Home cooking: Inside Rebecca Leslie's rise with her hometown Ottawa Charge

From the get-go, former beantown University women's hockey head up train Brian Durocher could escort Rebecca Leslie had something special.

Durocher first watched Leslie play as a 10th grader, and could see then she had the innate hockey IQ that can make a player great.

The forward went on to play four seasons with Boston University, where she still holds the program record for career assists (102), two more than Marie-Philip Poulin's 100 with the Terriers.

"It’s just that little bit of vision, that little bit of sense, the peripheral vision that the real good playmakers have and she’s had her whole life, almost in a subtle way," said Durocher, who's retired from Boston University and now a consultant and scout with the Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women's Hockey League. "I always felt like she was a little bit underrated."

That vision was on display Thursday when Leslie, who's now playing with her hometown Charge, scored both goals for her team in a 3-2 overtime Game 1 loss to the Montreal Victoire in the Walter Cup final. Game 2 in the best-of-five series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET in Laval, Que.

Montreal Victoire edge Ottawa Charge in OT to win Walter Cup final opener

On her first goal, Leslie had the patience to wait for the right angle on a rebound on Montreal goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens. The second goal, which put Ottawa ahead until Montreal tied the game with 2.1 seconds remaining in regulation, saw Leslie pass on a shot, cut in front and hold for the right opportunity to slip the puck in five-hole on Desbiens.

"Both were real Cadillac type of plays," Durocher said.

It's the latest highlight in what has been a career year for Leslie, who's carved out a spot on Ottawa's top line. She put up 23 points in 30 games in the regular season, before adding five points in five playoff games so far.

For Leslie, it's all about confidence, something she's built in her second season with the Charge.

"I’ve just been put in a lot of situations to be successful," Leslie said. "I think that I have all the faith in my teammates and they have it in me, too."

In her first season in the PWHL, Leslie played depth minutes with Toronto, where she was drafted in the 12th round in 2023.

Despite not getting a ton of ice time, Leslie still posted nine points in 24 games. That hinted that she had more to offer, Durocher said.

Leslie signed with the Charge as a free agent after that first season. When the signing was announced, Ottawa general manager Mike Hirshfeld said the fact Leslie is from Ottawa was a bonus.

“Rebecca is a great skater," Hirshfeld said at the time. "She is a 200-foot player. She has this veteran presence and will be a great addition to our locker room."

The first season with Ottawa, Leslie collected only three points in 27 games, but began to build confidence as a penalty killer.

This year, her game has taken off on a line with captain Brianne Jenner and rookie Sarah Wozniewicz, who forechecks hard to find space for her two linemates to work. Jenner has had a career year, too, leading Ottawa in team scoring with 26 points in 30 games.

Jenner and Leslie won a championship together with the Calgary Inferno in the now-defunct Canadian Women's Hockey League in 2019, and Jenner has watched the younger player continue to grow.

"She’s always looking for ways to get better," Jenner said. "I saw that training with her this summer. The way that she came into the season, the way that she was skating, the accuracy with her shot — so many pieces to her game were just so dialed in, I think, from the start of this season. She’s come up in such big moments for us this year."

Perhaps none bigger than in the Walter Cup playoffs, where Leslie also added a goal in the series-clinching Game 4 in the semifinal against Boston.

In Thursday's Game 1 against Montreal, Leslie's two goals were nearly enough to win the Charge the game.

"We believe in her, she believes in us, so I think that has helped her have the season that she has had," Ottawa Charge teammate Jocelyne Larocque said after the game. "She’s an incredible player but most importantly, a great teammate."

Ottawa Charge fall to Montreal Victoire 3-2 in Game 1 of Walter Cup final

For Durocher, who watched Game 1 at home in Boston, he felt a lot of pride seeing Leslie's performance.

"It brings a smile to my face because I know how good a player she is," he said.

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