PWHL notebook: Frost heading back to Final, Charge lead Victoire in semifinal

NHL.com staff writer Anna Kulesa will be filing a biweekly notebook on all the happenings in the Professional Women’s Hockey League throughout the season. Today, a look at the 2025 PWHL Playoffs Semifinal round.

2025 PWHL Playoffs kickoff

Montreal Victoire clinched the first seed of the PWHL Playoffs, finishing the season with 53 points. They chose the Ottawa Charge as their semifinal opponent, who finished in third place with 44 points. The Toronto Sceptres clinched the second seed (48 points) and are facing off against the Minnesota Frost, who finished in fourth place (44 points), in the second semifinal. The winner of each best-of-5 series will play each other in PWHL Final for the Walter Cup.

Semifinal 1: Montreal Victoire vs Ottawa Charge

The Charge currently lead the series 2-1 after defeating the Victoire 3-2 in Game 1 and 1-0 in Game 3.

The Charge’s Game 1 win on May 8 was the first PWHL Playoff win in team history. Ottawa forward Shiann Darkangelo scored the game-winning goal in the third period with a shot from the slot, breaking a 2-2 tie. Ottawa’s Game 3 win on Tuesday was their first-ever playoff win at TD Place. In the third period, Charge forward Mannon McMahon scored the game’s only goal off a rebound from teammate Gabbie Hughes’ shot from the side of the net. Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips recorded 26 saves and was the first rookie goalie in PWHL history to have a playoff shutout.

The Victoire’s 3-2 win in Game 2 at Place Bell in Quebec on Sunday was a four-overtime affair that ended after 135:33 of play. Montreal forward Catherine Dubois scored the game-winner with under five minutes left in the fourth overtime. It was the Victoire’s first PWHL Playoff win.

The Charge will look to complete the upset at home at TD Place on Friday.

Semifinal #2: Toronto Sceptres vs Minnesota Frost

The Frost eliminated the Sceptres, winning the semifinal series 3-1 to advance to their second straight PWHL Final. Minnesota defeated Toronto 5-3 in Game 2, 7-5 in Game 3 and 4-3 in Game 4.

Taylor Heise sent the Frost back to the PWHL Final after scoring the overtime winner in Game 4 on Wednesday. The Frost scored two unanswered goals in the second period to tie the game 2-2. Sceptres forward Emma Maltais took the lead back 58 seconds into the third period, but Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield responded with her second goal of the game to tie it 3-3. With four minutes left in overtime, Heise scored from the slot to give the Frost the 4-2 win.

Game 3 was the highest scoring game in PWHL history. Five different Frost players scored a goal with forwards Brooke McQuigge and Michela Cava each scoring twice in the 7-5 win on Sunday. Minnesota started the first period scoring three goals in five minutes for a 3-0 lead. In the Frost’s Game 2 win, defenseman Lee Stecklein scored two goals in the second period after Minesota fell behind 1-0. The Sceptres then tied the game with two goals 27 seconds apart to end the second period. Defenseman Sophie Jacques scored the game-winning goal 13:47 into the third period and defenseman Mellissa Channell-Watkins tacked on another goal shortly after, completing the 5-3 victory.

Toronto staved off the Frost’s comeback in Game 1 at Coco-Cola Coliseum on May 7. The Sceptres went up 3-0 after two goals from forward Julia Gosling in the second period. Frost forward Britta Curl-Salemme put her team on the board with a power-play goal at 13:56 in second period. Frost forward Katy Knoll scored 2:33 into the third period, but Sceptres goalie Kristen Campbell secured the win with 24 saves.