Rebecca Leslie proud to be first Ottawa-born member of PWHL's Charge

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Rebecca Leslie is to the Ottawa Charge what Jamie Baker, Jim Kyte and Rob Murphy were to the Senators 32 years ago.

She is he the first homegrown player to be signed by the local Professional Women’s Hockey League team, just as Baker (Nepean), Kyte (Ottawa) and Murphy (Hull) were members of the first modern-day Ottawa NHL squad in 1992-93.

But while the Charge signed Leslie as a free agent in June after she spent the PWHL’s inaugural season with the Toronto Sceptres, her place of birth was not a factor in the decision.

GM Mike Hirshfeld would have still just as eagerly offered the 28-year-old forward a contract if she was from Timbuktu.

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“We’re really excited to have her and to be honest, it has nothing to do with the Ottawa connection,” Hirshfeld said. “Obviously, that’s a bonus, but we really like her as a player. She’s an experienced player who has played in a lot of different situations, a lot of different environments. That was exciting for us, to bring someone like that into our locker room.

“We’re going to give a real opportunity to play significant minutes this year.”

Leslie grew up in the Upper Hunt Club area, approximately 15 minutes from both TD Place and Canadian Tire Centre.

While playing minor hockey with the Kanata Rangers, Gloucester Rangers and Ottawa Lady Senators organizations, she has fond recollections of attending both 67’s and Senators games.

“We had 67’s season tickets growing up, so we would go every single game,” she said. “On Friday, Sunday, my dad, my brother and I, yeah, I remember TD Place when it was just a concrete parking lot, and I have memories of chasing my dad in the parking lot to find our car. It’s crazy to see how it’s changed now and all the restaurants and condos and stuff.

“I was the same age as Jack Kilrea (Brian’s grandson) and my dad is good friends with Billy Kilrea (Brian’s son), so we would always go in the Kilrea suite. Pretty special memories.”

Leslie says she attended Zenon Konopka’s camps and became close friends with him, Lance Galbraith and other 67’s players.

“She went to every hockey school I ever had,” said Konopka, the former 67’s captain and veteran of 346 NHL games, who is “super proud” of the player Leslie has become while establishing herself in the pro ranks. “Her attention to detail was unbelievable. She never, ever cheated on a drill and she always had a smile on her face.”

Leslie’s talent as a hockey player runs in the family.

Her brother, Zac Leslie, spent four seasons with the Guelph Storm and, after being a sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2013, spent seven years in the AHL, including the 2021-22 season with the Belleville Senators.

From there, he played a season and a half in the KHL, then played 21 games in the Swiss league and he’s now in Europe looking to sign with another team.

Meanwhile, her fiancee, Cody Caron, played four years in the OHL with Niagara IceDogs and Kingston Frontenacs, three years for the Carleton Ravens and then three years in the ECHL. He’s now an assistant coach at Carelton.

Leslie spent four seasons with the NCAA Boston University Terriers and served as the team’s captain in her senior season, 2017-18.

After school she returned to Ottawa and, before the PWHL came along, she worked for Ottawa Sports and Entertainment.

“I worked in corporate partnerships,” Leslie said. “I was with the national team leading into the last Olympics and when I was released from centralization, women’s hockey wasn’t that big. We were doing showcases here and there, but I needed to find a way, financially, to keep up with the world, so  I got a job.

“I studied business in university, so I knew I wanted to get into the business world sports kind of just, it was easy for me to make that transition while staying involved in the business side of things. Partnerships was a lot of fun.”

Regarded as an exceptional skater, Leslie had 57 points in 33 games during her final year in Boston.

With the Sceptres, she scored three goals and seven assists with 12 penalty minutes and a plus-2 rating during the regular season.

“I was trying to figure out the next best place for me to extend my career and to make an impact on the team,” she said of her approach to free agency. “I had a great year in Toronto. I loved the team and it was a really competitive roster. Once free agency came up, I was trying to figure out ‘where’s the best fit for me?’

“There were a couple of teams that I was interested in, and when I heard that Ottawa was interested, It was pretty easy for me to.”

Attendance for Charge games, which already was good last season, will be even better now with Leslie in the fold.

She says her parents, as well “a lot of aunts and uncles and cousins that are really supportive of my career and have always been around,” are really excited to have her back home.

“It’s nice that they don’t have to circle just two dates a year, they can circle every weekend,” Leslie said. “It gives them something to do. They’re huge hockey people, so they’re excited to have me here.

“It’s a dream come true for me. I was a little jealous last year when I would see TD Place sell out. I was always watching Ottawa, seeing how they were doing. To be part of this, it means a lot to me and my family.

“I take a lot of pride in the city, and I’ve loved growing up here, so to be able to play here is really awesome.”