Latest news with #LauraStacey
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PWHL announces expansion draft rules, details on protecting players and exclusive signing window
Professional Women's Hockey League players will soon be on the move, as the league announced its first-ever expansion draft — for new franchises in Seattle and Vancouver — will be held on June 9. Each of the PWHL's six existing teams will lose four players total from their 2024-25 roster, between a pre-expansion draft signing window and the expansion draft. Advertisement According to the league's press release, the expansion draft will follow these rules: Teams will submit a list of up to three players who are protected from selection during an exclusive signing window and the expansion draft. Those initial lists are due June 3 at noon ET. Only players signed through 2025-26 – or players whose rights remain with a team — can be protected. Pending free agents cannot be protected or selected in the draft. There will be a pre-draft signing window from June 4 to 8 where both expansion teams will be allowed to sign a maximum of five players. Any unprotected player or any player on an expiring deal is eligible to be signed during this five-day window. Advertisement Once teams lose two players – either through the signing window or the draft – they will be permitted to protect one additional player, increasing their protected list to four. Seattle and Vancouver will select a minimum of seven players each, until both teams have reached a 12-player roster. If one team enters the expansion draft with fewer signed players from the pre-draft window, it will be granted additional selections to reach 12. The order in which teams will make their selections will be 'determined at a later stage.' The PWHL officially unveiled its first wave of expansion to Seattle and Vancouver last month, adding to the original six markets in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Minnesota, Boston and New York. PWHL Seattle will play at Climate Pledge Arena, with the NHL's Seattle Kraken playing a supporting role. The Vancouver team will play at Pacific Coliseum, the former home of the WHL's Vancouver Giants. Expansion comes less than two years after the PWHL's launch in January 2024, and after a wildly successful inaugural season, which included record-breaking attendance and better-than-projected revenues. An expansion draft is the norm when any professional sports league grows. Most recently, the WNBA had one in December 2024. The NWSL, meanwhile, has done away with a draft altogether — both expansion and entry — to give players more agency in their team choices. Advertisement The PWHL's expansion draft is unique given the rules are far more favorable to its newest franchises than its original six. In the WNBA, teams could protect six players from being selected by the Golden State Valkyries, which largely drafted role players with the league's biggest stars safe from selection. In the PWHL, however, with only three-to-four protection slots, top players at all three positions will be available. For example, if the Montreal Victoire were to protect Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Ann-Renée Desbiens before the signing period, that would leave forward Jennifer Gardiner and defenders Erin Ambrose and Cayla Barnes available. According to the league's release, the process has been structured 'to promote competitive balance and provide the two new PWHL teams with the opportunity to build a strong foundational roster.' The league also revealed that the New York Sirens will get the No. 1 pick in the entry draft, which is being hosted in Ottawa on June 24. The Sirens won the Gold Plan, but it was previously unclear whether the expansion teams would jump the line and get the top selections. The full draft order will be confirmed at a later date, according to the release. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. NHL, Women's Hockey 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Ted Lasso inspired belief for Ottawa Charge players
It sounds cliché, but, shining individual performances aside, the Ottawa Charge has uncovered its best self by coming together as a team. And the timing couldn't be better. By defeating the Montreal Victoire on Friday night at TD Place, the Charge would advance to the Walter Cup final against the defending champion Minnesota Frost, which eliminated the Toronto Sceptres in the other PWHL semifinal on Wednesday. Ottawa would have home-ice advantage in a best-of-five for the title against Minnesota based on a higher regular-season finish than the Frost. Dropping Game 4 of its showdown with the first-place Victoire wouldn't be the end of the world for the Charge, which took a 2-1 series with Tuesday's 1-0 victory in the nation's capital. But the importance of putting an opponent out when it's down gets amplified when the foe is led by the trio of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Jennifer Gardiner — the best line in the world of women's hockey. Avoiding a decisive game in Montreal on Sunday evening can be accomplished if the Charge continues to minimize their damage and keep doing what it has done in winning six of its past eight games. 'Ted Lasso is on to something,' head coach Carla MacLeod said when asked how — after two seasons of more lows than highs — the Charge was peaking with its first foray into the playoffs. 'I know a lot of people sort of fluff over it just because it was such a great, fun show, but the level of belief is a critical piece. And, as a player, when you believe in yourself and one another, I can just tell you, great things can occur. It allows you to go through adversity better as well. I think that's where we sit as a team. We're not being wavered by what the game is doing. We realize, if we're down a goal, we can get a goal back. If we're up a goal, we can work to go get the next one. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but the energy is consistent, and I think that's the most important component. 'We've never strayed from what we believe was going to help us be successful, and we understood that in any process, there's going to be ebbs and flows,' MacLeod added. 'I have to give a lot of credit to our room. We've faced the adversity head-on. It's not always easy, but, if you don't lose sight of what the end goal is and if you believe in the people around you, it's unbelievable what can transpire.' Through almost 10 periods of play on the road in Games 1 and the overtime marathon that was Game 2, Ottawa held Poulin, Stacey and Gardiner to two goals, including one on the power play. With the last line change at TD Place in Game 3, the Charge turned off Montreal's power source completely despite allowing that line to combine for 14 of the visitors' 26 shots on goal. While goalie Gwyneth Philips has been outstanding throughout the series, Ottawa's shutdown five-player unit of forwards Gabbie Hughes, Emily Clark and Mannon McMahon and defenders Jocelyn Larocque and Ashton Bell was instrumental in Tuesday's victory. That group will again be hopping over the boards when Poulin's line is on the ice in Game 4. What makes Hughes, Clark and McMahon so good at containing the other team's best line? 'Grit,' Larocque said. 'Grit and their skating ability. Mannon and Clark, the way they pressure as wingers, it's like the other teams have got to be scared. And Gabbie is just so sound, she knows exactly where to be. Her positioning is so great. And, when she battles, it's tough to get around. They're just such a solid group of three. And then Bellsie and I just try to keep up.' Larocque and Bell not only kept up, but also passed all their teammates in ice time during Game 2, playing a remarkable 56:01 and 50:19, respectively. 'Let's just say rest and recovery has been at the forefront and the priority for myself and the entire team,' Larocque, a 36-year-old veteran and stalwart on Canada's national team, said when asked about managing the heavy workload. 'But, no, honestly, my body's feeling better than I expected. 'In all the overtimes, when you'd sit, your body felt so heavy. But, when you're out there, you just want to do everything you can to help the team. I've always said I love playing a team sport because you can rely on each other to give you motivation. And, anytime I stepped on that ice, I felt I had to play my best to help the team win.' Bell has thrived since being teamed with Larocque after the latter was acquired in a trade from Toronto. 'Going up against that first line is a battle,' said Bell, a 25-year-old from Deloraine, Man. 'But I think Joce is incredible to play with. She keeps me so calm and composed back there. She's one of the best defencemen in the world. 'And I think our first lines match up very well and have canceled each other out. 'It's being aware of where they are on the ice,' Bell added of the game plan against the dynamic duo of Stacey and Poulin, who became a wedded couple in September 2024. 'We know their tendencies. We know that they like to look for each other. So it's just playing solid defensively, not letting them get at Gwyn, and just picking up sticks and early boxing out and making sure we get back to pucks quickly in the D-zone and get them out as quickly as possible going north.' The biggest hit of the series thus far came in the third period of Game 3, when Stacey drilled Bell just after she passed the puck. Hughes retaliated by hitting Stacey, and Bell tried to regain her bearings as the other two skated to the penalty box. 'I didn't know it at the time that (Hughes came to her defence), but watching it back, obviously that's a good teammate and friend,' said Bell, who played with Hughes at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and is her roommate now. Bell is also close, away from the rink, with Stacey. 'She's one of my best friends and someone I look up to,' said Bell, who heard from Stacey after the game. 'She sent me a nice, sweet message.' Larocque says there's no doubt Montreal's big line is getting frustrated by its inability to score more. 'And that's great. It motivates us,' she said. MacLeod disagrees. 'I don't think they're frustrated. I think they're competitors, and I think they rise in these moments,' she said 'This is what they're built for. I think for us, it's just a matter of continuing to do what we're trying to do, and recognizing how dominant they have been all season and how prolific they are as players. I don't think you would ever count them out or think that they're not going to bring their best game in the big moments. They've proven time and time again that that's exactly how they're built. So we have to be prepared for that and excited again at the opportunity to try to do what we can against them, recognizing they're high-level competitors, and they'll bring it Friday.' Rookie defender Stephanie Markowski, who has also raised her play, insists the Charge is focused on the movement. 'At times you definitely look at the big picture, and you think of the Walter Cup,' she said, 'but we're trying to treat every game as its own and kind of adjust our game plan for the situation at hand.' Nervousness, she added, is not a factor. 'I would say for us, it's more excitement,' Markowski said. 'This series, we were picked (by Montreal as a first-round opponent), so I feel like we had that underdog mentality. We came in excited and ready to go. There's almost a calmness about our group. We're just excited to get going.' Why Gwyneth Philips was built for this moment with the Ottawa Charge
Ottawa Citizen
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
How Ted Lasso inspired belief for Ottawa Charge players
Article content It sounds cliché, but, shining individual performances aside, the Ottawa Charge has uncovered its best self by coming together as a team. Article content And the timing couldn't be better. Article content By defeating the Montreal Victoire on Friday night at TD Place, the Charge would advance to the Walter Cup final against the defending champion Minnesota Frost, which eliminated the Toronto Sceptres in the other PWHL semifinal on Wednesday. Article content Article content Ottawa would have home-ice advantage in a best-of-five for the title against Minnesota based on a higher regular-season finish than the Frost. Article content Article content Dropping Game 4 of its showdown with the first-place Victoire wouldn't be the end of the world for the Charge, which took a 2-1 series with Tuesday's 1-0 victory in the nation's capital. Article content But the importance of putting an opponent out when it's down gets amplified when the foe is led by the trio of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Jennifer Gardiner — the best line in the world of women's hockey. Article content Avoiding a decisive game in Montreal on Sunday evening can be accomplished if the Charge continues to minimize their damage and keep doing what it has done in winning six of its past eight games. Article content 'Ted Lasso is on to something,' head coach Carla MacLeod said when asked how — after two seasons of more lows than highs — the Charge was peaking with its first foray into the playoffs. 'I know a lot of people sort of fluff over it just because it was such a great, fun show, but the level of belief is a critical piece. And, as a player, when you believe in yourself and one another, I can just tell you, great things can occur. It allows you to go through adversity better as well. I think that's where we sit as a team. We're not being wavered by what the game is doing. We realize, if we're down a goal, we can get a goal back. If we're up a goal, we can work to go get the next one. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but the energy is consistent, and I think that's the most important component. Article content Article content 'We've never strayed from what we believe was going to help us be successful, and we understood that in any process, there's going to be ebbs and flows,' MacLeod added. 'I have to give a lot of credit to our room. We've faced the adversity head-on. It's not always easy, but, if you don't lose sight of what the end goal is and if you believe in the people around you, it's unbelievable what can transpire.' Article content Article content Through almost 10 periods of play on the road in Games 1 and the overtime marathon that was Game 2, Ottawa held Poulin, Stacey and Gardiner to two goals, including one on the power play. Article content With the last line change at TD Place in Game 3, the Charge turned off Montreal's power source completely despite allowing that line to combine for 14 of the visitors' 26 shots on goal.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Heart and Soul: Laura Stacey Continues To Bring Both To The Victoire
Laura Stacey plays a physical game on the ice. She goes in the corners, takes hits, and defends her teammates when necessary. In short, she's a warrior. A real one. So yesterday, when the score was 3-2 for Ottawa with seven minutes left in the third period and the team's public relations person came to ask if we had any special requests for post-game interviews, this writer thought to take one of team leaders and immediately asked for Laura Stacey. Why? Because she wouldn't run away. She would answer every question and face the music, no matter how much pain the question might bring her, no matter how much she'd really want to be in front of 15 people questioning her about the team's loss. Let's be honest here. No one from Montreal really wanted to talk about last night's game, quite understandably. A 3-2 loss after dominating in shots and constantly playing catch-up hockey. A fourth one-goal loss in as many playoff games in the franchise's one truly wants to come and talk about it. But that's the job. And just like we thought, Laura Stacey stood in front of the pack of reporters, faced adversity, and answered every question, without flinching. Not in eight words as some can do. Complete, thoughtful and honest answers, all with the emotion of an athlete who has lost an important match. 'It's tough. Hockey is tough,' Stacey said. 'Had to take a deep breath before coming in here because it hurts. Losing hurts, especially in the playoffs when you want it that bad.' Stacey was honest with the way her team played and didn't try to find excuses. 'They're physical, they're fast, they're good on entries,' she said, talking about Ottawa. 'We know all these things. And I don't think it was necessarily their game tonight that was anything special compared to ours. I think it's tiny little errors, tiny little things that we can tweak. But most importantly, I think we just need to focus on ourselves. We know that wasn't our best. We have a time to regroup. We if we put our best foot forth, our best game forth for 60 whole minutes, I think the result looks a lot different tonight.' When a colleague talked about the team's fourth consecutive loss in the playoffs, she didn't play the tape we've heard all week. She responded with her gut. 'Of course, it's tough to hear, especially being a leader on this team. You don't want to see that. You don't want to hear that. I feel it.' Stacey also had the misfortune of finding herself on the ice when the winning goal was scored. And once again, when questioned about her read on how things unravelled, she didn't shy away. 'Yeah, that's tough. Again, you never want that to be the game-winning goal when you're on the ice. But I think at the end of the day, we were pressing, we were trying, we were trying to put that next goal in. We were creating chances down low. Sometimes it turns into those things. I don't have the answer for you. I'm gonna have to go watch it again. Obviously, it hurts.' Stacey played more than 21 minutes. She had six shots on net. At the end of the third period, she tried everything to tie the game. And after the result we know, she answered the questions the same way she played her match. Marie-Philip Poulin is Montreal's captain. The soul of the team is Laura Stacey.
National Post
07-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Ottawa Charge ready for PWHL playoffs after strong five-game finish and outpouring of support
Aside from one hiccup, the Ottawa Charge has done a good job of containing 'The GOAT' this season. Article content Article content Marie-Philip Poulin did show off her immense talent when she converted three of her five shots for a hat-trick in the Montreal Victoire's 4-1 victory over the Charge on Jan. 29 at Place Bell in Laval. Article content But Poulin, widely considered the best women's hockey player on the planet, had just one goal and one assist in the other five games between the teams. Article content Article content Keeping Poulin off the board, which the Charge did on three occasions, would certainly help Ottawa get off to a good start when the rivals square off in Game 1 of their best-of-five, opening round PWHL playoff series Thursday night at Place Bell. Article content Article content Poulin notched a pair of goals, the first at the 11-second mark of the opening period, when the Victorie clinched top spot with a 3-2 victory over the New York Sirens last Saturday. Article content That gave her a league-leading 19 on the season and 29 over her 51-game PWHL career. Poulin scored just once on 18 shots when Montreal was swept by Boston in last season's playoffs. Article content Along with being key members of Canada's national team, Poulin, her spouse Laura Stacey, and Jennifer Gardiner combined for 35 of Montreal's 77 goals while forming one of, if not the best lines in the PWHL. Article content Tasked with keeping that unit in check as much as possible over the next five games will be Ottawa's shutdown line, which consists of Team Canada veteran Emily Clark and Americans Gabbie Hughes and Mannon McMahon. Having the last line change in the final two meetings of the season at TD Place, Ottawa held Montreal to just three goals, with only one (by Stacey) coming from the big line. Article content Article content 'Obviously, we've played with and against a lot of these girls, some of us for a decade now, so obviously there's a lot of familiarity,' said Clark, who scored two goals in Ottawa's 3-1 victory at TD Place over Montreal in February, when asked if there's a 'book' on how to play against the Victoire's top performers. 'But yeah, we have coaches and people that specialize in those areas for a reason. We have Pierre (Groulx), our goalie coach, who will prep us with what we need to know. Same with our 'D' coach and special teams coach. We'll be prepared for them. Article content Article content 'We played them six times (in the season) and we get to play them. It's pretty cool. I've never played in a series before. So to be able to play a game and be able to go back to the drawing board and readjust, that's really fun. So I'm excited for that.' Article content 'The playoffs are almost like another season, so we have to take it one game at a time,' said forward Alexa Vasko, who noted the team has been 'buzzing' at practice this week. 'It's five games, anything can happen. So whatever happens in Game 1, we move on to Game 2.
