Charge place Sanni Ahola on long-term injured reserve

On Tuesday, the Ottawa Charge announced that the team has placed goaltender Sanni Ahola on long-term injured reserve. In response, the team has signed netminder Sarah Coe to a Standard Player Agreement.

Coe joins the Charge’s other two netminders – Gwyneth Philips and Kendra Woodland – while Ahola is currently recovering from an illness.

Ahola has played just one game thus far, that coming on Dec. 17 against the Seattle Torrent. The Finnish backstop gave up three goals on 23 shots in a 4-1 loss. Ottawa took the 25-year-old in the fifth round, 37th overall, of the 2025 PWHL Draft. She signed a one-year contract, mostly to back up Philips, who was coming off a thrilling end to her rookie season, where she was named the PWHL Playoffs Most Valuable Player.

It’s not quite clear how long Ahola will be out of action. Her placement on LTIR is retroactive to Dec. 18, meaning she could be eligible to return to the lineup as soon as Friday, when the Charge takes on the Vancouver Goldeneyes. However, since the team has elected to put her on LTIR and go out of its way to sign another goaltender, she might be out longer than expected.

The recent ailment might raise some questions about Ahola’s health leading up to the Winter Olympics. The Helsinki native was named to Finland’s roster last week, and could be the difference between Suomi competing for a medal or flaming out in the quarterfinals.

Coe has spent the previous four seasons at RIT, where she was the team’s No. 1 goaltender throughout her time with the program. Last season, she had a career year, going 11-13-2, with a 2.32 goals-against average, a .923 save percentage and four shutouts. In 96 career games as a Tiger, the Ajax, Ont. native went 18-63-8, with a 3.22 GAA, a .908 SV% and five shutouts.

The Charge (2-3-0-5) sit last in the PWHL, but are just three points back of a playoff spot.