — almost the entire team has, thanks largely to the play of Philips. It's not all about the goalie, though. Through two periods on Thursday, neither Heise, Cava or Coyne Schofield managed a shot on goal. In the third period, Klee changed the lines around, swapping Grace Zumwinkle and Cava. But Coyne Schofield still didn't register a shot on goal until overtime. Heise — who Klee has been telling to shoot more — did not get one puck through on Philips. The Frost aren't a super top-heavy team, with a mix of star power and depth that has gotten them to a second-straight PWHL Finals. And in the first two games of this series, it was their depth players getting the job done, with all three Minnesota goals scored by Klára Hymlárová and Curl-Salemme. But if Minnesota is going to win back-to-back Walter Cups, it's probably going to need its top players to show up more meaningfully on the scoresheet. The Charge had to play without key depth centre Kateřina Mrázová, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury. On Tuesday night, Mrázová collided knee-on-knee with Curl-Salemme and then took a massive hit along the boards by defender Maggie Flaherty. After the game, head coach Carla MacLeod said she 'didn't like the hits on her,' and called the knee-on-knee collision a dangerous play. There were no penalties called on either play and no supplemental discipline. Mrázová looking to be in discomfort after this collision. — Jocks In Jills (@JocksInJills) May 21, 2025 It's been a tough, injury-riddled season for Mrázová, who missed more games (16) than she played (14). 'She's been weathering a lot this season but she's a tough gal,' MacLeod said Thursday afternoon before Game 2. 'We'll try to get her healthy and keep her going in the right direction. When healthy, Mrázová has been a critical piece of Ottawa's core. Last season, she was second in team scoring with 18 points in 23 games. This year, in just her third game back from long-term injury reserve, Mrázová scored the overtime winner against Toronto to send the Charge to the playoffs – the team needed a win of any kind on the final day of the season to clinch. Advertisement Through the playoffs, Mrázová has centered the third line between Rebecca Leslie and Anna Meixner, a trio that has contributed crucial secondary scoring and reliable play in all-three zones. Taylor House drew into the lineup on Thursday night, her first game of the PWHL Finals. Before Game 2, House had played just over one minute in the playoffs over two appearances in the semifinals. She logged over ten minutes on Thursday night and looked just fine beside Rebecca Leslie and Anna Meixner. 'We have a lot of confidence in every player,' Leslie said before the game. 'So no matter the lines and who we're playing with I think we're going to be able to work really well together.' (Photo of Rebecca Leslie and Britta Curl-Salemme battling for the puck: Troy Parla / Getty Images)
Ottawa Citizen
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Charge's Jocelyne Larocque not losing a step in fast-paced final
Article content If you had to guess who'd be logging the most minutes by this point of the PWHL playoffs, odds are most wouldn't choose the league's most senior player — on a team given longshot odds to make the finals. Article content And yet, that's exactly where Ottawa Charge defender Jocelyne Larocque stands. Through five gruelling postseason games — including a marathon quadruple-overtime loss to Montreal in Game 2 — the 37-year-old has logged over two-and-a-half hours of ice time. Her endurance has reaffirmed herself as a workhorse for the Charge and its steady hand en route to its first finals appearance. Article content Article content Still, after all those minutes played, it's actually been a reduction in ice time — and a helping hand from her fellow blueliners — that has rejuvenated Larocque's game since being traded by the Toronto Sceptres in the league's first blockbuster swap earlier this season. Article content Article content After averaging more than 27 minutes per game through 28 outings with the Sceptres, Larocque's ice time has fallen to just over 23 minutes across 29 games with the Charge, a figure skewed upward by an entire minute as a result of the Charge's Game 2 epic. For most players, a cut in minutes might be frustrating. For Larocque, it's been liberating. Article content 'It's helped my game tremendously,' Larocque said about her usage under coach Carla MacLeod in Ottawa. Article content Selected second overall by Toronto in the PWHL's inaugural draft, Larocque was regularly tasked with heavy ice time for the Sceptres alongside Renata Fast, clearing 30 minutes on seven occasions last season. Her usage only increased in last year's playoffs, a 3-1 series loss to the Minnesota Frost. Article content Article content Article content Despite her strong reputation as Team Canada's longtime defensive stalwart, Larocque didn't always find her footing within Toronto's loose defensive system. Known for her unique ability to box out opponents in the defensive zone, Larocque was often pulled out of her element trying to sneak offensive chances. She admitted the heavy workload also took a toll on the quality of her play. Article content Article content 'Last year, it was more difficult to give those extra bumps, and really be diligent on box outs and things like that,' Larocque said. 'They're really the tasks that require a lot of effort.' Article content Those struggles to excel in the Sceptres' desired structure contributed to Larocque's inclusion in the league's most seismic trade to date: Ottawa's Savannah Harmon and Hayley Scamurra packaged to Toronto for Larocque and Victoria Bach. Immediately, the Sceptres were declared the outright winners based on the defenders involved: Harmon was a 29-year-old, smooth-skating puck-mover, while Larocque's best days as a shutdown defender appeared to be behind her.
