Latest news with #TerezaVanisova
National Post
20-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Re-signing Tereza Vanisova "top priority" for Ottawa Charge this summer
The Ottawa Charge will do everything it can to make sure Tereza Vanisova is back with the team next season. Article content Article content 'We've had conversations with her and her agent already,' general manager Mike Hirshfeld said Monday. 'She is a top priority for us.' Article content As an impending free agent who was tied for second in PWHL goal scoring this season with 15, Vanisova's services should also be in great demand. Article content 'I don't think about it that much right now, because we are still in the playoffs,' the 29-year-old Czech, who also led the league in penalty minutes with 38, said after Monday's practice. 'I'm kind of happy that I don't have to go to the expansion draft, to be honest, because I can decide on my own future. So that's kind of nice.' But what stems from that expansion draft could be a fact, as Vanisova's decision will not be driven solely by money. Article content 'Obviously, you want to get a good contract,' she said. 'But I just want to have fun. And I think it's much easier to have fun with a good group of people. So I think it's gonna depend on who's going to go where.' Article content 'I love this team,' she added. 'I wish we could all stay. But that's not going to happen.' Article content Vanisova, who became the first PWHL player to have multiple hat-tricks in a season when she recorded her second in March, hasn't had much luck around the net of late. Article content She is currently on an eight-game goalless drought that includes all four games in the opening round series against Montreal, in which she did draw special attention from the Victoire but still set up a couple of Brianne Jenner markers. Article content 'We won the series, so I'm not mad about it,' Vanisova said of failing to put a puck past goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens. 'It's fine, it's the playoffs. As you can see, different players are scoring goals, so that's good. We have the depth in our team, and every line can actually score goals, which is a huge benefit for our team.' Article content Vanisova sees another edge the Charge has on the Minnesota Frost, its opponent in the finals. Article content At the same time, the Frost has proven it won't back down. Article content 'They don't quit,' said defender Jocelyne Larocque, who played for the Sceptres before being acquired by the Charge at this year's trade deadline. 'To be honest, we assumed that we were going to win that series, and they obviously knew that they had a fighting chance.
Ottawa Citizen
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Re-signing Tereza Vanisova "top priority" for Ottawa Charge this summer
Article content The Ottawa Charge will do everything it can to make sure Tereza Vanisova is back with the team next season. Article content Article content 'We've had conversations with her and her agent already,' general manager Mike Hirshfeld said Monday. 'She is a top priority for us.' Article content As an impending free agent who was tied for second in PWHL goal scoring this season with 15, Vanisova's services should also be in great demand. Article content Article content 'I don't think about it that much right now, because we are still in the playoffs,' the 29-year-old Czech, who also led the league in penalty minutes with 38, said after Monday's practice. 'I'm kind of happy that I don't have to go to the expansion draft, to be honest, because I can decide on my own future. So that's kind of nice.' Article content Article content But what stems from that expansion draft could be a fact, as Vanisova's decision will not be driven solely by money. Article content 'Obviously, you want to get a good contract,' she said. 'But I just want to have fun. And I think it's much easier to have fun with a good group of people. So I think it's gonna depend on who's going to go where.' Article content 'I love this team,' she added. 'I wish we could all stay. But that's not going to happen.' Article content Vanisova, who became the first PWHL player to have multiple hat-tricks in a season when she recorded her second in March, hasn't had much luck around the net of late. Article content Article content She is currently on an eight-game goalless drought that includes all four games in the opening round series against Montreal, in which she did draw special attention from the Victoire but still set up a couple of Brianne Jenner markers. Article content 'We won the series, so I'm not mad about it,' Vanisova said of failing to put a puck past goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens. 'It's fine, it's the playoffs. As you can see, different players are scoring goals, so that's good. We have the depth in our team, and every line can actually score goals, which is a huge benefit for our team.'
Ottawa Citizen
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Can Ottawa Charge force another disappointing Mother's Day weekend for Montreal Victoire?
Article content The Ottawa Charge has a chance to break some hearts at Place Bell in Laval for the second May 11th in a row. Article content Article content One year ago to the day, the home crowd sat through the longest game in PWHL history only to see Montreal get pushed to the brink of elimination by Boston in a 2-1 triple-overtime defeat. Article content Boston, which had also won Game 1 of the best-of-five playoff by a 2-1 overtime final two nights earlier, swept the series with a 3-2 OT victory at Tsongas Center on May 14. Article content Article content That outcome was an upset after Montreal finished the regular season in second place with 41 points, while Boston finished third with 35. Article content Article content The Charge will try to help history repeat itself Sunday at 2 p.m. after taking Game 1 of their best-of-five playoff showdown with the Victoire by a 3-2 score in Laval on Thursday. Article content A victory would put Ottawa in a position to be the second third-place team to oust Montreal — which this season finished in first, eight points ahead of the Charge — when the series moves two hours down Highway 417 to TD Place for Game 3 on Tuesday. Article content With all due respect to 15-goal scorer Tereza Vanisova, the Charge's most valuable player this season has to be Gwyneth Philips. Article content When star goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer went down with a lower-body injury in March, the duties were handed to Philips, a 24-year-old from Athens, Ohio, who had three full games of PWHL experience when thrown into the fire. Article content Article content Philips finished the season with an 8-5-1 record, 2.11 goals against average and .919 save percentage, leading the Charge to a playoff spot by playing the final eight games and allowing more than two goals just twice in that span. Article content In her playoff debut on Thursday, she was the star of the game with 31 saves, while Montreal's Anne-Renée Desbiens, who doubles as the Canadian national team's No. 1 goalie, stopped 24 shots. Article content Philips, a backup for Team USA, has now beaten Desbiens the last four times they have faced each other, including a Rivalry Series contest and a playoff game. Article content The Victoire will be throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Philips on Sunday in an attempt to even the series. For the Charge to prevail, its rookie goalie will once again have to come up large. Article content
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Keys: Ottawa And Montreal Ready For Round One
The Ottawa Charge and Montreal Victoire will drop the puck on round one of their PWHL playoff series tonight. The Victoire were the regular season champions choosing Ottawa as their opening round opponent. While Montreal enters as the favorite, anything can happen in playoff hockey, and anything could happen, particularly depending on how these keys to the series play out. On paper, Ann-Renee Desbiens is a leading candidate for the PWHL's Goaltender of the Year award, and has the international resume to make her an eventual Hall of Fame candidate. At the other end is PWHL rookie Gwyneth Philips, entering her first year in the league, first ever playoff game, but coming off a head-to-head win over Desbiens and Canada in overtime of the World Championship gold medal game. Goaltending will certainly be a key to this series. In particular, Ann-Renee Desbiens did miss time this season with injury, and Philips is the only active netminder for Ottawa who has played a game this season. Both are capable of big game performances and will need to be sharp. Could a hot goalie be the difference? Ottawa is the PWHL's most penalized team and it's not by a close margin. At times this year, it hurt the Charge. They need their best players, including the PWHL's penalty minutes leader Tereza Vanisova, on the ice. Luckily for Ottawa (and Montreal), this series will probably be decided 5-on-5 as the Charge and Victoire have the two worst power plays in the league. That doesn't mean penalties can't change momentum and provide spurts of offense. Both teams will need to remain disciplined, but the emphasis here is on Carla MacLeod getting her roster to play physical, but within the lines. Some of Ottawa's penalties recently have come following sloppy zone exits resulting in turnovers trapping tired groups, or causing players to reach after being out of position. If there's one key that will decide this series, it's how Ottawa manages to handle Montreal's top line of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Jennifer Gardiner. No line in the PWHL scored more goals this season than the trio, and that's troublesome for Ottawa. The Charge will likely look to line match, but as the away team for the opening two games of the PWHL playoffs, it will be difficult. For Ottawa to match Montreal's attack, it will need to come from mismatches Ottawa can create with the players with offensive upside the have sprinkled lower in their lineup. At some point, Danielle Serdachny has to break out. And with a second line that often features Brianne Jenner and Tereza Vanisova, and Katerina Mrazova landing up and down the lineup, there are opportunities for Montreal to attack beyond their top unit. In fact, it's not unlikely Ottawa's top line ends up playing a checking role, and the offensive expectations gets shifted to their other groups. However they manage it, it's about Ottawa finding a way to combat Montreal's dynamic trio, and Montreal trying to find better match ups in the first games for that group.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Keys: Ottawa And Montreal Ready For Round One
The Ottawa Charge and Montreal Victoire will drop the puck on round one of their PWHL playoff series tonight. The Victoire were the regular season champions choosing Ottawa as their opening round opponent. While Montreal enters as the favorite, anything can happen in playoff hockey, and anything could happen, particularly depending on how these keys to the series play out. 1. Gold Medal Goaltending Rematch On paper, Ann-Renee Desbiens is a leading candidate for the PWHL's Goaltender of the Year award, and has the international resume to make her an eventual Hall of Fame candidate. At the other end is PWHL rookie Gwyneth Philips, entering her first year in the league, first ever playoff game, but coming off a head-to-head win over Desbiens and Canada in overtime of the World Championship gold medal game. Advertisement Goaltending will certainly be a key to this series. In particular, Ann-Renee Desbiens did miss time this season with injury, and Philips is the only active netminder for Ottawa who has played a game this season. Both are capable of big game performances and will need to be sharp. Could a hot goalie be the difference? 2. Discipline On Both Sides Ottawa is the PWHL's most penalized team and it's not by a close margin. At times this year, it hurt the Charge. They need their best players, including the PWHL's penalty minutes leader Tereza Vanisova, on the ice. Luckily for Ottawa (and Montreal), this series will probably be decided 5-on-5 as the Charge and Victoire have the two worst power plays in the league. That doesn't mean penalties can't change momentum and provide spurts of offense. Both teams will need to remain disciplined, but the emphasis here is on Carla MacLeod getting her roster to play physical, but within the lines. Some of Ottawa's penalties recently have come following sloppy zone exits resulting in turnovers trapping tired groups, or causing players to reach after being out of position. 3. Top Line Trouble For Ottawa If there's one key that will decide this series, it's how Ottawa manages to handle Montreal's top line of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Jennifer Gardiner. No line in the PWHL scored more goals this season than the trio, and that's troublesome for Ottawa. The Charge will likely look to line match, but as the away team for the opening two games of the PWHL playoffs, it will be difficult. For Ottawa to match Montreal's attack, it will need to come from mismatches Ottawa can create with the players with offensive upside the have sprinkled lower in their lineup. At some point, Danielle Serdachny has to break out. And with a second line that often features Brianne Jenner and Tereza Vanisova, and Katerina Mrazova landing up and down the lineup, there are opportunities for Montreal to attack beyond their top unit. In fact, it's not unlikely Ottawa's top line ends up playing a checking role, and the offensive expectations gets shifted to their other groups. However they manage it, it's about Ottawa finding a way to combat Montreal's dynamic trio, and Montreal trying to find better match ups in the first games for that group.
