Inside the PWHL’s record-breaking 4OT game — News from around the hockey world
The IX: Hockey Friday with The Ice Garden, May 16, 2025
Hey everyone — Elisha Côté here from The Ice Garden, bringing you this week’s edition of Hockey Friday! We’re deep into PWHL playoff season and — if you watched Game 2 between Ottawa and Montréal on Sunday night — you might still be catching your breath.
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This one wasn’t just a game. It was a marathon. A classic. A record-breaking war of will that gave us everything women’s hockey is about.
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139 minutes. Seven periods. One classic.
Sunday’s Game 2 between the Victoire and the Charge wasn’t just the longest game in PWHL history — it was the longest professional women’s hockey game ever.
After nearly 2.5 hours of game time and more than five hours on the clock, Catherine Dubois fired home the game-winner in quadruple overtime to give Montréal a 3–2 victory and even the series at 1-1.
“To be quite honest, I think I passed out,” Dubois said postgame. “I don’t remember anything except [my teammates] coming to me and celebrating … it was a team win.”
From 2–0 to OT
Montréal controlled much of the first 40 minutes, with early goals from Kristin O’Neill and Laura Stacey putting them up 2–0. But Ottawa came alive late. Aneta Tejralová pulled the Charge within one in the third and, with just 42 seconds left, captain Brianne Jenner buried the equalizer.
That sent the game into overtime, where chaos reigned, for 75 more minutes. There were two separate 5-on-3s. Endless puck battles. A couple of goalposts. And more than 60 combined shots just in OT.
Head coach Carla MacLeod captured the moment perfectly: “How fun is that? Welcome to playoff hockey in the PWHL! I was saying on the bench that we grew up watching this as youngsters and now we get to do it. That was a heck of a hockey game.”
A goaltending duel for the ages
This was peak playoff goaltending. Ann-Renée Desbiens made 63 saves, the most in PWHL history. Gwyneth Philips, who continues to shine in her rookie season, made 53, setting the rookie single-game record.
Both were locked in — calm, composed and somehow still standing by the fourth overtime. It was a battle of endurance, willpower, and insane reflexes.
Mustard, pickle juice, and pure playoff vibes
The best part? The players loved it.
“Honestly, I’m feeling good,” said Ottawa forward Emily Clark after seven full periods. “Obviously, my legs are a little bit sore, but yeah, there’s no long faces. At some point, you just laugh. It’s almost comical. … This is exactly what we want to do, and the difference was one shot.”
Oh, and yes, they were fueling up on mustard and pickle juice.
Playoff update: Ottawa responds, Minnesota advances
The Charge didn’t dwell on the heartbreak of Game 2. Just two days later, they bounced back with a statement win at home, shutting down the Victoire 1–0 in front of 7,282 fans at TD Place, the largest playoff crowd the league has seen so far this season. Rookie Mannon McMahon scored her first career playoff goal in the third period, and Gwyneth Philips earned her first postseason shutout.
Meanwhile, over in the other semifinal, the Minnesota Frost have officially punched their ticket to the PWHL Final for the second straight season. Minnesota now gets a breather while they wait to see who survives the Ottawa–Montréal gauntlet.
Game 4 goes tonight in Ottawa. And based on what we’ve seen? More playoff magic might be on the way.
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Around the hockey world
PWHL draft list revealed ahead of Ottawa event — The Ice Garden
The full list of eligible players is out ahead of the 2025 PWHL Draft, set to take place in Ottawa. With big names and breakout talent on the board, this year’s class is one to watch.
Lowertown Brewery becomes official Charge watch party hub — Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa fans have a new home base for playoff action. Lowertown Brewery is now hosting official watch parties in partnership with the Charge — food, drinks, vibes, all included.
Lisa Brown-Miller’s legacy will carry on — USA Hockey
A key member of the 1998 U.S. Olympic gold-medal team, Brown-Miller passed away earlier this month at 58. Her influence on the sport, both as a player and coach, is immeasurable.
PWHL players, GMs waiting to hear how expansion draft will affect existing teams — CBC Sports
With expansion on the horizon, league personnel are eager for clarity on how player protections and roster rules will shake out ahead of the offseason.
Minnesota defeats Toronto in OT to advance to Final — The Athletic
The Minnesota Frost are finals-bound after a dramatic 4–3 overtime win in Game 4 against the Toronto Sceptres. Nicole Hensley was sharp once again, and Taylor Heise played the hero.
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