Brianne Jenner’s switch to centre pays off for Ottawa Charge

OTTAWA – A simple conversation between Ottawa Charge captain Brianne Jenner and head coach Carla MacLeod this week turned out to be a game-changer.

Jenner moved from the wing to centre for the second game of their PWHL season, and she responded with a four-point night — two goals, two assists.

“You’re always trying to find the right chemistry,” said MacLeod. “You’re always trying to put players in positions to be successful. And obviously, you know, she’s got such a great history of playing both wing and centre … we thought it would give us a different look.”

It’s more than likely a look that fans will see more of, considering the result.

The 34-year-old Jenner is showing no signs of slowing down as her third season in the PWHL gets underway.

Jenner played between Rebecca Leslie and Anna Meixner, who each had a goal for Ottawa in a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Wednesday night, as the Charge bounced back from a 4-0 loss to New York in its season opener.

“I think my wingers made my job pretty easy,” Jenner said. “There’s definitely some things I kind of need to get a bit more comfortable with. I think I could have been more aggressive in the D-zone, creating turnovers and things like that, but it was really fun to be back in that position and get to play with two wingers that were really working hard tonight.”

Leslie thrived playing alongside Jenner and admitted her captain is a player she’s emulated through her career.

Now in her third season, Leslie is looking to be a solid contributor and expand her game. Playing alongside a veteran of Jenner’s calibre should only help.

“I mean, she’s someone that I’ve looked up to for many years,” said Leslie. 

The two played together back in Calgary, in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, and have trained together in the off-season.

“I think that when you get to play with players like Brianne Jenner you just want to step up and do so well for them,” Leslie said. “So, yeah, I’m lucky to play with such a great player.”

Jenner’s points total dropped off last season with seven goals and eight assists in 28 games. In the inaugural PWHL season, she had nine goals and 11 assists in 24 games.

While she doesn’t specifically set goals in terms of points before a season, she does set standards for herself.

“I think I set a lot of goals in terms of my process,” Jenner said. “I try to focus on like, the details that you’re doing to help your team win.”

A key focus for the Charge this season is improving the power play, which was often an area of concern last season.

Jenner’s first goal Wednesday night was with the advantage — a one-timer that made its way through traffic and opened the scoring for the Charge.

“To be able to kind of execute off a draw, like Gabbie (Hughes) did, like Rory (Guilday) did, and then just to be able to put one on that quick,” Jenner said. “I think that’s sort of some of the process that we’ve really been focusing on, so it’s nice to see that pay off.”

If Jenner can continue to contribute, it should pay off in many ways for the Charge.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2025.