Ottawa Charge add three additional players to expansion protection list

Ottawa Charge's Gabbie Hughes (17) celebrates her first period goal against the Minnesota Frost during PWHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Thursday, February 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Tanouye

The Ottawa Charge added three players to their PWHL expansion protection list on Friday.

According to a news release from the PWHL, the Charge added forwards Gabbie Hughes, Fanuza Kadirova and Sarah Wozniewicz to their protection list. The Ottawa club protected the three players as part of the third phase of the PWHL’s a six-phase “Expansion Roster Distribution Process.”

Hughes, a 27-year-old from Lino Lakes, Minnesota, has been with the team since its founding and has added 5 goals and 11 assists in each of the last two seasons.

Kadirova, 28, was selected by Ottawa in the sixth round of last year’s PWHL draft. The skater from Kukmor, Russia netted 10 goals and 2 assists in her first season with the team.

Wozniewicz, a 22-year-old Cochrane, Alta. native, was also a rookie last year, having been selected by the Charge in the third round of last year’s PWHL draft. She earned 7 goals and 6 assists in her first year with the team.

Earlier this month, the Charge named forward Rebecca Leslie, goaltender Gwyneth Philips and defender Ronja Savolainen to their initial expansion protection list.

The Charge have already lost several notable players to the expansion process, including former captain Brianne Jenner and former assistant captain Emily Clark, who both signed with PWHL Hamilton, and 2025 first-round draft pick Rory Guilday, who joined PWHL San Jose.

Instead of the traditional expansion draft format, the PWHL has implemented in which the new clubs will build their teams through negotiations with unprotected players, free agents and players on expiring contracts.

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