Puckdrop: 7:00 PM PST (10:00 PM EST)
Venue: Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, Washington
Broadcast/Streaming: Available on select regional networks, PWHL YouTube (free in some territories), and league streaming partners.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League returns from the international break for the Rivalry Series with a cross-continental matchup as the expansion Seattle Torrent host the Ottawa Charge. Seattle looks to build momentum in front of their passionate home crowd at Climate Pledge Arena, while Ottawa aims to snap out of an early-season skid on the second leg of a tough West Coast road swing.
Team Records and Standings
Seattle Torrent: 1-0-1-1 (4 points, tied for lower half of standings but with games in hand post-expansion)
Ottawa Charge: 1-0-0-4 (3 points, currently near the bottom of the eight-team league)
PWHL point system reminder: 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for an overtime/shootout win, 1 for an overtime/shootout loss, 0 for a regulation loss.
Both teams are in the early stages of the 2025-26 season, with Seattle benefiting from the post-Rivalry Series return of their international players and Ottawa searching for consistency after a disappointing start.
Recent Team Form
Seattle Torrent:
The Torrent are coming off a two-week pause for the U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series, during which several of their players represented their national teams. Their last game before the break was a gritty effort, securing their first franchise win. Earlier, they dropped a 3-0 decision in their highly anticipated home opener against Minnesota (despite drawing a U.S. record crowd of 16,014) but showed resilience with a comeback victory over New York on December 3-4. Seattle has displayed strong defensive structure and opportunistic scoring, but they’re still integrating their expansion roster. Returning fresh from international play, expect high energy at home.
Ottawa Charge:
Ottawa is reeling, having dropped a tight 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Goldeneyes on December 16 – their fourth loss in five games. Katie Chan scored her first PWHL goal for Vancouver in that contest, while Ottawa managed only one goal despite outshooting opponents in stretches. The Charge started the season with a win but have since struggled offensively, scoring sparsely and failing to capitalize on chances. They’re on a four-game losing streak (0-0-0-4 in that span) and have been outscored significantly in recent outings. Road fatigue from the Western swing could be a factor.
Injury Report
Seattle Torrent: No major injuries reported heading into the game. Key international players (including U.S. national team members) are back and expected to be at full strength after the Rivalry Series.
Ottawa Charge: Forward Gabbie Hughes is out with an upper-body injury (week-to-week). Hughes is a key center and emotional leader, and her absence hurts Ottawa’s depth down the middle. No other significant injuries noted, but the team has signed short-term replacement Olivia Wallin to help fill the gap.
Key Player Matchups
Hilary Knight (Seattle) vs. Ottawa’s Defense (led by Jincy Roese and Aneta Tejralová borrowers/wait, Ottawa has defenders like Rory Guilday, Ashton Bell): Knight, a U.S. legend and likely captain/alternate for Seattle, brings veteran presence and finishing ability. She’ll test Ottawa’s blue line, which has been solid in possession but vulnerable to high-danger chances.
Alex Carpenter/Jessie Eldridge (Seattle) vs. Brianne Jenner/Emily Clark (Ottawa): Seattle’s top forwards will face Ottawa’s veteran Canadian duo. Jenner and Clark are Olympic gold medalists who drive play for the Charge, but they’ve been quiet offensively lately. Clark leads Ottawa in shots but needs to convert.
Goaltending: Corinne Schroeder/Seattle backup vs. Gwyneth Philips/Emerance Maschmeyer (Ottawa): Expect a potential low-scoring battle. Seattle’s netminding has been steady in limited action, while Ottawa’s tandem has faced heavy pressure but kept games close.
Rookie Impact: Seattle’s Jenna Buglioni (2025 draft pick) and Danielle Serdachny provide speed and skill, matching up against Ottawa’s Kateřina Mrázová and Rebecca Leslie in secondary scoring roles.
This game could hinge on special teams – Seattle’s power play has shown flashes, while Ottawa needs to avoid penalties on the road.
Series History
This is the first-ever meeting between the two franchises. As an expansion team, Seattle has no prior history against Ottawa. Neutral head-to-head: 0-0-0-0.
Betting Trends
Early-season PWHL games have leaned Under the total (defense-heavy play post-international breaks).
Home teams in expansion markets (like Seattle’s record crowd games) have covered in 60%+ of instances so far this season.
Ottawa has trended toward low-scoring affairs, with 4 of their 5 games staying Under 5.5.
GAME ODDS
Ottawa Charge 5.5
Seattle Torrent – 145
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, December 16, 2025
