Top pick shines in front of mom and dad, a former Oilers coach

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When most players score in their debut in professional hockey, it is automatically classified as the biggest goal of their life.

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Not Danielle Serdachny. Not by far.

Serdachny’s second-period bank against a defenseman Saturday night at Place Bell gave the Ottawa Charge a 2-0 lead over the Montreal Victory in the PWHL season opener, a game whose visitors came away with a point in a 4-3 shootout. loss.

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But overall, it pales in comparison to the goal she scored in Utica, New York, seven and a half months earlier. The power play goal, coming off a rebound at 5:16 of overtime, gave Canada a 6-5 victory over the United States in the gold medal game of the 2024 Women’s World Championship. the IIHF.

Not only did it avenge the gold medal loss to the Americans in Brampton a year earlier, it gave Canada a tournament-record 13th title.

“I think they were different in a lot of ways, but also special in different ways,” Serdachny said when asked to compare the two goals after the Charge’s practice at TD Place on Monday. “It was probably a little quieter (Saturday) but I guess in both situations we were the away team so there wasn’t much going on in the crowd.

“Both were really exciting times, really special for me, and definitely a lot of fun too.”

This weekend, Serdachny’s parents, Debra and Steven, were in attendance after traveling from their home in Edmonton.

They will also be present at the Charge’s next two games: the home opener against the Toronto Scepters at TD Place on Tuesday and another showdown against the Victory at the Canadian Tire Center on Friday.

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“It was awesome,” Serdachny, 23, said of his early days in the PWHL with his parents in the building. “I think they had a lot of fun too and were probably a little stressed too. But having them there for my first professional match means everything to me, simply because of the love and support they have shown me throughout my career. Having them there every step of the way means a lot to me.

Like the Edmonton Oilers a skating and skills coach from 2006 to 2015, her father had a strong influence in her decision to become a hockey player.

“I don’t know how much of a choice it was at a young age,” Serdachny, nicknamed “Danny” by her friends, said with a laugh. “They got me into skating, I think about two and a half years ago, and as I got older and more comfortable with the game, I fell in love with it a lot more. Pushing yourself and getting into hockey was never really an issue, just because I loved it and loved being part of a team and competing every day.

Serdachny has fond memories of being with the Oilers, with her sisters Brooke and Jordan and brother Noah, during what she calls the team’s “first overall draft phase,” when they took Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov with entry. top draft selection in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

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His favorite player, however, was selected 22nd overall by the Oilers in 2008 and became a Team Canada hero — scoring a game-tying goal with five seconds left in regulation in the semifinal against the Russians — at the 2009 World Juniors, won by the home team, the last time the tournament was held in Ottawa.

She even wore the same number 14 as Jordan Eberle when she was growing up playing minor hockey.

“Sometimes when (his father) was skating with the injured or scratched player, we were lucky enough and could go to the rink and watch, which was really, really special,” said Serdachny, who now wears No. 92 because he was 9, his number at Colgate and 2, was worn by a few cousins ​​on his mother’s side, including former WHL defenseman Dylan Busenius. “They weren’t winning a lot of games, but it was still a lot of fun to be there. I remember after a few Oilers games we got a chance to be in the locker room, so that was really special for me and my siblings.

During this time, Serdachny quickly grew as a professional player.

The second overall selection in June’s draft after the New York Sirens selected Sarah Fillier, she also scored in an exhibition mini-camp against Montreal 10 days ago and was one of the Ottawa’s best players on Saturday.

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“I thought collectively we played a solid hockey game,” Charges coach Carla MacLeod said of the season opener. “Watching Danny there was awesome. She’s a great hockey player and she’s learning the league. I think by remaining patient and recognizing that it was her very first game in the PWHL, there were a lot of positives and a lot of areas to develop, and that’s what you would expect at this point of the year.

Serdachny mentioned the “great environment” of the sold-out and noisy 10,033-seat Place Bell.

“It was tough to miss out on a defeat, but I’m pretty proud of the way we performed throughout it and earned a point,” she said, admitting some nervousness going into of the match. “But there are people around you who feel the same emotions, people you can count on if you need them. So just having rookies on your side and feeling those emotions together was really helpful.

She also expects the home opener to be on a whole new level.

“I’m really excited, I’ve never played a home game here in Ottawa, so I’m really looking forward to getting a taste of the fans and the support we give them,” Serdachny said. “I know that kind of local crowd has helped Montreal in different ways. So I hope that in Ottawa, the fans will do the same thing. It will be a great game against Toronto and I hope to come away with our first of the season.

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