By: Alexis Caines | Follow me on Twitter/X @alexiscaines_
Playoffs are a time of year where certain teams look to their veteran players to lead the way. Whether it be a captain or someone who’s been in the dance before, they can be a huge presence in the room. But so far this offseason, it’s been the rookies of the Professional Women’s Hockey League who are also making their marks.
In the semifinal series between the Ottawa Charge and the Boston Fleet, there’s been a mix of both rookies and vets who are factoring in for their respective teams. Fleet Captain Megan Keller recorded her first career playoff goal on Saturday night, the day after her 30th birthday. It came at a moment where her team needed her most. She was exhausted, towards the end of a long shift, but the Fleet were putting pressure on, so when she got the puck on her stick, she took her chance.
The primary assist on the goal belonged to rookie Abby Newhook, who led all skaters in the game with six shots. She finished the regular season in fifth for rookie scoring, notching seven assists and seven goals in 29 games played.
After Game Two, Newhook spoke with the media about the team’s shot mentality, saying, “I think getting opportunities is what you want to see, so we’re happy to have that on our side.”
Fellow rookie Ella Huber has also been putting in the work for the Fleet. According to Kyle Cushman of theScore, she had eight shot attempts and four scoring chances in Game Two, including two attempted breakaways. The 5’5 winger was taken tenth overall in the 2025 PWHL Draft.
Black N’ Gold Productions spoke with Fleet Head Coach Kris Sparre on what he’s seen from Huber in playoffs so far. “It was nice to see her playing the game with her head up and that puck on her stick because she’s certainly dangerous when she does that,” he said. “She’s a first-year player, these are high-stake games, and so I think as the series goes on, players like that are going to find themselves a little bit more comfortable, and the result of that will be more opportunities coming off her stick.”
On the other side of the ice, Ottawa’s Rory Guilday has made it on the scoresheet in both playoff games. The 23-year-old defender has had a strong rookie season, winning an Olympic Gold earlier this Winter.
In Game One, she blasted a shot on net, which veteran Jocelyne Larocque tipped home for the Charge’s lone goal of the night. It was Guilday who did the bulk of the work for this goal, setting herself up in a perfect position for Larocque to finish the job.
In Game Two, she recorded the primary assist on her d-partner Ronja Savolainen’s first period goal. Guilday had 20:09 minutes on the ice in the game.
Charge Head Coach Carla MacLeod spoke with the media about her impact through the two games. “She’s physically such a big dominant player, we just see that she’s starting to use that size with impact,” she said, also adding, “A great shot. I wouldn’t get in the way of that one if I didn’t have to.”
The rookies, though only two games in, are making their impact known. Others include Fleet superstar Haley Winn, who logged 30 minutes on ice for Game Two. For the Charge, Sarah Wozniewicz, a 22-year-old forward who was sixth in rookie scoring during the regular season.
For some teams, coming in as a rookie comes with a lot of pressure, a “savior.” But on both the Charge and Fleet, the young guns have been able to fit up and down the lineup with some of the world’s best: Megan Keller, Alina Müller, Brianne Jenner, Gwyneth Philips, the list goes on. They aren’t relied on to keep their team alive, but they are a massive asset when they are playing at their best. For Newhook, Huber, and Guilday, as both coaches said, with opportunity comes success on the ice.
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