PWHL Ottawa’s Fanni Garát-Gasparics out for the season with lower-body injury

Tough news for one of the most underrated international players in women’s hockey.

On Thursday, PWHL Ottawa announced forward Fanni Garát-Gasparics is done for the remainder of the 2024 season after suffering a lower-body body injury.

Gasparics was placed on long-term injured reserve after getting hurt during Ottawa’s 4-3 shootout loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night. The Budapest native will have to undergo season-ending surgery.

The move will give Ottawa a roster spot and cap space as we approach the March 17 trade deadline.

“We’ve been very happy to have Fanni on our team, so far, this season,” general manger Michael Hirshfeld said in a release. “She plays an important role in our team. Her positive attitude allowed her to quickly find her place within our organization.”

The 29-year-old made her way onto the Ottawa roster after receiving an invitation to camp, and was good enough to earn a full-time spot on the main roster. Gasparics has played in every game this season, and became the first Hungarian native to score a goal in the PWHL on Feb. 28 when she found the back of the net in a 4-2 win against New York.

This was her second season playing professionally in North America, as Gasparics spent the 2022-23 season with the Metropolitan Riveters of the defunct Premier Hockey Federation. Before that, she played domestically for MAC Budapest in the European Women’s Hockey League.

Gasparics has been a huge part of Hungary’s rise in international hockey. She has played for the national team since she was 16, when the country competed in the IIHF Women’s D-III World Championships. Over the last 13 years, Hungary has moved all the way up to the top division at the Women’s Worlds, and will look to Gasparics to help the team qualify for the 2026 Olympics.

In 44 games with the senior national team, Gasparics has scored 28 goals and 32 assists.

Ottawa (4-0-5-6) is scheduled to play league-leading Montreal on Sunday. They are fifth in the league standings, one point back of Boston for the last playoff spot.