On Tuesday night (Dec. 2), the Ottawa Charge played host to the Minnesota Frost in a rematch of last year’s Walter Cup. The game was played at TD Place Arena, as both teams came in off emphatic victories and holding 1-1-0-0 records. This was the first of four matchups between these two teams this season.
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The lone Charge goal came from rookie Rory Guilday. The Frost came out of this one with a dominating 5-1 victory as they pounced on the Charge early and shut things down.
Charge Need to Start Better
The Frost came out blazing hot in this one. They scored the first three goals of the game within a seven-minute span, including one 24 seconds in. They had Ottawa on their heels for almost the entire period, and that put them at an advantage for the rest of the game. This isn’t unfamiliar for the Charge who have had trouble in the opening frame in each game to start the season. It’s a problem that almost had them three losses deep.
Their first game of the season against the New York Sirens saw no goals in the first or second period. That ultimately led to the Sirens striking four times in the third and shutting out the Charge in their home opener. You can also look at their second game, which was a win; they scored just once in the first 34 minutes of the game. They’ll need a more balanced game if they want to stay competitive, especially against teams like the Frost.
Guilday Stays Hot
The fifth-overall pick from the 2025 PWHL Draft has certainly made her name known early on. Guilday had a two-assist game in the team’s most recent win over the Vancouver Goldeneyes, and she continued to show off her offensive prowess in the loss to Minnesota. A booming slapshot from the point was the only puck to find the back of the net for Ottawa, and it was a beauty for her first professional goal.
Expect Guilday to continue her great 200-foot play. She has been getting top pair minutes, and the results seem to be coming early and in bunches. The Charge’s top draft pick certainly looks like a good one in the early going.
Charge Playing Aggressive
Despite the results through three games, Ottawa has played an aggressive game all over the ice. They have recorded at least 28 shots in each game they’ve played, taking any chance they can to attack the opposing goalie and crash the net. They are also throwing a lot of hits, with a season-high in their home opener against New York with 33 checks. They are led in that department by defender Brooke Hobson, who has eight already.
Getting pucks on net and finishing your checks is a recipe for success; it’s just that sometimes you run into a red-hot goaltender. Although the team has only won one of three thus far, the wins will come if they continue to play like this.
Ottawa Begins Lengthy Road Trip
After starting the 2025-26 season with three games on home ice, the Charge will head out on their longest road trip of the season starting on Thursday evening (Dec 4). They’ll face off against the Toronto Sceptres at Coca-Cola Coliseum for the first time this season, with puck drop set for 5 p.m. MDT.
After that, they’ll have games in Vancouver, Seattle, Chicago (Takeover Tour against Minnesota) and then one more visit to Toronto before coming back home again.
