History was made Thursday night in Ottawa as the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) witnessed its first-ever physical altercation on ice between Ottawa Charge forward Tereza Vanisova and Boston Fleet’s Jill Saulnier.
With just eight minutes remaining in an intense match, the two players engaged in an unprecedented exchange of punches after a heated battle for possession along the boards. The incident, sparked by Saulnier’s aggressive play, led to Vanisova responding with multiple strikes. Both players received roughing minor penalties for their actions.
While neither player removed their gloves during the exchange, they managed to land several notable hits before officials intervened to separate them.
The moment added another layer of achievement to Vanisova’s performance, as she completed what hockey fans know as the Gordie Howe hat trick – scoring a goal, recording an assist, and engaging in physical confrontation all in the same game.
“Finished off with a Gordie Howe, renamed the Vanisova Hat-Trick,” noted one fan on X.
The game itself proved equally dramatic, with Susanna Tapani securing a 3-2 victory for the Fleet by scoring on a breakaway with just 47 seconds left in overtime. Despite Ottawa’s dominance in the extra period, Tapani managed to break free from her own end, outpace the defenders, and beat goalie Emerance Maschmeyer for the winning goal.
The match featured an exciting finish in regulation time, with Vanisova tying the game with merely 2.9 seconds remaining. Earlier, Ronja Savolainen had scored Ottawa’s first goal with 3:33 left in regulation, while Boston’s goals came from Theresa Schafzahl and Alina Muller in the first period.
The PWHL, now in its second season, continues to exceed expectations. “It’s hard to put into words, to be honest. Obviously, the first season exceeded all of our expectations,” said vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford in November. “We always believed. We had a vision for it. But to see it happen as quickly as it did was something that was pretty special.”
The league, which introduced team logos and nicknames this season, is already considering expansion, with plans to potentially add up to two new franchises next year.
