That evening, the Charge and the Toronto Scepters will be in action at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
“I think my family bought the tickets for the whole amphitheater,” jokes goalkeeper Emerance Maschmeyer, who is from Bruderheim an hour northeast of Edmonton.
“It’s really exciting,” says MacLeod, a native of Spruce Grove in the suburbs of Edmonton. I think the whole Grand Tour is exciting for the league. To have the opportunity to play in these different markets where hockey is well established, it’s good and it will be fun for all the teams involved.
Carla MacLeod has some stitches in her forehead after being hit by a puck last week during a preseason game in Montreal. “I find it important to lead by example,” said the head coach of the Ottawa Charge. (Patrick Woodbury/Le Droit)
Rookies Danielle Serdachny and Stephanie Markowski, two great friends who grew up together in Edmonton, were on Sportsnet last week during the game between the Ottawa Senators and the Edmonton Oilers. They then suggested that the February 16 match would be played in their hometown, information confirmed the next day by the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF).
It’s not just the Albertans on the team who are delighted. Forward Emily Clark is a native of Saskatoon, which is just over 520 kilometers from Edmonton.
“Women’s hockey doesn’t come to the west of the country very often. The activities are quite concentrated in the east, so every time we travel there, it becomes a home game for my family. They’re willing to drive long distances to come see me play, so a five-hour drive isn’t much for them,” says Clark.
The Charge have four more games scheduled in arenas designed to host National Hockey League teams this season, starting Friday, Dec. 6 at the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa.
Ottawa will also be in action in Quebec, Raleigh, North Carolina and St. Louis, Missouri over the coming months.
Alignment takes shape
The Ottawa Charge management has not yet announced its official roster of 23 regular players and three reserve players for next season, but the final cuts took place after training on Monday morning.
On Tuesday, 24 players were present at training. Defender Samantha Isbell confirmed to Right have signed a contract as a reservist.
Samantha Isbell’s versatility served Ottawa well last season. Arriving as a forward, she was converted to a defender when injuries piled up on the blue line. (Patrick Woodbury/Le Droit)
“I’m happy with that, I’m excited to still be around the team. I just missed my goal, but I’m still happy to be in a position to get an opportunity during the season, if something happens,” explains Isbell, who played seven games with the team last season.
The team’s seventh pick last June, defender Madeline Wethington, was absent on Tuesday. Same thing for Drummondvilloise Audrey-Anne Veillette, which suggests that the two players were removed from the training. It remains to be seen whether they were invited to become reserves in the event of an injury to a regular player.
“We are still working to finalize our final roster of 23 regulars and three reserves,” says Carla MacLeod. Yesterday was a difficult day. It’s part of the job, but the fact remains that we are human and that we cause a lot of pain to certain players. We destroy their dream of playing in this league, it’s not pleasant to do.”
According to the collective agreement between the LPHF and its players, reservists are paid an annual salary of at least $15,000, but are not required to remain full-time with the team, which allows them to theory of returning home and taking a second job.
Wethington was the only player drafted by the Charge last June absent from practice Tuesday morning. Forward Mannon McMahon and defenseman Stephanie Markowski, chosen one after the other in the fourth and fifth rounds, did not want to confirm their status with the team.
Stephanie Markowski collected three points in two preparatory games last week in Montreal. (Patrick Woodbury/Le Droit)
However, everything indicates that they will be in the regular lineup starting Saturday, during the first game of the season played at Place Bell in Laval.
“There was a lot of intensity at camp and the competition for available positions was fierce. I was definitely pushed to surpass myself by the other defenders, so I’m just happy to still be here today,” said Markowski.
“It would be very emotional to play on Saturday,” added McMahon. I can’t help but think about the long road that has brought me to this point and the many people who have played a role in my career to date, without whom I would not be here. My family, my coaches and my friends.”
