Local hero Larocque the Third Star as Her Ottawa Charge win an OT thriller

SELLout crowd in Winnipeg to Watch PWHL town Takeover

The roar came early—and it never really stopped.

From the moment Jocelyne Larocque stepped onto the ice at Canada Life Centre, the sellout crowd of 15,321 made it clear this wasn’t just another stop on the PWHL Takeover Tour. This was something bigger. Louder. Personal. 

For one night in Winnipeg, women’s hockey arrived and when it was over, after a dramatic 2-1 overtime win by the Ottawa Charge over the Montreal Victoire, the scoreboard almost felt secondary. Almost.

First, Winnipeg’s Kati Tabin got an enormous cheer when she was announced as a Montreal starter. However, if there was a heartbeat to the night, it was the 37-year-old four-time Olympian Larocque, the most highly decorated International Indigenous athlete in Canadian history.

The Ste. Anne, Manitoba product—Olympian, veteran, and cornerstone defender—was greeted like royalty in her home province. Every touch of the puck brought a surge of energy. Every shift carried a little more meaning.

Before the game, she received a deafening cheer from the enthusiastic crowd. After it, she was named third star. But what mattered most to her wasn’t the recognition—it was the moment itself.

“I’ve been so excited for this game all year,” Larocque said. “If I would have been a young kid being able to watch this game, I would have been over the moon.”

That sentiment echoed throughout the building.

Winnipeg has long been known as a hockey city. But Sunday night felt like a different kind of statement.

From warm-up to overtime, the crowd was engaged, loud, and emotionally invested. This wasn’t passive appreciation—it was full-throttle support.

And the numbers told the story: a full house of 15,321, many of whom came to see something they hadn’t experienced live before. 

Young girls leaned over railings for autographs. Families waved signs. Every big save, every rush, every near-miss was met with a collective gasp or eruption.

“They’ve been able to watch us on TV for a few years now, but to see us live, it’s definitely different,” she said. 

Of course, if Larocque represented the emotional centrepiece, Kati Tabin delivered one of the game’s most electric near-moments.

The Winnipeg native, playing for Montreal, had her chance late in the third period—a breakaway that felt destined to send the building into chaos. With under eight minutes remaining and the game tied 1-1, Tabin broke free. For a split second, everything slowed.

Then Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips shut the door.

The save kept the game even—but the moment lingered.

It was one of those plays that felt bigger than the result. A hometown player, in front of her people, inches away from a defining goal. Fact is, Tabin had required roughly 80 tickets for family and friends. Larocque had closer to 280 in attendance. 

For much of the night, it was a goaltending duel.

The game unfolded as a tight, defensive battle—structured, physical, and patient.

Ottawa struck first in the second period when Gabbie Hughes buried her fourth of the season off a crisp passing sequence. Montreal answered midway through the frame, as Abby Roque won a clean faceoff back to Nicole Gosling, who hammered home the equalizer.

From there, it became a test of discipline and resilience.

And then, chaos.

With under three minutes remaining, Ottawa’s Rebecca Leslie was called for goaltender interference, giving Montreal a prime chance to take control.

Instead, the Charge nearly flipped the script entirely.

Short-handed, Emily Clark and Brianne Jenner broke in alone on a two-on-none—but Desbiens came up with a stunning stick save to keep the game alive. Moments later, a Montreal penalty erased the advantage.

Not surprisingly, overtime loomed.

Just 12 seconds into overtime Rebecca Leslie delivered the winner. On a carryover power play, she capitalized instantly, igniting the Ottawa bench.

For Ottawa, it was another chapter in a season defined by tight games and extra time. For Montreal, it was a missed opportunity. For Winnipeg, it was a night to remember.

“We were just so excited to play in front of… the whole province of Manitoba,” she said. “It’s a hockey province and this was something special.”