Charge relocate to Canadian Tire Centre
The Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) will make the Canadian Tire Centre their permanent home venue, beginning with the upcoming season. This move, announced by Charge general manager Mike Hirshfeld, signifies a new chapter for professional women’s hockey in the capital region. The Charge previously played at TD Place Arena, which served as their primary home for their first three seasons.
The decision to relocate follows several successful games held at the Canadian Tire Centre, including one regular season game and four playoff games. These matches drew significant crowds, with an average attendance of over 14,000 fans across those five games, according to one report. Another source indicates an average of 13,641 fans over their first six games at the venue. A crowd of 17,114 attended a regular season game on April 3 against the Montréal Victoire, setting a new women’s hockey attendance record in Ottawa. Additionally, the Charge set a PWHL single-game playoff attendance record.
Hirshfeld expressed enthusiasm for the move, highlighting the benefits of playing in the arena and the opportunity to work more closely with the Ottawa Senators. Cyril Leeder, president and CEO of Senators Sports & Entertainment, was present at the announcement, emphasizing the success of last year’s games at the Canadian Tire Centre. Leeder stated that the PWHL and the Ottawa Charge are considered an important part of the local hockey community.
Enhanced facilities and collaboration
The Canadian Tire Centre will serve as the team’s primary home venue, practice facility, and training centre. This move is expected to provide the necessary facilities to support the Charge’s continued growth. Leeder also mentioned that Chris Phillips, Senators vice president of business operations, will oversee the creation of a dedicated campus for the Charge at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Hirshfeld detailed the planned enhancements, which include a self-contained, exclusive locker room, a players’ lounge, medical facilities, equipment space, and coaches’ offices. He believes these new facilities will be among the best in the PWHL. The ability to practice and play in one location is also seen as a significant advantage for recruiting players, as many other teams in the league do not yet have this capability.
The move also brings both major league hockey teams under one roof, strengthening the partnership between the Charge and the Senators. Hirshfeld noted the synergies that will develop between the two organizations. Leeder affirmed the importance of having both of the world’s best hockey leagues playing in the city under one roof, and stated that Senators owner Michael Andlauer supports the agreement, aiming for the Charge’s long-term success in Ottawa.
Community impact and future plans
The relocation marks a significant milestone for the Ottawa Charge and contributes to the growing momentum of professional women’s hockey across North America. Rebecca Leslie, a forward for the Charge who grew up in Ottawa and led the team in scoring during both the regular season and postseason, shared her excitement for the new facilities at the Canadian Tire Centre. She noted the strong fan turnout during previous games at the venue.
While the Charge spent their first three seasons at TD Place, which has a capacity of over 9,800, the Canadian Tire Centre offers increased capacity. Reports indicate that TD Place is entering a new phase of redevelopment, with a new arena under construction that will have a seating capacity of 5,850, expandable to over 6,600. The PWHL had previously expressed disappointment regarding the smaller capacity of the new arena at TD Place.
Leeder also indicated a desire to include the Charge in future plans for the Senators’ new arena development at LeBreton Flats. The Charge are currently accepting deposits for new Season Ticket Memberships for the 2026-27 season.
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Source: nhl.com
