Finding Her Groove: How Shiann Darkangelo Became a Core Piece in Ottawa

When Shiann Darkangelo was traded from the Boston Fleet to the Ottawa Charge late in the 2024 PWHL regular season, it could have easily felt like just another stop in a long professional career. She had already seen it all: NCAA success, international gold, professional championships, league collapses, league rebirths. But for Darkangelo, Ottawa wasn’t just a new team, it was a chance to prove she still had more to give.

Almost a year later, she’s not just fitting in, she’s thriving.

“She’s meant an incredible amount,” said Charge head coach Carla MacLeod. “It’s one thing for what you see from the outside looking in, and what you're seeing is just a woman that wholeheartedly invested in her offseason, wanted to have more offensive impact, and showed up and earned it. She's a consummate professional. She's a detail-oriented player. She’s a student of the game, and it's reflected in how she plays.

“And it’s nice to see her be rewarded because of her efforts — not just in herself, but in this team. What you don't always see is the behind-the-scenes leadership. She’s been a steady presence for our players and has been one that’s been driving our group from the onset this year.”

When Ottawa acquired Darkangelo from Boston near the end of the 2024 season, it was more of a future-focused move than a splashy deadline deal. At the time, her production was quiet, just one assist in 17 games. But the Charge saw the bigger picture: her experience, her work ethic, and her ability to impact the locker room just as much as the scoresheet.

This season, Darkangelo has taken that opportunity and run with it. After finishing the year without a point in seven games with Ottawa, she found her rhythm this season, piling up 16 points (8 goals, 8 assists) in 27 games, taking key faceoffs, and becoming a steady presence in all situations.

“Just showing up at the beginning of the season and buying into what the coaches and staff have in place has allowed me to play my game,” she said. “They’ve believed in me, and it’s made it easy to be here and do what I do best. From the top down, we have a great organization and culture. It makes it easier to show up and do your job every day.”

But to really understand Darkangelo’s story, you have to understand the journey that brought her here.

The Brighton, Michigan native was a standout at Syracuse and Quinnipiac, where she led her team with 23 goals in the 2013–14 season and served as an alternate captain the following year. She helped USA win gold at the 2011 U18 World Championship and again at the senior level in 2016. She played in the first-ever NWHL All-Star Game, lifted the Isobel Cup with Buffalo, and captained the Toronto Six to a championship in the final season of the PHF.

She’s seen leagues collapse. She’s seen new ones rise. She’s seen women's hockey grow from niche corners of the sports world into sold-out rinks and national broadcasts. And through it all, she’s kept adapting, and believing.

“I still have the same love for the game as when I started,” Darkangelo said. “To be part of all the growth in women’s hockey and still be contributing at this level, it means a lot.”

Naturally, with experience has come leadership. Even if it’s not a role she actively sought out, it’s one she embraces.

“I think it kind of just evolves over time, to be honest,” she said. “The women that came before me took me under their wings. Now, I’m one of those people in the room, whether it’s starting conversation with someone younger or helping in different ways. It’s kind of like a full-circle moment, recognizing that and doing that for younger players.”

Ask her about confidence, and she'll tell you it’s not quite that simple. Her career hasn’t been defined by easy paths, it’s been defined by preparation and persistence.

“There’s been so many different leagues and changes, every single year, not knowing where you're going to play. So just being consistent in the training and believing in yourself. So I guess, yeah, that's confidence a little bit, but it's also sticking to the small details that people don't see day in and day out that lead to success.”

When she looks back at the younger version of herself, the rookie pro finding her place in a developing league, Darkangelo doesn’t wish for shortcuts.

“Honestly, I don't think I would really change much,” she said. “Just, don't stop believing and keep going, because hard work pays off, but nobody tells you when.”

In Ottawa, that patience and persistence are finally paying off, not just in goals and assists, but in the leadership she brings to a team chasing its first Walter Cup.