Ottawa Charge Turn to Olivia Wallin as Injuries Test Their Offense
Minnesota vs Ottawa, on March 5th 2024 at Xcel Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota (photo credit John McClellan)
Written by Alexis Crochiere
The Ottawa Charge has signed Olivia Wallin to a 10-day contract on Nov. 15 amid a road trip, filling the hole left by forward Gabbie Hughes, who remains on injured reserve on a day-to-day basis.
The Charge had three away games before returning to home ice, including a loss to start against the Seattle Torrent.
Letting four goals get past their goaltender, the Charge showed a weak offensive start, trying to find their footing without Hughes and amid a change in roster.
The Charge played the Minnesota Frost on Dec. 21 (a 3-2 win), followed by the Toronto Sceptres on Dec. 23 (resulting in a 2-1 loss).
Wallin, who began the season on the Charge’s Reserve Player List, was originally picked by the Torrent in the sixth round of the 2025 Draft. With highlights including a five-year NCAA career at Penn State and the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Wallin’s strong offense is what the Charge hope will temporarily replace Hughes.
In the PWHL, Wallin has recorded one goal-scoring preseason game with the Torrent.
The PWHL and PWHLPA’s collective bargaining agreement from 2023 introduced and protected contracts as short as 10 days for this exact reason: to replace a player on unexpected leave, to keep rosters at the right length, and to allow preseason bootcamps to include more players.
Hughes currently holds one goal and five assists in the 2025-2026 season. Last season, Hughes collected 16 points over 29 games.
Hughes also played for the University of Minnesota-Duluth from 2018 to 2023 and for the 2017 USA IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship team, where she won a gold medal.
She has played for Ottawa since the 2023 Draft, where she was selected 20th overall.
Hughes was placed on IR with an upper-body injury on Nov. 15.
The Charge sits seventh in the league with a record of 4-5 this season, with three wins in overtime, showing how well they fight until the end. Alongside top-scoring forwards Brianne Jenner and Rebecca Leslie and young defenseman Rory Guilday, Hughes primarily sits on the top line as Ottawa’s center, serving as a strong driver of their offensive force.
Wallin has shown her scoring talents throughout her collegiate career, scoring 16 goals and 24 assists on 122 shots on goal during her 2024-2025 UMD season.
With Hughes day-to-day, Wallin’s offensive power will hopefully begin to blend for the remainder of the trip, allowing for a stronger offense and more shots on goal.
Following their return to TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario, the Charge face the Fleet, Frost, and Goldeneyes heading into the new year.
