Charge signs Rebecca Leslie, Taylor House to contract extensions
A couple of depth players have been locked down in the nation’s capital.
On Wednesday, the Ottawa Charge announced they have signed forwards Rebecca Leslie and Taylor House to contract extensions. Leslie and the team agreed to a two-year contract, while House is back on a one-year deal.
Leslie has been part of the PWHL since its inception two years ago. The Ottawa native started her career with Toronto, the team that took her in the 12th round of the inaugural draft in 2023. She played every game in year one, scoring two goals and seven assists for nine points.
Then, the former Calgary Inferno member signed with her hometown team, playing a depth role that helped the Charge punch their ticket to the playoffs for the first time. In 27 games this past year, she scored only one goal and had two assists for a total of three points. However, the 29-year-old ramped up her play in the postseason, notching two goals and three points as Ottawa advanced to the final, ultimately losing to the Minnesota Frost in four games.
“I’m excited to be back in Ottawa and play in front of our fans for the next two seasons,” Leslie said in a release. “It’s my first two-year deal in the PWHL. It shows that the team believes in me and that I can still grow as a player. I want to continue where I left off. Collectively, our team had a slow start, but we all finished the season on a strong note. We want to take it from there.”
House was an invite to the Charge’s training camp last fall, starting the regular season on the reserve list. She was activated to the main roster after Alexa Vasko went down with an injury in December. Though she was briefly released from her contract in January, the Illinois native quickly found her way back onto the main roster in February, where she remained the rest of the year.
House was usually the 13th forward in the lineup, but did score a goal and an assist in 15 appearances. She also played in five of Ottawa’s eight playoff games.
“I’m super excited to be back next year,” House said. “This organization has been amazing to me. I trust the coaching staff and I’m looking forward to training camp to try to solidify my spot in the lineup. It was also hard to turn down an offer that gave me a chance to play in front of 8,000 fans. I love their energy, and it will be fun to soak it all up next season.”
For a Charge team that has been dismantled over the past couple of weeks thanks to free agency and the expansion process, Leslie and House gives Ottawa nine of a possible 23 players signed through next season.