I’m Sally Hoerr from The Ice Garden, a new contributor for Hockey Friday! This week I share an interview with Jessica Adolfsson, my former SDHL teammate and current Ottawa Charge player.
Continue reading with a subscription to The IX
Get unlimited access to our exclusive coverage of a varitety of women’s sports, including our premium newsletter by subscribing today!
Already a member?
Login
Adolfsson was a reserve player for the Charge last season, but earned a standard contract agreement with the squad for the upcoming PWHL season. She’s a veteran Swedish defenseman with two SDHL championships and skated for Team Sweden at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Her three years at Penn State added another layer of skills to her game, making her a versatile and adaptable player, which the Charge certainly picked up on.
Want women’s hockey content? Subscribe to The Ice Garden!
The IX Sports is collaborating with The Ice Garden to bring you Hockey Friday. And if you want the women’s hockey goodness 24/7? Well, you should subscribe to The Ice Garden now!
We discussed what she’s bringing into this season, what she enjoys outside of hockey and a rapid fire Q&A at the end so the Charge fans can get to know their blueliner!
Sally Hoerr: Tell us about living and playing in/for Ottawa! And what’s your favorite thing to do or place to go on your off day?
Jessica Adolfsson: I loved living and playing in Ottawa, the people I shared the experience with are incredible. On an off day I would immerse myself in nature, whether it was a stroll along the Rideau Canal or just walking around in Gatineau.
SH: Outside of training, what are you doing back home in Sweden during the off season?
JA: Outside of training, I co-manage a gym [Idrottslabbet Performance Center] back in my hometown alongside my friend and colleague, Dan Davis.
SH: In your opinion, what would you say is an underrated skill or play a defenseman can do that doesn’t get a lot of attention?
JA: A defensemen’s job is obviously multifaceted but the first skill that comes to mind is actually team awareness. I often consider defensemen in charge of the coherence during a game, acting as a central nervous system for the team. Learning how to initiate and respond, for the greater whole, is indeed a skill.
SH: What are some of the biggest takeaways you learned from last season that you will be bringing into your first full contracted season with the Charge?
JA: I look back at this past year with great enthusiasm. I got to learn a whole lot from my teammates and coaches about leadership, friendship and performance. Lessons and insights I will cherish for a lifetime.
SH: Are there any big differences in gameplay you felt in the PWHL compared to your time at Penn State, the SDHL or International competition?
JA: I experience a different game flow in each of the leagues. The smaller rinks in college and in PWHL demand a more precise and intense style of play. Every inch becomes critical, it demands quicker decisions, tighter passing lanes and more immediate physical contact. Unlike college, the PWHL is a much more “perfected game” because the best of the best play here. In SDHL it’s a lot more open ice, and fewer immediate puck battles which can affect the intensity quite a bit. I would say it’s easier to play in college and in PWHL because the rhythm to the game is a much more natural pace but that in turn, also demands more of you.
SH: What are you looking forward to the most about this upcoming season?
JA: Integrating the insights I got from last season and expressing myself on the ice, authentically and fiercely.
SH: As the PWHL is growing and more and more fans are getting involved — here’s a rapid fire Q&A so they can learn more about you!
- Favorite non-hockey athletic activity to do? Paddle SUP
- Coffee, tea, energy drinks or not a fan of caffeine? Coffee
- Conditioning or strength workout? Both!
- Your own playlist or locker room jams before games? Both haha
- What sport would you want to be a professional in if it wasn’t hockey? Soccer or SUP
- Go-to pre game meal? Whatever I feel like that day 😉
I inquired further about her SUP, hobby which is Stand-Up-Paddle Board, and Adolfsson shared she has raced before in the summer off-seasons – including the Swedish Championships!
SH: There’s actual races for these? That’s so cool!
JA: Yeah! I practiced one week before every race, but the whole point was to be super uncomfortable. Sometimes we do longer adventures — a couple summers ago we paddled for two days south of Sweden.
SH: Do you do that often [put yourself in uncomfortable situations]? Is that a “thing” you do?
JA: I used to at least! But I haven’t for the last year or so because of other priorities. It was a great way to expose myself to new situations and train myself in being uncomfortable. I don’t train very much for it, which is like the point. To show up and be super uncomfortable and just a great add to hockey for multiple reasons…it might be summarized as giving up control-ish and throwing yourself into the unfamiliar!
The IX Daily: Six different women’s sports in your inbox every week!
Subscribe now and join us, just $6 a month or $60 a year. It’s the women’s sports media network we all wished for, and now it’s here! Soccer Monday, Tennis Tuesday, Basketball Wednesday, Golf Thursday, Hockey Friday – powered by The Ice Garden, and Gymnastics Saturday.
Women’s hockey reading
Ottawa’s new arena plans are failing its strongest team (The Ice Garden) — Elisha Côté discusses how a potential redevelopment of the Charges’ home arena could damage the incredible, sell-out fan culture the organization has built.
Sarah Nurse says PWHL Barbie can inspire next generation of female athletes (CBC) — A Toronto Tim Hortons turns bright pink to celebrate a collaboration between Barbie and the PWHL.
“Why don’t we make a music video?” Emma Maltais on TikTok and how athlete-led social media has helped grow the PWHL (The Ice Garden) — Maya Smith writes about how Maltais social media content not only brings many of her teammates together, but women’s hockey fans across the digital landscape.
Three PWHL rules for the NCAA to consider (The Ice Garden) — What would the Jailbreak, bodychecking and a standard point system look like in the NCAA? Emma Sullivan shares her thoughts.
PWHL roster recap: Mid-August 2025 (The Ice Garden) — Melissa Burgess gives us an update on where all the PWHL team stand with their summer signings.
| Mondays: Soccer |
| By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer |
| Tuesdays: Tennis |
| By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer |
| Wednesdays: Basketball |
| By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The Next |
| Thursdays: Golf |
| By: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX |
| Fridays: Hockey |
| By: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden |
| Saturdays: Gymnastics |
| By: Lela Moore, @runlelarun, Freelance Writer |
