Katerina Mrazova, seen here at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship, brings scoring and experience to the Czech national team and the PWHL's Ottawa Charge.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Matt Zambonin
Movie history is full of sequels that arguably surpassed the original films, from The Empire Strikes Back to Mad Max: Fury Road. Similarly, Katerina Mrazova is hoping that her second PWHL season with Ottawa will go even better than her first one, including a successful run with the Czech national team at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship.
That 10-team tournament in Ceske Budejovice (9 to 20 April) will mark the first time the Czechs have ever hosted the Women’s Worlds. And Mrazova, 32, is expected to be an offensive catalyst both there and with the Ottawa Charge.
She set the tone last year as the PWHL’s highest-scoring European player (6+12=18 in 23 games). The gifted playmaking centre finished tenth overall in points and tied for fourth in assists with Toronto’s Sarah Nurse and Minnesota’s Kelly Pannek.
That 10-team tournament in Ceske Budejovice (9 to 20 April) will mark the first time the Czechs have ever hosted the Women’s Worlds. And Mrazova, 32, is expected to be an offensive catalyst both there and with the Ottawa Charge.
She set the tone last year as the PWHL’s highest-scoring European player (6+12=18 in 23 games). The gifted playmaking centre finished tenth overall in points and tied for fourth in assists with Toronto’s Sarah Nurse and Minnesota’s Kelly Pannek.
Forward Katerina Mrazova had a hot stick in her first PWHL season with Ottawa, putting up 18 points in 23 games.
photo: © Josh Kim / Ottawa Charge
It seems ludicrous in retrospective that Mrazova was an eighth-round pick (44th overall) in the 2023 PWHL draft. She signed a two-year contract extension in June. Never complacent, the 163-cm, 61-kg veteran spent her off-season working on getting both stronger and faster.
“I’m really excited to get started,” Mrazova told IIHF.com ahead of the Charge’s road opener (30 November at Montreal. “I can’t wait for our first game!”
Despite narrowly missing the inaugural PWHL playoffs with a fifth-place finish, Ottawa enjoyed great fan support. The Charge had a league-high average attendance of 7,496 at TD Place Arena, which will also co-host the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship (26 December to 5 January) with the Canadian Tire Centre.
In the PWHL pre-season, Mrazova’s club thumped the Boston Fleet 6-1 but fell 6-3 to the Montreal Victoire. There were positive signs, but more consistency is needed to keep fan enthusiasm high in 2024-25.
“I like the speed and the physicality we had,” Mrazova said of the exhibition games. “I think we worked really hard in both the offensive and defensive zones. Of course, there are some things we can still improve on. But we did well for the first games.”
“I’m really excited to get started,” Mrazova told IIHF.com ahead of the Charge’s road opener (30 November at Montreal. “I can’t wait for our first game!”
Despite narrowly missing the inaugural PWHL playoffs with a fifth-place finish, Ottawa enjoyed great fan support. The Charge had a league-high average attendance of 7,496 at TD Place Arena, which will also co-host the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship (26 December to 5 January) with the Canadian Tire Centre.
In the PWHL pre-season, Mrazova’s club thumped the Boston Fleet 6-1 but fell 6-3 to the Montreal Victoire. There were positive signs, but more consistency is needed to keep fan enthusiasm high in 2024-25.
“I like the speed and the physicality we had,” Mrazova said of the exhibition games. “I think we worked really hard in both the offensive and defensive zones. Of course, there are some things we can still improve on. But we did well for the first games.”
The former University of Minnesota-Duluth forward had excellent chemistry last year with 2022 Olympic MVP and current Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner (9+11=20) as her main linemate. Longtime Czech teammate Tereza Vanisova, acquired from Montreal in a March trade, offers a natural complement on the wing. Strong communication is this top trio’s trademark.
“Last year, Brianne and I clicked together and the chemistry built with every game,” Mrazova said. “We understand each other and read each other well, so you kind of know what to expect. It is really fun to play with her. And Tereza is really fast and brings good vision as well. She’s just a really good fit for us.”
At the 2024 PWHL Draft, the Charge beefed up offensively and physically by taking Canadian forward Danielle Serdachny second overall and Finnish blueliner Ronja Savolainen eighth overall.
Serdachny, 23, potted the 6-5 overtime winner against the U.S. in the 2024 Women’s Worlds gold medal game. And Mrazova, a two-time Women’s Worlds bronze medalist (2022, 2023), knows Savolainen, 26, as a frequent medal-round opponent in international competition.
Mrazova is stoked about both additions: “I’m really impressed with [Serdachny’s] skating ability. She’s a skilled player and it’s fun to watch her on the ice. She’s humble too, and I think that helps with everything as a teammate and a person. As for Ronja, I’m happy to be on the same team as her! She always plays a physical game and has a really good shot.”
Ottawa’s best shot at going deep in Year Two hinges on sticking to coach Carla MacLeod’s game plan. MacLeod, a former all-star Canadian rearguard and two-time Olympic gold medalist (2006, 2010), now does double duty as the bench boss of the Charge and the Czech national team.
According to Mrazova, the connections that the 42-year-old Albertan forges with her players are possibly even more important than her technical knowledge.
“She really cares about you, not just as a player but as a person as well, and she gets to know you. And then she has a feeling for what situations to put you in on the ice. The connections that she builds are just on another level from what I’ve seen before with coaches.”
When asked to name the PWHL’s standout talents in different areas, Mrazova picked Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal) as the best shooter, Taylor Heise (Minnesota) as the best stickhandler, and Abby Roque (New York) as the most physical player.
The league’s reach is growing. Between January and March, the Charge will visit Quebec City, Edmonton, Raleigh, and St. Louis on the PWHL Takeover Tour. It’s an opportunity for women’s hockey to gain exposure in different markets, and also to gauge the potential of those cities for expansion franchises. Reportedly, the PWHL has already received more than 20 expansion proposals, and it could add two new teams for 2025-26.
Interestingly, Mrazova – if given her druthers – would pick Pittsburgh as the next home of PWHL hockey. “The people showed up when we played there,” the Kolin-born forward said, alluding to the crowd of 8,850 that attended Toronto’s 2-1 win over Montreal at PPG Paints Arena on 17 March. Pennsylvania’s second-largest city also hosted PWHPA action during the 2022 Dream Gap Tour.
“Last year, Brianne and I clicked together and the chemistry built with every game,” Mrazova said. “We understand each other and read each other well, so you kind of know what to expect. It is really fun to play with her. And Tereza is really fast and brings good vision as well. She’s just a really good fit for us.”
At the 2024 PWHL Draft, the Charge beefed up offensively and physically by taking Canadian forward Danielle Serdachny second overall and Finnish blueliner Ronja Savolainen eighth overall.
Serdachny, 23, potted the 6-5 overtime winner against the U.S. in the 2024 Women’s Worlds gold medal game. And Mrazova, a two-time Women’s Worlds bronze medalist (2022, 2023), knows Savolainen, 26, as a frequent medal-round opponent in international competition.
Mrazova is stoked about both additions: “I’m really impressed with [Serdachny’s] skating ability. She’s a skilled player and it’s fun to watch her on the ice. She’s humble too, and I think that helps with everything as a teammate and a person. As for Ronja, I’m happy to be on the same team as her! She always plays a physical game and has a really good shot.”
Ottawa’s best shot at going deep in Year Two hinges on sticking to coach Carla MacLeod’s game plan. MacLeod, a former all-star Canadian rearguard and two-time Olympic gold medalist (2006, 2010), now does double duty as the bench boss of the Charge and the Czech national team.
According to Mrazova, the connections that the 42-year-old Albertan forges with her players are possibly even more important than her technical knowledge.
“She really cares about you, not just as a player but as a person as well, and she gets to know you. And then she has a feeling for what situations to put you in on the ice. The connections that she builds are just on another level from what I’ve seen before with coaches.”
When asked to name the PWHL’s standout talents in different areas, Mrazova picked Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal) as the best shooter, Taylor Heise (Minnesota) as the best stickhandler, and Abby Roque (New York) as the most physical player.
The league’s reach is growing. Between January and March, the Charge will visit Quebec City, Edmonton, Raleigh, and St. Louis on the PWHL Takeover Tour. It’s an opportunity for women’s hockey to gain exposure in different markets, and also to gauge the potential of those cities for expansion franchises. Reportedly, the PWHL has already received more than 20 expansion proposals, and it could add two new teams for 2025-26.
Interestingly, Mrazova – if given her druthers – would pick Pittsburgh as the next home of PWHL hockey. “The people showed up when we played there,” the Kolin-born forward said, alluding to the crowd of 8,850 that attended Toronto’s 2-1 win over Montreal at PPG Paints Arena on 17 March. Pennsylvania’s second-largest city also hosted PWHPA action during the 2022 Dream Gap Tour.
Mrazova – a 2013 CWHL champion with the Boston Blades – has her sights set even further east as the countdown to the 2025 Women’s Worlds continues. She hopes to see big crowds cheering on the host nation at Ceske Budejovice’s Budvar Arena as well.
“It's a beautiful country and there is a lot of history and culture,” she said. “Ceske Budejovice is a nice town and there is a lot of stuff to do in the area along with seeing hockey. We have really good beer that I would recommend to anyone who visits Czechia for sure!”
Worthy of toasting is a new generation of Czech talent capable of filling the net. Mrazova, the 2021 SDHL MVP with Brynas is enjoying the emergence of two 18-year-old forwards in Sweden: Adela Sapovalivova (MoDo), 18, who captained Czechia to an historic silver medal at the 2024 U18 Women’s Worlds in Switzerland, and Tereza Plosova (Djurgarden), who starred alongside Sapovalivova on three U18 squads. They also both played at the 2024 Women’s Worlds in Utica, which Mrazova missed with a pre-tournament injury.
“‘Sappy’ is really hard-working,” said Mrazova. “She wants to learn. She has the leadership skills. She’s a really good hockey player already. She’s all over the place with her speed and has good vision on the ice. And she’s only going to get better. With Plosova, she’s a really goal-driven player. She goes hard to the net and she wants to score. They’re both talented hockey players. I wish I could be that age! I’m excited to see what they’ll do in the future.”
Factor in the speculation that University of Minnesota sniper Natalie Mlynkova could be the top pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft, and that just compounds the excitement.
“She’d totally deserve it,” Mrazova said. “She has it all. For women’s hockey, showing that someone from Europe can go number one overall would be special. It definitely would get more media attention in Czechia, too.”
Earlier this year, Mrazova made her own media splash back home when she appeared in an ad for the Kaufland grocery store chain with three well-known Czech male players: Jaromir Jagr, Radko Gudas, and Jakub Krejcik. While she isn’t necessarily looking to pursue an acting career, she got a kick out of filming the spot.
“I was happy I could represent women’s hockey there. It was a lot of fun. The shoot went past midnight, overnight! It was a new experience for me. But it was definitely cool to meet the other players and chat with them for a bit.”
To script the happiest possible ending to this season, Mrazova would love to win a PWHL title with the Charge and also get to the gold medal game at the Women’s Worlds. There is unquestionable momentum in Czech hockey right now, including the men’s 2024 Worlds gold medal in Prague and the 2023 World Junior silver in Halifax. Can the women play an even bigger starring role?
“I think we can take it to the final,” Mrazova said. “I really believe in our team. If we put everything we have into it, with the fans behind us, who knows what we can do? I think we can frustrate the other big teams and it could be a big surprise. I’m excited.”
So bring on the sequel.
“It's a beautiful country and there is a lot of history and culture,” she said. “Ceske Budejovice is a nice town and there is a lot of stuff to do in the area along with seeing hockey. We have really good beer that I would recommend to anyone who visits Czechia for sure!”
Worthy of toasting is a new generation of Czech talent capable of filling the net. Mrazova, the 2021 SDHL MVP with Brynas is enjoying the emergence of two 18-year-old forwards in Sweden: Adela Sapovalivova (MoDo), 18, who captained Czechia to an historic silver medal at the 2024 U18 Women’s Worlds in Switzerland, and Tereza Plosova (Djurgarden), who starred alongside Sapovalivova on three U18 squads. They also both played at the 2024 Women’s Worlds in Utica, which Mrazova missed with a pre-tournament injury.
“‘Sappy’ is really hard-working,” said Mrazova. “She wants to learn. She has the leadership skills. She’s a really good hockey player already. She’s all over the place with her speed and has good vision on the ice. And she’s only going to get better. With Plosova, she’s a really goal-driven player. She goes hard to the net and she wants to score. They’re both talented hockey players. I wish I could be that age! I’m excited to see what they’ll do in the future.”
Factor in the speculation that University of Minnesota sniper Natalie Mlynkova could be the top pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft, and that just compounds the excitement.
“She’d totally deserve it,” Mrazova said. “She has it all. For women’s hockey, showing that someone from Europe can go number one overall would be special. It definitely would get more media attention in Czechia, too.”
Earlier this year, Mrazova made her own media splash back home when she appeared in an ad for the Kaufland grocery store chain with three well-known Czech male players: Jaromir Jagr, Radko Gudas, and Jakub Krejcik. While she isn’t necessarily looking to pursue an acting career, she got a kick out of filming the spot.
“I was happy I could represent women’s hockey there. It was a lot of fun. The shoot went past midnight, overnight! It was a new experience for me. But it was definitely cool to meet the other players and chat with them for a bit.”
To script the happiest possible ending to this season, Mrazova would love to win a PWHL title with the Charge and also get to the gold medal game at the Women’s Worlds. There is unquestionable momentum in Czech hockey right now, including the men’s 2024 Worlds gold medal in Prague and the 2023 World Junior silver in Halifax. Can the women play an even bigger starring role?
“I think we can take it to the final,” Mrazova said. “I really believe in our team. If we put everything we have into it, with the fans behind us, who knows what we can do? I think we can frustrate the other big teams and it could be a big surprise. I’m excited.”
So bring on the sequel.