ČWHR’s Walter Cup Preview

The 2025 PWHL Walter Cup Final is finally here. After an exhilarating inaugural season, we’ve arrived at the finale: a championship rematch between the defending champion Minnesota Frost and the surging Ottawa Charge, and a truly historic moment for Czech women’s hockey.

Ottawa, a team defined by its leadership, resilience, and Czech core of three dynamic players, will square off against the Frost, whose own lineup features veteran Czech Denisa Křížová and rookie Klára Hymlárová. All five Czech players skating in this series bring rich storylines and international pedigree that cannot be ignored. Between club glory and national pride, this Walter Cup Final is sure to be a landmark chapter in Czech women’s hockey history.

Minnesota - The Defending Champion

Can they do it again? Will the ‘State of Hockey’ hoist women’s hockey’s biggest prize once more? Denisa Křížová, Minnesota’s veteran forward, is just one of many who mark their return to the final. She played a pivotal role in the Frost’s 2024 championship run, where she scored two crucial goals on their path to lifting the inaugural Walter Cup. She’s been here before, and her experience, layered into a roster filled with battle-tested leaders is invaluable. This final gives her the chance to do something special: win back-to-back Walter Cups alongside many of her teammates.

So far during the 2024–25 season, Křížová has suited up for 34 games (including playoffs, tallying 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points. Her scoring may come in bursts, but her contributions run deeper as we all know. The South Bohemian native brings veteran savvy, poise under pressure, relentless energy on the forecheck, and depth to a team built for postseason moments.

On the other end of the experience spectrum is 23-year-old Klára Hymlárová, still in search of some more breakout moments. In 33 games, she’s registered 1 goal and 3 assists, all coming in either the regular-season finale or playoffs, hinting that her impact could still rise when it matters most. She’s brought youthful energy to the Frost lineup and now has a chance to close out her rookie season with a championship. It would mean even more we’re sure doing it in Minnesota, where she truly got her start with the local St. Cloud State Huskies in the NCAA where she excelled.

With star power like Taylor Heise and Maddie Rooney in the mix, Minnesota has every reason to believe they can repeat, but their Czech duo could quietly become a key difference in this final: Křížová chasing her second straight title, and Hymlárová looking to cap her first year with hockey glory.

Ottawa’s Storybook Playoff Run

The Charge have defied expectations to become both the first Canadian team and the first Ottawa squad to reach the Walter Cup Final. And for anyone who’s followed this team all season, it’s clear: Czech players have been an massive factor of success and are deeply rooted as part of soul of this team. From the on-ice contributions to the energy they bring off it, these players have not only helped define Ottawa’s identity, they’ve helped build its heart. The fanbase has embraced them fully, and it’s easy to see why.

This run all began with Kateřina Mrázová’s legendary playoff-clinching goal, an overtime beauty in the final regular season game that punched Ottawa’s ticket to the postseason. From there, the Charge rallied past top-seeded Montréal (who picked Ottawa as their first round opponent) in the semifinals, with Czech players impacting every step.

Take Aneta Tejralová for instance. She has led the entire PWHL postseason in blocked shots while pushing pace in transition, quarterbacking plays from the point on even strength and the power play, and anchoring the penalty kill. She’s been a warrior in every zone. One only needs to see her make plays to push breakouts, connect on outlet passes, and go toe to toe defensively with some of the best players on the planet to see her worth.

Meanwhile, Mrázová and Tereza Vanišová, despite not yet reaching their full offensive output this playoffs, have continued to show flashes of brilliance. From silky zone entries to puck protection masterclasses, both players have produced moments of pure skill and composure. The goals may still be coming, but the wow factor has never left.

As head coach Carla MacLeod put it, by season’s end, Ottawa “started to create some momentum and belief.” That momentum, fueled by the tenacity and leadership of players like Tejralová, Mrázová, and Vanišová, has carried them all the way to the Final. And with each win, every blocked shot and celly has felt like a victory not just for Ottawa, but for Czech hockey.

Carla MacLeod

The Charge’s rise is also a triumph for the Czech women’s game due to, fittingly, their coach. Carla MacLeod, a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team Canada, became head coach of the Czech national team in April of 2022 and immediately changed the course of the program’s history. Under her guidance, Czechia claimed its first-ever World Championship bronze and since has earned global respect at the international level.

Now, as Ottawa’s head coach in the PWHL, MacLeod stands a few wins away from adding “Walter Cup Champion” to her résumé. And for Czech fans, this isn’t just about national pride, but instead about a leader who has consistently believed in, supported, and elevated these athletes. Her ability to harness the chemistry and trust of her Czech core has been a major part of Ottawa’s success. From player roles to locker room tone, her understanding of their personalities and play styles has turned that shared experience into a strategic advantage. If there’s one thing we’ve noticed every time she’s interviewed, whether it’s on the bench between periods or after victory or defeat, is how proud and prideful she is of her team. That leadership, that sheer desire to be the best for her team, is what could push Ottawa to hoisting Walter.

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Our Czech stars have already given us unforgettable moments: Vanišová’s hat tricks and history-making sprints, Mrázová’s veteran magic, Tejralová’s iron-willed leadership, the very same that has defined her role as Czechia’s national team captain. From the playoff clincher in Toronto to the semifinal battle in Laval, Czech fans have followed every second, bursting with pride. This Walter Cup Final isn’t just Ottawa vs. Minnesota. It’s the intersection of five Czech careers, five legacies (veteran and rookie) on the biggest stage in women’s hockey. No matter who lifts the trophy, this moment is already a win for Czech women’s hockey.

But let’s be honest… we get to win either way, because regardless…history will be made.

Stay Tuned!

-Preston H.