The 2025-26 PWHL season features a matchup between the defending two-time Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost and the Ottawa Charge, who were runners-up in the 2025 finals. This game pits Minnesota’s high-powered offense against Ottawa’s resilient but struggling squad. Minnesota enters with momentum from their recent overtime victory, while Ottawa looks to snap a rough patch at home. The Frost have historically dominated the series, including a championship win over the Charge last season, but Ottawa has shown flashes of upset potential in high-scoring affairs.
Venue Location
TD Place Arena, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. This multi-purpose venue has a capacity of approximately 9,500 for hockey and serves as the home rink for the Ottawa Charge.
Puckdrop is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. CT, 10:00 a.m. PT).
Injury Report
Minnesota Frost: No major injuries reported entering the game. Key players like forward Kendall Coyne Schofield and defender Claire Thompson are fully available after a clean bill of health in recent outings. The team has managed depth well, with no significant absences noted in previews.
Ottawa Charge: Forward Kateřina Mrázová remains a concern after an injury-plagued 2024-25 season, but her status for this game is probable following recovery. Defenders Jincy Roese and Ronja Savolainen, along with forwards Anna Meixner and Alexa Vasko, were sidelined earlier in 2025, but recent reports indicate the lineup is mostly intact with no new setbacks announced.
Key Player Matchups
This game highlights offensive firepower against defensive resilience, with Minnesota’s speed challenging Ottawa’s goaltending and blue line.
Kendall Coyne Schofield (MIN, F) vs. Jocelyne Larocque (OTT, D): Coyne Schofield, a veteran leader with 11 goals in recent games, brings speed and playmaking. Larocque, Ottawa’s defensive anchor, must contain her to limit breakaways and power-play opportunities.
Britta Curl-Salemme (MIN, F) vs. Emerance Maschmeyer (OTT, G): Curl-Salemme has been clutch, scoring overtime winners in playoffs and regular season. Maschmeyer, Ottawa’s primary netminder, faces pressure to stop Minnesota’s high shot volume (averaging 28+ per game).
Taylor Heise (MIN, F) vs. Rebecca Leslie (OTT, F): Heise’s scoring touch (key in finals) meets Leslie’s two-way play, who has contributed assists and goals for Ottawa. This forward battle could dictate possession in the neutral zone.
Nicole Hensley (MIN, G) vs. Emily Clark (OTT, F): Hensley, Minnesota’s reliable starter, must handle Clark’s overtime heroics from past matchups. Clark’s net-front presence could test Minnesota’s penalty kill.
Recent Team Forms
Minnesota Frost: The Frost are 3-1-1 in their last five games, showing strong form as defending champions. Recent results include a 4-3 OT win over Boston on January 2, a 5-1 victory over Toronto, and a 2-1 loss to Toronto earlier in November. They’ve outscored opponents 14-8 in this stretch, with a focus on comeback wins and solid goaltending.
Ottawa Charge: The Charge have struggled, going 1-3-0-1 in their last five, with losses piling up. Highlights include a 3-2 win over Boston on December 27, but defeats like 5-1 to Minnesota on December 3 and 2-3 OT to Boston earlier. They’ve been outscored 12-7 recently, relying on home ice to turn things around.
Series History
Minnesota holds a strong edge in the all-time series, with a 6-2 record against Ottawa in away games for the Charge. Overall, the Frost have won 8 of 12 meetings, including a dominant 2025 PWHL Finals series where they claimed the Walter Cup in four games (3-1 series win). Notable games include Ottawa’s 8-3 blowout victory in March 2025 (highest-scoring PWHL game) and Minnesota’s triple-OT win in the finals. The teams split regular-season matchups last year, but Minnesota has won the last three encounters, outscoring Ottawa 10-4.
Betting Trends
Minnesota is 5-3 against the spread (ATS) this season, covering in 4 of 5 as favorites. They’ve gone over the total in 6 of 8 games, averaging 5.2 combined goals, thanks to offensive depth.
Ottawa is 2-7 ATS, but 3-2 as home underdogs. They’ve hit the under in 6 of 9 games, with low-scoring affairs (averaging 4.1 goals per game) due to defensive focus but goaltending inconsistencies.
In head-to-head matchups, the over has hit in 7 of 12 games, especially in high-stakes contests like finals. PWHL unders trend in January games (55% in last two seasons), but Minnesota-Ottawa tilts average 5.5 goals. Favorites have covered 60% in PWHL this year, favoring Minnesota.
GAME ODDS
Minnesota Frost – 130
Ottawa Charge 4.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, January 2, 2026
