Less than a week removed from losing Daryl Watts to Toronto, PWHL Ottawa has announced the signing of former Toronto forward Rebecca Leslie to a 1 year deal.
Leslie, who is an Ottawa native herself, registered 9 points (2G, 7A) in 2023-24, and is viewed as a solid two-way forward who will strengthen Ottawa’s bottom 6 group. The 28 year old was a former Kanata Ranger, Gloucester Ranger, and Ottawa Lady Senators player before heading off to Boston University where she served as team captain.
“Rebecca is a great skater. She is a 200-foot player. She has this veteran presence and will be a great addition to our locker room. It’s an added bonus that she is from Ottawa. We are excited to bring her home,” said PWHL Ottawa General Manager Mike Hirshfeld.
Leslie becomes the 13th player to put pen to paper for 2024-25 for Ottawa. The team currently features forwards Emily Clark, Gabbie Hughes, Brianne Jenner, Hayley Scamurra, Natalie Snodgrass and Tereza Vanišová, defenders Ashton Bell, Zoe Boyd, Savannah Harmon, Jincy Roese and Aneta Tejralová, as well as goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer.
“It’s a great honour! I’ll be very proud to play in front of my friends, my family and all the people who have supported me throughout my journey. I loved growing up in Ottawa. I played in the Bell Capital Cup a few times. I even won the tournament with a boys’ team once. Most of all, I have fond memories of spending time on the outdoor rink with my brother. That’s where my dream of playing professionally was born,” said Leslie following the signing.
“I’ve grown a lot over the years. I’ve learned to prepare well. I’ve learned to take care of my body. I’ve developed my short-term memory. I can easily forget the game that’s just finished and start thinking about the next one. I understand the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance. I’ve learned to be a professional,” she continued.
Also in the mix for roster spots next season are forwards Danielle Serdachny, Mannon McMahon and Anna Meixner, defenders Ronja Savolainen, Stephanie Markowski and Madeline Wethington, and goalie Gwyneth Philips. All of whom were selected at the PWHL Draft on June 10th.
As is customary, salary terms of the contract were not immediately made public.
Photo: John Mac. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.