Ottawa Power Wheelchair Hockey League (OPWHL)

Part 2 of our CEWHA practice gallery is now posted! 📸

The Ottawa Capitals and Ottawa Black Aces continued putting in the work at Greenboro as Nationals get closer. It was great to capture both teams together as they prepare for a big summer of power wheelchair hockey in Ottawa.

The full gallery is also available on the OPWHL website.

Another step closer to the CEWHA National Tournament at Carleton University from August 1–3. 🔴⚫⚪🏒

Photos from last Sunday’s CEWHA practice are now live! 📸🏒

The Ottawa Capitals and Ottawa Black Aces were back on the court together at Greenboro, continuing preparations for this summer’s CEWHA National Tournament at Carleton University from August 1–3.

This is Part 1 of our practice gallery. The full gallery is also available now on the OPWHL website.

Great to see both teams getting reps in, building chemistry, and preparing to represent Ottawa on home court this summer. 🔴⚫⚪

Continuing our 2026 OPWHL Banquet photo posts with this year’s award winners.

Congratulations once again to all of our 2025–2026 recipients:

Coach’s Award – Gators: Natalie Champagne 🐊 (Not Pictured)
Coach’s Award – Bears: Emerson Bartel 🐻
Coach’s Award – Wolves: Robin Guillotte 🐺
Coach’s Award – Sharks: Cayson Savage 🦈
Most Improved Player: Kerry Burke 🐻
Fair Play Award: Shelly Bolger 🐊
Top Rookie Forward: Raven Choinière 🐺
Top Rookie Defence: Antonio Rivas 🐻
Top Goalie: Brian Bertrand 🐺
Top Defence: Hollis Peirce 🐻
Top Forward: Lukas Cheeseman 🦈
Best 2-Way Player: Kellen Schleyer 🐻
Leadership Award: Camelon Dolan 🦈
Most Valuable Player: Malaky Lamberson 🐊
Playoff MVP: Kellen Schleyer 🐻
Dino Giannetti Humanitarian Award: Brian Bertrand 🐺

Congratulations to every recipient on a well-deserved recognition, and thank you for the impact you each made on the OPWHL this season.

Full banquet photo galleries are available on our page and website.

We’re starting our banquet photo posts by recognizing this year’s Volunteer of the Year Award recipient: Gemma Syme. 🌟

Gemma has become such a steady and welcoming presence within the OPWHL community. Whether she is helping behind the scenes, supporting players, or simply being someone people can talk to on Sundays, she brings warmth, kindness, and reliability to everything she does. ❤

Her approachable nature and willingness to help have made her a trusted face within the league, not only this season, but throughout her time with the OPWHL. We are grateful for the care and consistency she continues to bring to our community. 👏

Congratulations again, Gemma, on being named the 2025–2026 OPWHL Volunteer of the Year! ❤🖤

Photos from the 2026 OPWHL Banquet are now available on our page and website! You can view the full photo gallery through Facebook, or visit our website to look back on a great evening celebrating our players, volunteers, coaches, families, and supporters. 📸👀

Second part of our 2026 OPWHL Banquet Photo Gallery 📸

First part of our 2026 OPWHL Banquet Photo Gallery! 📸

A big thank you to everyone who helped support this year’s OPWHL Banquet through our silent auction and financial support. ❤🖤

We were fortunate to receive contributions from local restaurants, sports organizations, community partners, businesses, and individual supporters. Each donation helped make the evening more special for our players, families, volunteers, and coaches. 💪

The silent auction is an important part of our banquet each year, as the funds raised help reduce the cost of the event and keep it as accessible as possible for our athletes and their families.

We’d also like to give a special thank you to the Ottawa Police Association for their financial support of this year’s banquet. Their contribution helped us cover event costs and celebrate the OPWHL community in the way it deserves. 👏

Thank you to every organization and individual who contributed. Your support means a lot to our league. ❤

We are closing out this year’s OPWHL player awards with one of the most meaningful honours presented by our league: the Dino Giannetti Humanitarian Award. ❤

This award is presented in memory and honour of Dino Giannetti, a founding member of the OPWHL and an important part of our league’s history. The award recognizes community volunteerism, humanitarian contributions, leadership, and a commitment to breaking down barriers for people with disabilities in our community.

This year’s recipient, Brian Bertrand, represents the spirit of this award extremely well. 🐺

Brian has been part of the OPWHL since 2010 and has supported the league in countless ways over the years. He has been a player, fundraiser, recruiter, teammate, and steady voice within our community. Without seeking attention or recognition, Brian has helped raise funds, sell raffle and banquet tickets, bring new players into the league, and connect the OPWHL with generous support that has helped us attend tournaments, purchase equipment, and keep costs low for our athletes.

His impact also extends beyond the OPWHL. Brian has volunteered and fundraised for the MS Society, supported others through MS support group meetings, contributed to accessibility work in the City of Ottawa, and continued to be a source of encouragement for people facing illness or disability.

Brian’s kindness, generosity, and quiet leadership have made a lasting impact on the OPWHL and the broader community. 🫂

Congratulations, Brian, on receiving the 2025–2026 Dino Giannetti Humanitarian Award. ❤🖤

Banquet photos coming next. 👀

Closing out our individual player awards with two of the biggest honours of the season: our regular season MVP and Playoff MVP 👀🏆

Most Valuable Player: Malaky Lamberson 🐊
Malaky had an outstanding season from start to finish and was one of the most dominant offensive players in the OPWHL. He led the league in scoring by a wide margin, consistently put up multi-goal games, and gave opposing teams problems every time he was on the court.

What makes Malaky such a valuable player is not only his scoring ability, but the way he impacts the game around him. He creates chances, gets his teammates involved, and helped lead the Gators to a regular season title. His talent, confidence, and continued growth were on full display all year. 🏒

Playoff MVP: Kellen Schleyer 🐻
Kellen elevated his game when the pressure was highest. Throughout the playoffs, he was a major force for the Bears, bringing skill, composure, and leadership to every game.

From big goals to key moments, Kellen found ways to make an impact when his team needed it most. His performance helped push the Bears through a hard-fought playoff run and toward the 2025–2026 OPWHL Championship.

Congratulations to Malaky and Kellen on two incredible seasons and two well-deserved MVP honours! 🏆👏

Our second group of individual award winners all made their own very special impact on the OPWHL this season. 👀🏒

Top Goalie: Brian Bertrand 🐺
Brian made some truly jaw-dropping saves throughout the season, especially in the moments when his team needed them most. He also brought steady leadership to his team and finished the year as the league leader in goals-against average.

Top Defence: Hollis Peirce 🐻
Hollis was a defensive force all season long. His positioning, awareness, and ability to shut down offensive momentum made him one of the toughest players in the league to play against, especially in his first season back after a long time away.

Top Forward: Lukas Cheeseman 🦈
Lukas showed an exceptional offensive mind and a natural ability to create chances. With his strong shot, smart playmaking, and ability to finish difficult plays, he continued to establish himself as one of the league’s top offensive threats.

Best 2-Way Player: Kellen Schleyer 🐻
Kellen’s impact was felt every time he was on the court. Whether creating offence, disrupting plays defensively, or getting teammates involved, he showed why he is one of the league’s most complete players.

Leadership Award: Camelon Dolan 🦈
Camelon is a quiet leader whose presence is felt on any team he plays for. After being traded midway through the season, he handled the change with maturity and continued to be a skilled, supportive, and uplifting teammate.

Congratulations to all five recipients on an outstanding season! ❤